Residents in Two Hills and surrounding areas are advised that the Emergency Department (ED) at the Two Hills Health Centre will experience temporary disruptions to overnight physician coverage over the coming days.
According to Alberta Health Services (AHS), the temporary change is due to a gap in physician coverage.
The ED will be without on-site physician coverage during the following times:
- 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20 to 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21
- 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 to 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22
- 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 to 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 23
Currently, regular ED hours at the Two Hills Health Centre are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 24 hours a day from Friday at 8 a.m. until Monday at 8 a.m.
During the affected periods, nursing staff will remain on-site to support patients who present to the department. The facility may also receive coverage from a Virtual Emergency Physician (VEP), which allows an experienced Alberta emergency physician to provide remote support by telephone or videoconference for patients with non-life-threatening concerns.
The VEP program enables physicians to collaborate with on-site staff, speak directly with patients, order tests and medications, and determine whether transfer or discharge is appropriate.
AHS notes that recruitment efforts for additional physicians are ongoing, and options for locum coverage continue to be explored in order to restore expanded ED hours.
All other services at the Two Hills Health Centre will continue to operate as normal during this time.
Residents experiencing a medical emergency are reminded to call 911. For non-emergency health-related questions, Health Link is available 24/7 by dialing 811.
The community will be notified if regular overnight ED coverage is restored.
