August 19, 2022
ELK POINT — Alberta Health Services (AHS) is temporarily closing the Emergency Department (ED) at Elk Point Healthcare Centre, due to a lack of registered nursing staff and an inability to secure temporary coverage. The ED may reopen sooner if coverage can be found.
There will be no staff available in the Elk Point Emergency Department during the following time periods:
Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. Nurses will remain on site in Acute Care.
Patient safety and care remain the highest priorities for AHS. The organization is working hard to ensure everyone will receive the care they need through its partnership with EMS and a supportive regional network of healthcare centres.
Recruitment of nurses is a challenge across North America. It can be particularly difficult outside of urban centres and with practitioners who bring specialty skills.
AHS has a dedicated team focused on recruitment efforts. These efforts include aggressively pursuing both Canadian and internationally trained professionals; working to support flexible roles and scope of practice within AHS; and consulting with post-graduate education programs to enable work experience in non-urban facilities.
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.
