The emergency department at the Fort Macleod Health Centre will be temporarily closed throughout the weekend.
Because of an “unexpected clinical personnel shortage and inability to secure coverage”, the department will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Friday, July 4.
It will reopen for 24-hour service on Monday, July 7.
The closure will be focused on daytime hours, as the department will be open overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. over the weekend.
Nursing staff will stay on-site to provide care for long-term care residents.
Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency, and EMS calls are going to be rerouted to Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.
Patients can also access care at Chinook Regional, the Pincher Creek Health Centre, the Cardston Health Centre or the Claresholm Community Health Centre.
Non-emergency, health-related questions can be addressed by calling Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7. Individuals needing non-emergency care are also encouraged to contact their family physician.
