October 31, 2024
RED DEER – The Rocky Mountain House Health Centre and all its services – including the surgical program – is a vital resource for not only the community, but for central Alberta. Together, Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the local physicians are committed to supporting and growing local healthcare, now and into the future.
Following recent meetings with Central Zone leadership, the site and local physicians, we wish to assure the community of that shared commitment. Our conversations have underscored a shared desire to see the surgical program in Rocky Mountain House grow and serve the needs of the patients from the community and surrounding area.
We are prioritizing recruitment and retention efforts to support the surgical program, which includes the hiring of a permanent, fulltime general surgeon as soon as possible. Outreach with interested candidates is underway. We are open to filling the position with one general surgeon - or two surgeons if part time work is more attractive for candidates - to enhance the delivery of general surgery procedures on a regular basis. AHS is in agreement with the local physicians that together with the local gynecologist, at least three days of general surgery per week will allow for growth of the local surgical program.
We want the program to be a robust, sustainable one that encompasses multiple surgical disciplines and fully utilizes Rocky’s new OR for the benefit of patients.
As a part of that utilization, recruitment efforts continue for an additional General Practitioner with Anesthesia training and for a physician with obstetrical surgical skills who can support c-sections. Both of these positions will further support not only the surgical program, but the busy obstetrics service and, most importantly, the community. AHS is also recruiting for a family physician and a family physician with basic obstetrics for the community to complement the existing physician group.
AHS and Rocky Mountain House physicians all commit to transparency, accountability, and local consultation with any future changes to the surgical program to ensure local patients continue to receive the care they need while also utilizing the hospital’s talent and OR space to help address wait times for other patients who can travel to the site for surgery.
“I am delighted that Alberta Health Services is working to ensure the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre remains operational to patients in the community and surrounding areas. The recruitment of specialized physicians and nurses to the health centre will provide added skills and services to support and meet the needs of the growing region.” – Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange.
“I am pleased that Alberta Heath Services has heard our community’s concerns and reassured Rocky Mountain House that they remain fully committed to preserving the surgical program currently available at the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre. The surgical program is critical to health care in Rocky Mountain House and the surrounding community, and I am glad that AHS is taking the community’s concerns seriously and is recruiting a general surgeon to support this program.” – Jason Nixon, MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.
In addition to ongoing physician recruitment, AHS continues to recruit for additional nursing staff in collaboration with community and RhPAP partners – while working to retain existing talent. This work includes securing new Internationally Educated Nurses, engaging with our existing staff to help inform new schedule rotations, adjusting full and part-time positions to meet interest and demand, and increasing development and education supports to help with retention. Recruitment will help bolster our existing workforce and allow for the reopening of beds that have been temporarily closed due to staffing challenges. The reopening of these beds will support all acute care patients, including those who require a space for surgery.
Beyond recruiting additional physicians and nurses who are needed, further redevelopment to the site will also be completed next year that will support growth of the surgical program. This work, when combined with additional staffing and physician resources, will enable the site to run endoscopies and surgeries. Currently both utilize the new OR suite.
Rocky Mountain House and those who seek care from the local hospital are well-served by a dedicated, talented team of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. They are committed to caring for the community, and AHS and your community physicians are committed to supporting them in doing so.
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.