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How Busy Are Our Emergency Departments?
The Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) is a tool used to assess patients triaged at Emergency Departments and Urgent Care facilities. The scale is based on an acuity level between 1 and 5.
Patients requiring immediate intervention and possibly resuscitation are assessed as CTAS level 1.
CTAS 2 (emergent) and 3 (urgent) categories represent patients needing more timely attention than those categorized as CTAS 4 (less urgent) and 5 (non-urgent).
When a CTAS level is not recorded a value of 9 (unknown) is subsequently assigned to the patient. Given this occurrence, the sum of percentages of patients seen at that site with CTAS levels 1 though 5 may not total to 100%.
It’s important to note that due to differences in data collection, record keeping and reporting processes across the twelve former health regions, the assignment of CTAS levels can vary significantly. As a result, CTAS data cannot be compared reliably across sites.
This data collection issue has been recognized by AHS and plans are being developed to standardize CTAS allocation in the future as a means of improving data reliability and comparability. Potential approaches include common teaching/educational standards, use of common computerized decision support tools, and/or implementation of standardized presenting complaint lists for Emergency Department data collection.
This table presents the total number of emergency department visits and the percentage of patients in triaged groups of CTAS 1, CTAS 2 and 3 and CTAS 4 and 5.
Emergency Department Snapshot: Quarter 4 2008/09 (Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2009)
|
Hospital |
Emergency Department Visits |
% CTAS 1 |
% CTAS 2 and 3 |
% CTAS 4 and 5 |
|
Peer Group: Teaching |
||||
|
Alberta Children's Hospital |
16,055 |
0.3% |
58.4% |
41.2% |
|
Foothills Medical Centre |
16,828 |
1.2% |
81.3% |
17.4% |
|
University of Alberta Hospital |
20,284 |
1.0% |
69.9% |
29.1% |
|
Total/Overall |
53,167 |
0.9% |
70.1% |
29.1% |
|
Peer Group: Large Urban |
||||
|
Grey Nuns Community Hospital |
14,235 |
0.5% |
75.7% |
23.8% |
|
Misericordia Community Hospital |
12,530 |
0.3% |
70.7% |
29.0% |
|
Peter Lougheed Centre |
17,347 |
0.9% |
78.2% |
20.9% |
|
Rockyview General Hospital |
16,792 |
0.5% |
83.5% |
16.0% |
|
Royal Alexandra Hospital |
14,764 |
0.9% |
71.9% |
27.2% |
|
Total/Overall |
75,668 |
0.6% |
76.4% |
22.9% |
|
Peer Group: Large Urban Ambulatory [1] |
||||
|
Northeast Community Health Centre |
12,106 |
0.0% |
44.1% |
55.9% |
|
Total/Overall |
12,106 |
0.0% |
44.1% |
55.9% |
|
Peer Group: Regional |
||||
|
Chinook Regional Hospital |
11,742 |
0.2% |
28.0% |
66.5% |
|
Medicine Hat Regional Hospital |
9,617 |
0.3% |
32.4% |
66.0% |
|
Northern Lights Regional Health Centre [2] |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital |
13,021 |
0.3% |
36.1% |
56.0% |
|
Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre |
14,999 |
0.3% |
52.2% |
47.4% |
|
Total/Overall |
49,379 |
0.2% |
38.1% |
58.6% |
|
Peer Group: Rural Ambulatory |
||||
|
Breton Health Centre |
8 |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
Coaldale Health Centre |
338 |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
Fort MacLeod Health Centre |
890 |
0.6% |
15.1% |
69.8% |
|
Grimshaw/Berwyn and District Community Health Centre |
3,546 |
0.1% |
5.0% |
60.3% |
|
Milk River Health Centre |
628 |
0.8% |
18.0% |
47.1% |
|
Rainbow Lake Health Centre |
1,080 |
0.6% |
5.0% |
63.9% |
|
St.Mary's Health Care Centre |
46 |
0.0% |
0.0% |
100.0% |
|
Total/Overall |
6,536 |
0.3% |
7.3% |
58.0% |
|
Peer Group: Suburban / Rural |
||||
|
Athabasca Healthcare Centre |
2,510 |
0.3% |
15.8% |
65.8% |
|
Barrhead Healthcare Centre |
5,590 |
0.1% |
25.3% |
59.8% |
|
Bassano Health Centre |
688 |
0.4% |
15.4% |
82.8% |
|
Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital |
5,270 |
0.0% |
2.8% |
35.0% |
|
Big Country Hospital |
1,378 |
0.0% |
6.7% |
90.3% |
|
Bonnyville Healthcare Centre |
6,987 |
0.1% |
27.2% |
64.6% |
|
Bow Island Health Centre |
1,825 |
0.2% |
13.0% |
75.1% |
|
Boyle Healthcare Centre |
1,385 |
0.8% |
14.5% |
72.8% |
|
Brooks Health Centre |
8,049 |
0.1% |
24.1% |
75.3% |
|
Canmore General Hospital |
4,300 |
0.1% |
23.6% |
72.6% |
|
Cardston Health Centre |
3,024 |
0.3% |
16.6% |
79.9% |
|
Central Peace Health Complex |
1,695 |
0.2% |
7.3% |
23.5% |
|
Claresholm General Hospital |
2,392 |
0.3% |
9.4% |
82.1% |
|
Cold Lake Healthcare Centre |
7,360 |
0.1% |
9.0% |
78.9% |
|
Consort Hospital and Care Centre |
513 |
0.2% |
5.1% |
81.3% |
|
Coronation Hospital and Care Centre |
911 |
0.0% |
3.7% |
65.5% |
|
Crowsnest Pass Health Centre |
1,544 |
0.5% |
7.3% |
60.8% |
|
Daysland Health Centre |
1,896 |
0.0% |
7.2% |
87.1% |
|
Devon General Hospital |
3,310 |
0.0% |
8.5% |
85.5% |
|
Didsbury District Health Services |
3,038 |
0.0% |
17.2% |
67.6% |
|
Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre |
4,820 |
0.3% |
21.3% |
77.4% |
|
Drumheller Health Centre |
4,224 |
0.1% |
9.2% |
79.8% |
|
Edson Healthcare Centre |
5,006 |
0.2% |
15.7% |
71.0% |
|
Elk Point Healthcare Centre |
1,365 |
0.2% |
14.1% |
81.3% |
|
Fairview Health Complex |
4,876 |
0.0% |
4.0% |
28.6% |
|
Fort Saskatchewan Health Centre |
5,063 |
0.0% |
23.0% |
70.1% |
|
Fox Creek Healthcare Centre |
1,824 |
0.2% |
10.6% |
56.7% |
|
George McDougall - Smoky Lake Healthcare Centre |
982 |
0.1% |
12.0% |
81.1% |
|
Grande Cache Community Health Complex |
1,907 |
0.1% |
2.4% |
14.9% |
|
Hanna Health Centre |
956 |
0.1% |
6.8% |
81.6% |
|
Hardisty Health Centre |
588 |
0.0% |
8.3% |
90.5% |
|
High Prairie Health Complex |
4,022 |
0.0% |
18.7% |
58.2% |
|
High River General Hospital |
5,121 |
0.1% |
35.0% |
53.1% |
|
Hinton Healthcare Centre |
2,967 |
0.2% |
27.3% |
69.8% |
|
Innisfail Health Centre |
3,703 |
0.2% |
12.8% |
71.4% |
|
Killam Health Care Centre |
1,180 |
0.2% |
12.4% |
84.4% |
|
Lacombe Hospital and Care Centre |
5,969 |
0.3% |
9.3% |
78.0% |
|
Lamont Health Care Centre |
1,432 |
0.0% |
8.9% |
85.6% |
|
Leduc Community Hospital |
6,093 |
0.1% |
39.5% |
60.3% |
|
Manning Community Health Centre |
2,355 |
0.0% |
8.8% |
70.6% |
|
Mayerthorpe Healthcare Centre |
3,430 |
0.0% |
23.6% |
63.4% |
|
Mineral Springs Hospital |
3,170 |
0.1% |
28.3% |
69.8% |
|
Northwest Health Centre |
4,613 |
0.1% |
9.0% |
85.2% |
|
Oilfields General Hospital |
2,990 |
0.1% |
24.5% |
71.2% |
|
Olds Hospital and Care Centre |
3,749 |
0.0% |
17.5% |
62.8% |
|
Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital |
941 |
0.1% |
5.2% |
72.3% |
|
Peace River Community Health Centre |
5,813 |
0.3% |
10.3% |
24.6% |
|
Pincher Creek Health Centre |
2,029 |
0.4% |
14.4% |
45.5% |
|
Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre |
3,908 |
0.2% |
8.4% |
71.2% |
|
Provost Health Centre |
1,363 |
0.0% |
13.3% |
81.8% |
|
Raymond Health Centre |
2,263 |
0.5% |
10.5% |
71.1% |
|
Redwater Health Centre |
1,614 |
0.1% |
17.6% |
75.0% |
|
Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre |
1,705 |
0.1% |
8.2% |
51.1% |
|
Rocky Mountain House Health Centre |
6,886 |
0.1% |
35.9% |
59.1% |
|
Sacred Heart Community Health Centre |
2,109 |
0.3% |
6.6% |
59.9% |
|
Seton - Jasper Healthcare Centre |
1,630 |
0.1% |
18.7% |
75.9% |
|
Slave Lake Healthcare Centre |
4,016 |
0.0% |
9.3% |
90.5% |
|
St. Joseph’s General Hospital |
2,966 |
0.3% |
21.7% |
71.2% |
|
St. Mary’s Hospital |
4,121 |
0.5% |
41.4% |
58.0% |
|
St. Theresa General Hospital |
4,885 |
0.4% |
11.6% |
71.5% |
|
St. Therese - St. Paul Healthcare Centre |
5,084 |
0.4% |
24.6% |
66.0% |
|
Stettler Hospital and Care Centre |
3,488 |
0.2% |
5.4% |
69.7% |
|
Strathmore District Health Services |
7,648 |
0.1% |
28.7% |
65.7% |
|
Sturgeon Community Hospital |
10,632 |
0.3% |
58.4% |
41.3% |
|
Sundre Hospital and Care Centre |
2,196 |
0.0% |
13.8% |
70.9% |
|
Swan Hills Healthcare Centre |
978 |
0.2% |
7.1% |
89.2% |
|
Taber Health Centre |
2,135 |
0.1% |
6.2% |
87.1% |
|
Three Hills Health Centre |
3,759 |
0.2% |
12.1% |
66.0% |
|
Tofield Health Centre |
1,836 |
0.0% |
16.0% |
74.7% |
|
Two Hills Health Centre |
1,385 |
0.0% |
11.5% |
87.3% |
|
Valleyview Health Centre |
4,167 |
0.1% |
9.6% |
63.9% |
|
Vermilion Health Centre |
2,275 |
0.4% |
15.3% |
72.7% |
|
Viking Health Centre |
1,502 |
0.8% |
15.4% |
73.1% |
|
Vulcan Community Health Centre |
1,035 |
0.8% |
9.4% |
48.4% |
|
Wabasca/Desmarais Healthcare Centre |
2,642 |
0.1% |
9.2% |
85.9% |
|
Wainwright Health Centre |
3,950 |
0.1% |
5.8% |
87.5% |
|
Westlock Healthcare Centre |
3,968 |
0.1% |
20.1% |
62.4% |
|
WestView Health Centre - Stony Plain |
8,192 |
0.2% |
40.0% |
59.8% |
|
Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre |
7,930 |
0.1% |
19.1% |
75.4% |
|
Whitecourt Healthcare Centre |
4,467 |
0.0% |
16.2% |
71.2% |
|
William J.Cadzow - Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre |
3,664 |
0.1% |
21.3% |
77.2% |
|
Total |
275,252 |
0.2% |
19.4% |
66.5% |
|
Grand Total |
472,108 [3] |
0.3% |
36.7% |
54.2% |
- Ambulatory sites classified as Emergency Departments based on AH&W criterion
- Northern Lights Regional Health Centre data are unavailable at this time - will be updated in later reports.
- Total does not include visits to Northern Lights Regional Health Centre
How busy are Urgent Care Centres and Ambulatory Care Centres?
Urgent Care Centres are medical facilities for people who have unexpected but not life-threatening health concerns requiring same-day treatment. The Urgent Care team is comprised of nurses, doctors, and other health care providers. Urgent Care Centres operate separately from hospitals.
Community Ambulatory Care Centres provide diagnosis and treatment for illnesses and injuries for unscheduled patients who require immediate medical attention for non-life-threatening conditions. Community Ambulatory Care Centres operate separately from hospitals.
This table presents the number of visits to Urgent Care Centres and Ambulatory Care Centres in the first quarter of 2009.
Urgent Care Visits: Quarter 4 2008/09 (Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2009)
|
Peer Group |
Care Centre |
Visits |
|
Urgent Care Centre |
Health First Strathcona |
4,318 |
|
|
Sheldon M Chumir Centre |
12,193 |
|
|
South Calgary Health Centre |
11,339 |
|
|
Total |
27,850 |
|
Community Ambulatory |
Airdrie Regional Health Centre |
7,366 |
|
Care Centre |
Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre |
6,857 |
|
|
Total |
14,223 |
The Performance Report may not display correctly in all browsers. If you are having difficulty viewing the report online, it is also available in pdf format.
Performance Report
This report presents a range of indicators which have been collected to demonstrate the overall performance of the provincial health system, as managed by AHS.
How Busy Are We?
How Are We Doing?
