The Pincher Creek Health Emergency Department will be closed several times in the coming week. According to Alberta Health Services, the closures are because of a lack of physician coverage.
Starting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, the department will be closed and is scheduled to reopen at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, July 27. Friday, July 28, the department will close at 7:30 p.m. and reopen at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 30. It will be closed overnight on July 31, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., and August 2, from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
According to the provincial health authority, nursing staff will be on-site during these times to provide care to inpatients, with physicians able to support them by phone. Those needing to be seen by an emergency department physician can access the Cardston Health Centre, Crowsnest Pass Health Centre, Fort Macleod Health Centre, Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, or call 911 for a medical emergency. Residents can call Health Link at 811, 24 hours daily, for non-emergency health-related questions.
According to AHS, they are working to find coverage for the closure times and ensuring local residents continue to have access to the care they need.