Another emergency department in the region is being temporarily closed, this time in McLennan.
The Sacred Heart Community Health Centre won’t have their emergency department open until 7 PM tonight.
Alberta Health Services says this is due to a lack of registered nursing staff and an inability to secure temporary coverage.
Patients are still asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency.
AHS also said this in a statement; “Patient safety and care remain the highest priorities for AHS. We are working hard to ensure everyone will receive the care they need through its partnership with EMS and a supportive regional network of healthcare centres. Recruitment of nurses is a challenge across North America. It can be particularly difficult outside of urban centres. AHS has a dedicated team focused on recruitment efforts. These efforts include aggressively pursuing both Canadian and internationally trained professionals; working to support flexible roles and scope of practice within AHS; and consulting with post-graduate education programs to enable work experience in non-urban facilities. ”
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
