Temporary closure of Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service

SYLVAN LAKE – The Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service (SLAACS) will be closed for partial days on January 6 and 9 due to gaps in physician coverage.

On Friday, Jan. 6, the service will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Monday, Jan. 9, the service will be closed from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Normal hours at SLAACS run seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

These temporary closures are necessary as the service cannot operate without a physician onsite. Efforts to secure locum physician coverage on short notice have been unsuccessful.

Patients arriving at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre to receive care at the Advanced Ambulatory Care Service during a temporary closure will be redirected to other available care options as appropriate to their needs. These options include returning when the service resumes, booking an appointment with a family doctor, or calling Health Link at 811 for medical information and advice.

Patients can also access medical care for urgent health concerns from facilities in nearby communities including Innisfail, Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer.

SLAACS offers diagnosis and treatment of urgent but non-life-threatening conditions. These include sudden illness or injury that could be cared for in a doctor's office but require immediate attention. Examples of urgent needs include minor cuts or burns, muscle and joint strains, bone fractures, and fever in young children.

SLAACS is not for life-threatening emergencies such as heart attack, signs/symptoms of stroke, head trauma, seizures etc. Patients requiring emergency medical care should call 911.

Booked appointments with other services at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre are not impacted by the temporary closure of SLAACS.

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.