The Rocky Mountain House Health Centre emergency department will be temporarily closed Thursday.
In an announcement from Alberta Health Services Wednesday, the emergency department will be without physician coverage from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 29.
It will close beginning at 9 a.m. to allow physicians and staff to treat and discharge all remaining patients in the department. According to AHS, “this is a temporary measure taken as a last resort”.
In the release, AHS says nursing staff will remain in the ED to refer patients to emergency departments in surrounding communities as needed, or to the local medical clinic which has increased walk-in availability Thursday morning.
Patients requiring emergency medical care during this time are asked to call 911. EMS calls will be re-routed to surrounding facilities, including the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre, Myron Thompson Health Centre in Sundre and Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.