WESTLOCK — Due to a staffing shortage, the Westlock Healthcare Centre will temporarily suspend operating room services starting at 5 p.m. today, Aug. 20, until 7 a.m., Monday, Aug. 23.
In an Aug. 20 news release, Alberta Health Services states the hospital’s emergency department will remain open and patients requiring surgery during the weekend will be assessed on-site and transferred by EMS to another facility. The Westlock News has e-mailed AHS asking what department the staff shortage is in and has not received a reply as of 4:55 p.m., Aug. 20.
In the same release, AHS says it’s working to ensure all patients have the support they need and that includes working closely with surrounding hospitals to offer additional support to Westlock patients. These sites, says AHS, include the Sturgeon Community Hospital in St. Albert, which is 68 kilometres south and the Slave Lake Healthcare Centre, which is 164 kilometres north. The release does not explain why the Barrhead Healthcare Centre, which is only 40 kilometres west of town, or the Athabasca Healthcare Centre, which is 85 kilometres north east of Westlock, were not selected.
“Patient safety is of utmost importance and AHS apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. AHS is grateful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff, and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this time,” reads the release.
Acute care bed reduction continues
Meanwhile, a local nursing shortage was previously blamed for a temporary, month-long reduction of acute care beds at the Westlock Healthcare Centre that started in July.
A July 26 news release from AHS states that the number of acute care beds at the Westlock hospital has been reduced from 46 to 36 until Aug. 29 — emergency services, labour and delivery, the stroke program and surgical services (until this recent notice) remain available and operational.
AHS North Zone senior communications officer Logan Clow said previously Westlock is specifically facing a temporary shortage of registered and licensed practical nurses. Clow said AHS is pursuing recruitment strategies, including utilization of contract and temporary nursing supports, that aim to fill existing vacancies by the end of August or September “and perhaps earlier.”
Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken said previously that he’s well aware of the temporary closure and said the community shouldn’t be concerned. Both van Dijken and Clow said previously temporary bed reductions do occur occasionally over the summer months and are only done as a last resort.
The Westlock bed reduction comes on the heels of a similar one in Barrhead — the obstetrics program in Barrhead is currently closed until Aug. 29 due to a lack of doctors. In addition, the Boyle Healthcare Centre’s emergency department saw a number of temporary shutdowns throughout June, while the Westlock Healthcare Centre was temporarily unable to provide C-sections via its obstetrics program for a portion of May, all of June and the first part of July.
