January 16, 2023
SWAN HILLS – Alberta Health Services (AHS) is resuming regular full-time emergency department operations at the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre following a temporary service disruption.
Effective Monday, January 16 at 7:00 a.m. the emergency department will return to 24/7 hours of service. We’d like to thank area residents for their support and patience during the recent change of hours.
Unfortunately, the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre is also being impacted by an unrelated service disruption. AHS is temporarily discontinuing on-site laboratory testing and x-ray services in Swan Hills due to a Combined Laboratory and X-Ray Technologist (CLXT) vacancy.
Beginning January 23, a Medical Laboratory Assistant will be available Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for blood collection and specimen transportation to diagnostic facilities. Limited on-site point of care testing will remain available for nursing staff to perform when necessary. Diagnostic Imaging (DI) services will not be available until a CLXT can be recruited.
During this temporary service disruption, patients seeking x-ray services are encouraged to attend the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre (82 km away) or the Barrhead Healthcare Centre (100 km away), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding holidays).
Recruitment efforts are ongoing and service offerings at this site will be re-evaluated when the vacancy is filled.
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.
Alberta Precision Laboratories is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alberta Health Services, delivering high-quality, responsive diagnostic lab services to Albertans across our healthcare system.