Starting September 10 at 4 pm and continuing through the overnight hours for the following four days, service disruptions in Lac La Biche's W.J. Cadzow Hospital's emergency ward will be in effect.
Alberta Health Services issued an advisory on Tuesday afternoon saying that due to the inability to secure physician coverage, the William J. Cadzow - Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre's Emergency Department will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage for overnight shifts from Tuesday afternoon to Saturday morning.
The service disruptions will be in effect from 4 pm Tuesday through the overnight to Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. A similar overnight disruption will take place from Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. to Thursday morning at 8 a.m. The third disruption of service will e from Friday, Sept. 13 at 4 pm through to Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8 a.m.
Nurses and EMS remain
Throughout the affected overnight shifts, nursing staff will remain on-site in the Emergency Department providing triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternate Emergency Departments in neighbouring communities, as needed. EMS crews will also remain available to the community and will work with the local healthcare centre to ensure residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need.
Alberta Health Services officials are asking patients to call 911 if they have a medical emergency, or Albeta Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions. Depending on their needs, says AHS spokesperson Lisa Laferriere, patients seeking emergency room care in Lac La Biche may also be made aware of services available through local pharmacies.
Over the last two years, service disruptions have been taking place at the Lac La Biche hospital and several others within the Lakeland area due to a shortage of rural physicians. Lac La Biche officials and municipal leaders in several communities across the Lakeland have forged healthcare partnerships in recent months, in an attempt to share resources for Lakeland residents in need of emergent care. Communities across the Lakeland have also created healthcare committees tasked with recruiting and retaining physicians
The Lac La Biche region currently has seven permanent physicians – half of what Lac La Biche County Mayor Paul Reutov has said is a needed roster of at least 13.
AHS and local communities continue to work in partnership to find new doctors for the rural area. LaFerriere says the service disruptions will be adjusted if physician coverage – either from local re-scheduling, or the assistance of locum doctors – is found.
"If coverage is found, this disruption may be cancelled. This is a temporary measure and AHS is working hard to ensure residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time," she said, thanking the community and healthcare staff for their efforts. "We are grateful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time."
