Alberta Health Services (AHS) has changed the operating hours at the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre, located about 80 km north of Whitecourt, AB, because of staffing problems. .“This difficult decision was made with patient safety in mind,” said AHS North Zone Senior Operating Officer Cindy Harmata in a Monday press release. .“We will continue to work on recruiting staff and locum coverage in order to return to normal operating hours as soon as possible.”.The release said the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. between December 19 and January 16. It said this approach will allow existing staff to provide consistent service for 12 hours every day, when the majority of emergency room and outpatient visits happen. .In-patient admissions will be paused, with the exception of two designated assisted living beds available if staff can support them. .The release went on to say patient safety and care remain the highest priorities for AHS. It added the organization is working hard to ensure people receive the care they need through emergency responders and a regional network of healthcare facilities. .AHS has a team focused on recruitment efforts. These efforts include pursuing Canadian and international professionals, working to support flexible roles and scope of practice within it, and consulting with post-graduate programs about providing work experience in non-urban areas. .“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” said Harmata. .AHS posted 32 notices of no physician coverage or other service disruptions in multiple rural Alberta healthcare facilities in January and February. .READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Alberta’s physician shortages cause dozens of rural ER closures.There were about 70 notices of no physician coverage or other service disruptions in 2021 and seven in 2020. .With the exception of several calls for volunteers, notices of a few facilities affected due to construction, and a four-day closure notice of the Rocky Mountain House Heliport, AHS did not say it had physician shortages in 2019.
