The Big Country Hospital Emergency Department, located about 188 km north of Medicine Hat, AB, will temporarily close daily from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. beginning Monday due to a lack of nursing staff. .The ED will be open for 12-hours daily with nursing staff on site and a physician on call, according to a Tuesday press release. .This staffing shortage will result in the temporary closure of the 10 acute care beds at the Big Country Hospital. Current patients will be discharged or transferred to another facility. .The release said this move is temporary, and Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time. It said nursing staff will remain on site overnight to provide care to long-term care patients. .Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. EMS calls will be rerouted to another ED to ensure residents have access to the emergency services they require. .The release went on to say patients seeking care during the closure in Oyen can access emergency services any time at the Hanna Health Centre, Coronation Hospital, the Provost Health Centre, the Brooks Health Centre, and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital..Residents can call Health Link at 811 for any non-emergency, health-related questions. People requiring non-emergency medical care are encouraged to call their family doctors. .Residents are invited to an in-person community engagement session on Thursday, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., to speak with AHS representatives and learn more about the changes. The session will take place in the Assembly Room at the Oyen and District Seniors Association..This closure comes after AHS said December 29 the Bassano Health Centre ED, located about 140-km southeast of Calgary, would reopen to full 24-hour, seven day a week coverage effective January 2. .READ MORE: Bassano hospital emergency room to reopen for overnight hours.AHS limited the ED hours due to a lack of physician availability in June. A new physician began working in Bassano, and another is planning to start in March. .AHS extended its gratitude to the community for its patience and understanding.
