December 22, 2023
PONOKA — The Ponoka Emergency Department (ED) will be without on-site physician coverage from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Sunday, December 24.
This is a temporary measure due to an unexpected lack of available physicians and inability to secure temporary coverage.
During this time, nursing staff will remain on-site in the ED providing urgent triage and assessments and referrals for patients. EMS will be available to transport patients to facilities in neighbouring communities as needed.
The ED will resume normal operations at 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Other services at the site will not be impacted by the temporary gap in ED physician coverage.
We are grateful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this time.
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.
