August 18, 2025
BARRHEAD — Physician coverage has been found for a portion of the previously announced temporary service advisory at the Barrhead Healthcare Centre emergency department (ED).
On-site physician coverage has been secured for the following time periods:
The site will remain without onsite physician coverage from:
Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency during these times. EMS will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding facilities.
Virtual Emergency Physician coverage may be available for all or part of this service advisory. The Virtual Emergency Physician program uses an experienced ED physician to remotely support facilities temporarily without available on-site ED physician support. Site clinical staff can connect with an AHS physician by telephone or videoconference for ED patients with non-life-threatening issues. This off-site virtual physician can collaborate with local staff, speak with patients, order tests and medications, and transfer or discharge patients.
The Virtual Emergency Physician program is currently being piloted in seven communities: Barrhead, Beaverlodge, Edson, Hinton, Lac La Biche, Redwater and Westlock.
Community members are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions. Depending on their needs, patients may also be aware of services available through local pharmacies.
AHS continues to work to find clinical personnel coverage for this time period. If coverage is found, this service advisory will be cancelled.
This is a temporary measure, and AHS is working hard to ensure residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time.
We are grateful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time.
Alberta Health Services provides a range of healthcare services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide excellent, patient-focused healthcare 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.
