Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Temporary Closure

May 21, 2023

SYLVAN LAKE – Due to an unexpected gap in nursing coverage, the Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care service (SLAAC) will be closed today beginning at 7 p.m. and will reopen at 7:30 a.m. May 22, 2023. 

This closure is a temporary measure taken as a last resort after options for securing alternative nursing coverage have been exhausted. The service cannot operate without nursing support onsite.

Patients arriving at the Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre to receive care at Advanced Ambulatory Care during the closure will be redirected to other available care options as appropriate to their needs.

These options include returning when the service resumes tomorrow, 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, Lacombe, Rimbey, Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House.

SLAAC 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. SLAAC 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.