In early March, I reported that Alberta Well being Companies had shut down companies at 7 neighborhood hospitals in February, 6 of which misplaced emergency departments.

This can be a continuation of comparable closures all through 2021, beginning in Might of that yr. And it’s primarily pushed by the dearth of medical doctors within the communities.

Nicely, final month, AHS introduced that they have been as soon as once more issuing closures at varied hospitals throughout the province.

Boyle

The primary closure announcement for March really occurred on September 29, 2022.

Final July, AHS introduced the extension of the non permanent closure of Boyle Healthcare Middle via September 1. Throughout this closure, the hospital will solely be open 9am-8pm each day.

Nonetheless, in late August, AHS reported that it had prolonged this shutdown via the top of September. This new September announcement prolonged the closure via the top of October.

In late October, nonetheless, AHS issued one other extension, this time via the top of November. However as soon as December hit, AHS introduced one other extension, this time via January 3, however then modified its thoughts on the twenty ninth, extending the shutdown via the top of January.

As January drew to a detailed, AHS introduced they might be extending the shutdown for one more month. Then they introduced one other extension on the finish of February, however this time they did not present an finish date for the closure. Final month, nonetheless, it was a full 9 months since this clinic closed in a single day.

AHS blamed the continued closure on “excessive vacancies amongst nursing workers” and their incapability to seek out folks to fill these shortages.

Boyle’s emergency room itself was additionally closed in June of final yr, in addition to for 9 hours final April and 13 instances in June 2021.

Island of days

Talking of closure extensions, AHS introduced in early December that it plans to proceed to maintain Daysland Well being Middle’s emergency room closed in a single day, Monday via Thursday. This was a closure initially introduced in October

In late December, they introduced their in a single day shutdown would additionally final all through January and February. Lastly, on February 6, they introduced they might be extending the shutdown indefinitely. That marks 6 months in a row, assuming they reopen by April. They reiterated this indefinite restriction in a March 2 announcement, however issued a discover later that month that common hours would resume on April 3.

This closure was the results of inadequate medical ranges and began at 10pm every night time and ended at 7am the following morning.

In a single day closures additionally occurred in February and October. That October closure is the one which has been prolonged all through November and December.

Tofield

On the identical day as Daysland’s announcement, AHS issued a discover for the closure of the emergency room at Tofield Well being Middle.

Initially this closure was launched on the finish of November, for the month of December. The closure was an in a single day closure, lasting 12 hours beginning at 8pm each night time, 7 days every week.

On December 29, they mentioned they have been extending the emergency room working hours restriction till February. Nonetheless, in February, they prolonged the restriction till March 2nd. With this new announcement, AHS has prolonged the shutdown for no less than one other month.

AHS mentioned the closure was the results of “staffing points,” however did not go into additional element.

Consort

The following day, AHS launched an replace for an ongoing emergency division closure on the Consort Hospital and Care Middle.

On December 6, AHS introduced that they have been extending their emergency room closures within the Consort neighborhood.

This closure was introduced in August, and AHS anticipated it to open in early September; nonetheless, they did not resolve staffing points that led to the preliminary closure. This resulted in an extension in October, an extension in November and one other extension in December, which was to final 3 months.

This new replace has prolonged the closure for a further 3 months. Assuming the closure lasts, this shall be a complete of about 10 months with out an emergency room.

As in August, the multi-week closures have been all the results of “extended and vital shortages among the many nursing workers,” and AHS mentioned it “is working to renew regular operations in March and can proceed to reevaluate its means to open Earlier than “.

Consort misplaced ER companies in June, August, September and December final yr in addition to final January, February, April, Might and, as I indicated above, August, September and October.

Lake Silvano

AHS introduced on the sixth that it was closing the Sylvan Lake Superior Outpatient Care Service one hour early: 9:00 PM, as a substitute of 10:00 PM.

The closures have been attributable to “gaps in medical protection”.

Then on the twentieth, AHS introduced one other early closure for Sylvan Lake, beginning at 2pm later that day, 8 hours sooner than regular.

4 days later, they introduced a whole closure: on the twenty sixth and lasting 7.5 hours beginning at 07:30 within the morning.

And so they managed to creak into one other closure on the thirty first, beginning at 0730 that morning and lasting 7.5 hours.

That is a complete of 24 hours.

This is not the primary time the neighborhood has misplaced outpatient care; they missed it for 7 days in August 2021, in the course of the Christmas holidays in 2021, in addition to January, February, March, Might, June, July, August, September, October, November and December final yr, and January and February of this yr.

Wabasca

On March 7, AHS introduced that one other neighborhood would lose emergency room service: Wabasca.

In response to the announcement, Wabasca Well being Care Middle would haven’t any emergency companies for twenty-four hours, beginning at 08:00 on the morning of March 8.

AHS indicated that the closures have been attributable to not hiring sufficient medical doctors.

The EMS was to be diverted to Slave Lake (122 km), Athabasca (175 km), or Excessive Prairie (250 km).

This neighborhood additionally misplaced emergency room service in January, February, March, April, Might, June, August, and September of 2022.

Ponoka

On March 13, AHS introduced a ten.5-hour closure for the emergency room at Ponoka Hospital and Care Middle. Closure started at 06:30 that morning.

Simply 3 days later, they posted a discover of one other closure for this ER, beginning at 0630 on the seventeenth and as soon as once more for 10.5 hours.

AHS mentioned it’s going to shut the emergency room for a 3rd time for 10.5 hours, beginning at 06:30 on the twenty third. Lower than every week later, they introduced a fourth closure: 06:30 to 17:00 on March 28 .

That is a mixed 42-hour shutdown for this neighborhood of seven,000 folks.

As anticipated, each closures have been the results of AHS not hiring sufficient physicians to offer enough protection on this emergency room.

EMS calls in Ponoka have been redirected to services in Wetaskiwin, Lacombe and Pink Deer.

It is also not the primary time Ponoka has missed her first help. It was closed for a part of a day in April and August, in addition to a 9-hour closure in September.

Lake La Biche

On March 14, AHS introduced it might shut the emergency room at Lac La Biche – William J. Cadzow Healthcare Middle twice.

Each closures will final 15 hours, with the primary beginning at 5pm that night and the second beginning on the similar time however two days later.

Unexpectedly, this was a results of AHS’s “failure to safe medical protection.”

10 days later, AHS mentioned it might shut the emergency room once more, however this time for twenty-four hours. Closure was to start at 0800 on 26 March.

Nursing workers have been readily available for triage and evaluations, however these in want of emergency care have been referred to emergency departments in different communities within the area.

The neighborhood missed the emergency room thrice in June of 2022, and as soon as two months later in August. Final Might, Lac La Biche additionally misplaced “everlasting obstetric and surgical companies”.

beaver lodge

On the sixteenth, AHS mentioned they might shut the emergency room at Beaverlodge in a single day, till 0700 the next morning. The advert didn’t state an actual begin time or length.

AHS additionally didn’t present a purpose for the closure.

Nurses have been readily available in the course of the shutdown to offer evaluation and triage companies, however every thing was shut down utterly for the second. The EMS was to be diverted to Grande Prairie or Spirit River, 42 and 100 kilometers away, respectively.

The Beaverlodge ER additionally noticed closures final Might, July, August, November and December, in addition to final January.