Lack of nurses keeps east-central Alberta hospital ER closed until October
After no longer accepting patients in August, the emergency department at the hospital in Consort, Alta., will remain closed until October due to "significant staffing shortages."
According to Alberta Health Services, the Consort Hospital and Care Centre's emergency was initially expected to close for one month, when staffing levels were "expected to stabilize."
In a statement earlier this week, AHS said the closure is anticipated to continue until Oct. 7, as there are not enough registered nurses to staff the facility.
"Extending this temporary closure is necessary to ensure long-term care (LTC) residents can remain at the site with appropriate staffing to meet their needs," AHS said.
"The temporary closure of the ED (emergency department) allows staffing resources to be dedicated to the LTC unit," the provincial health authority added.
"AHS will closely monitor the situation and assess the ability to resume services on a regular basis, with the intent to reopen sooner if staffing levels stabilize."
Last year, the facility had to reduce service levels for several months after also facing staff shortages.
Any patients needing emergency services during regular operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday will be redirected to hospitals in surrounding communities or a local medical clinic, AHS said, depending on their needs.
Paramedics will divert patients to health care facilities in the following nearby towns:
- Coronation (47 kilometres away);
- Provost (81 kilometres away); or
- Castor (85 kilometres away).
"AHS is grateful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff, and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time," the health provider added.
Consort is a village in east-central Alberta at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 41, around 220 kilometres east of Red Deer or 302 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.