Temporary closures of Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service

SYLVAN LAKE – Due to gaps in physician coverage, the Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service (SLAACS) will experience some temporary closures the week of February 13, with the Service unavailable the following days:

• Monday, February 13 the Service will be closed due to physician unavailability. The service will resume normal operation on Tuesday, February 14 from 7:30 a.m. and run until 10 p.m.
• Wednesday, February 15, the service will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will then open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Regular operations resume on February 16 as of 7:30 a.m.

While efforts to secure locum coverage continue in an attempt to minimize disruptions for the community as much as possible, these temporary closures will be necessary as the service cannot operate without a physician onsite.

Patients arriving at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre to receive care at the Advanced Ambulatory Care Service during the temporary closures 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.

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

SLAACS offers diagnosis and treatment of urgent but non-life-threatening conditions. 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.

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. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.