February 21, 2018
CALGARY — Estimated emergency department wait times and the latest Alberta Health Services (AHS) news are now available through Alexa; Amazon’s intelligent personal assistant.
AHS is the first public healthcare organization in Canada to offer information to the public with this technology.
Once the AHS Alexa Skill is installed on your mobile device and connected to your Amazon Echo product, you can say simple phrases such as, “Alexa, ask AHS for emergency department wait times,” or, “Alexa, ask AHS for latest news.”
Alexa can provide estimated emergency department wait times for hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary, for urgent care centres in the AHS Calgary Zone, as well as for Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.
Alexa can also provide up-to-date AHS information and news.
This service is another way AHS is using innovation and technology to better support Albertans in managing and maintaining their health.
AHS will continue to add new services to the AHS Alexa Skill in addition to developing the same service for Google Home products and Apple’s soon-to-be-released HomePod product line.
To learn more, please visit ahs.ca/alexa
Patients and the public can also access up-to-the-minute wait times at specific emergency departments 24 hours a day, seven days a week by visiting ahs.ca/waittimes or through the AHS mobile app.
As always, any patient with a potentially life-threatening condition should immediately phone 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency department, regardless of estimated wait times.
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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For media inquiries, contact:
Bruce Conway
Media Relations
AHS Communications
403-943-1212
