May 27, 2024
DRAYTON VALLEY — Due to an unexpected gap in coverage, the Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre Emergency Department (ED) will be temporarily without physician coverage from midnight on Monday, May 27 until 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28.
Efforts to secure temporary locum coverage for this period of time have been unsuccessful.
As a result, the ED will temporarily close beginning at 11:30 p.m. to allow for any patients in the department to be treated and discharged while a physician is available. Nursing staff will remain on-site in the ED to assess any patients who may present to the site, and to redirect them to alternate care options depending on their needs.
EMS will be available to transport patients to alternative facilities as needed, including to the Devon General Hospital, Rocky Mountain House Health Centre, Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre, Leduc Community Hospital, and Westview Health Centre in Stony Plain.
There will be no impact to other services at the site during the temporary ED closure.
The ED will resume normal operations at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
During this temporary closure patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions. Individuals requiring non-emergency medical care are also encouraged to call their family physician.
AHS is grateful for the support of local physicians who have helped to minimize this disruption for the community by extending existing shifts where possible. AHS also appreciates the support of surrounding healthcare centres and staff and would like to thank the community for its understanding during this time.
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.
