March 24, 2021
CONSORT – After temporarily closing the Emergency Department (ED) at the Consort Hospital and Care Centre last Spring as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) will be reopening the ED effective March 29, 2021.
As of 9 a.m. March 29, the ED will resume normal operations for those patients in need of emergency care. Hours of operation within the department will return to pre-closure levels, which are:
Patients not requiring emergency care will continue to be directed to contact a physician’s clinic to book an appointment.
Admission to the community support beds at the facility have also resumed.
Both of these service changes were enacted as temporary measures as part of AHS’ evolving response to anticipated demands for acute care and ED spaces due to COVID-19.
These changes not only helped create acute care capacity at other sites who have been able to transfer patients to Consort, but further reduced the risk of potential illness spread between patient populations by creating a single patient group at the site. Not having COVID-19 positive patients under the same roof as continuing care residents has limited exposure and potential illness spread to seniors, who remain most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Alberta Health Services continues to closely monitor the pandemic situation and remains ready to enact temporary changes again if necessary to protect patients, residents and communities. As COVID-19 immunization continues to roll out across the province, it is important to remember that vaccination is just one of the many ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
All Albertans must remain diligent in following all public health guidelines.
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.
