Smoky Lake without physician coverage at ER over long weekend

The Emergency Department at the George McDougall Healthcare Centre in Smoky Lake will be without physician coverage over the long weekend from noon on Friday, July 29 until 8:00a.m. on Tuesday, August 2.

Physician coverage in the Emergency Department will resume Tuesday, August 2 at 8 a.m.

Nursing staff will remain on-site in the Emergency Department providing triage and assessments and referring patients to healthcare facilities in surrounding communities as needed.

Patients requiring urgent emergency medical care during this time are asked to call 911.

EMS calls will be re-routed to other available healthcare sites to ensure local residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need including the Redwater Health Centre (56km), Ste. Therese-St Paul Healthcare Centre (93km), or the William J. Cadzow – Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre (101km).

Depending on their needs, patients seeking care may also be made aware of services available through local pharmacies. Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7, for non-emergency, health-related questions.

AHS continues to aggressively recruit healthcare professionals for rural areas, they said.