Healthcare service restoration for Fort McMurray continues

FORT McMURRAY – Residents of Fort McMurray will have access to core hospital services starting June 13, 2016, as Alberta Health Services (AHS) continues to work to return back to full health care services.

On June 13, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC) will add to currently available health services and begin providing medical & surgical inpatient, ICU, OR, obstetrical, pediatric, and inpatient psychiatry services. These additional health care services significantly add to the current emergency department, laboratory, and diagnostic imaging (X-ray & CT) services that returned June 1. With this advancement, NLRHC will return back to offering core Regional Hospital health care services.

On June 21, NLRHC will return back to providing full comprehensive health care services. This will include Ambulatory Care services (like endoscopy and exercise stress testing) as well as dialysis and long term care.

In support of restoring health care services in Fort McMurray, on June 11, at 8 a.m. the Fort McMurray Urgent Care Centre will transition into a Fort McMurray Medical Clinic (FMMC) to better match the community’s current health care needs. The clinic will be made up of trailers at the Keyano Syncrude Sports & Wellness Centre (9908 Penhorwood Street). The medical clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, and will be staffed by physicians and nurses providing primary care and family medicine as well as home care services. This clinic will remain open until at least June 30.

Allied health outpatient services including occupational and physical therapy are and will continue to be available Monday to Friday on the second floor of the Syncrude Sports & Wellness Centre from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Starting June 10, Public Health services will move back to the Fort McMurray Community Health Services building (113 Thickwood Blvd). Hours are from Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and a more detailed list of services is available at http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/page13198.aspx.

Addiction and mental health services will relocate to the Fort McMurray Queen Street Building (10217 Queen Street) on June 10. This includes physician psychiatry services, with walk-ins and scheduled appointments available. Services will be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The roving Community Wellness team will continue to provide support throughout the city and team members are available from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. and on call overnight. The team can be reached by calling 780-370-0182 or 780-792-6378.

For the most up-to-date information about health care services including pharmacies, lab, diagnostic imaging, family physician clinics and emergency medical services in Fort McMurray please visit ahs.ca/wildfire.

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.

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