Consort Hospital and Care Centre’s emergency department will be temporarily closed to patients on Aug. 12 and 13, and next week on Aug. 16.
The department will remain closed over the weekend, when it doesn’t normally operate.
Patients requiring emergency medical care during this time are asked to call 911. EMS calls will be re-routed to surrounding facilities, including Coronation Hospital and Care Centre.
Alberta Health Services said the closure is a temporary measure taken as a last resort because the department is without physician coverage.
Inpatient units at the hospital are not impacted by this closure.
Nursing staff will remain in the department to assess patients who come to the department, with phone consults available from the on-call physician in the Coronation emergency department as needed. Patients may be referred to emergency departments, or other health facilities in surrounding communities, depending on their needs.
During this time, the medical clinic at the Consort hospital will also be closed and unavailable for new appointments.
Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7, for non-emergency, health-related questions.