June 30, 2022
BOYLE — Alberta Health Services (AHS) is temporarily changing hours of service at Boyle Healthcare Centre, due to high vacancies among nursing staff and an inability to secure sufficient temporary coverage.
Between July 1 and August 1, 2022, the Boyle Healthcare Centre will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed overnight, from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. This will allow existing staff to provide consistent service each day, during the times when the majority of emergency department and outpatient visits occur. Inpatient admissions will be paused.
Patient safety and care remain the highest priorities for AHS. The organization is working hard to ensure everyone will receive the care they need through its partnership with EMS and a robust regional network of healthcare centres.
“With the staffing challenges we face, we have made the decision to provide the best access we can by having consistent, ongoing daily care throughout the summer. This decision will allow us to keep the facility open during the time when over 85 per cent of emergency department visits occur, without creating burnout among our dedicated healthcare professionals. We will continue to seek coverage in order to return to normal operating hours as soon as possible,” says Stacy Greening, Chief Zone Officer with AHS North Zone.
“We are dedicated to providing the care patients need close to home and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Recruitment of healthcare professionals is a challenge across North America. It can be particularly difficult outside of urban centres and with practitioners who bring specialty skills.
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.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
