Last month, I reported that Alberta Health Services had cut service at hospitals in 8 communities in November, 7 of which lost their emergency department.
This is a continuation of similar closures throughout 2021, starting in May of that year. And it’s driven primarily by a lack of physicians in the communities.
I dug through all the news releases that AHS issued last month to find out if there were any closures in December, as well. Sure enough, there were.
Here’s what I found.
Fairview
The first closure announcement for December actually came in November, when AHS noted on their website that the Fairview Health Complex would have no on-site physician coverage in the emergency department several times over the next week.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00, 2 December | 07:00, 3 December | 24 hours |
| 07:00, 5 December | 07:00, 6 December | 24 hours |
| 48 hours |
That’s a combined 48 hours without their ER last month.
In all cases, the closures were result of AHS’s being unable “to secure physician coverage”.
Nurses were in the emergency department, however providing triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities, as needed.
The Fairview ER was shut down several times in 2021, including in May, June, July, and November; in January 2022; in October, November, and December 2023; an in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November 2024.
Hinton
Also in November, AHS announced that they were closing the emergency department at the Hinton Health Centre twice during the first week of December. Both closures were to start at 21:00 each evening and last for 10 hours, ending at 07:00 the following morning. One closure began on the 1st and the other on the 2nd.
A week later, on the 4th, AHS said they planned to close this emergency department a second time. The closure was to start at 21:00 the following day and last for 10 hours.
The next week, AHS posted about two more emergency department closures. As with the previous closures, these were to begin at 21:00 and last 10 hours. The first closure started the following day, on the 11th, and the second started on the 12th.
Less than a week later, AHS announced 3 more closures.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 21:00, 17 December | 07:00, 18 December | 10 hours |
| 13:00, 18 December | 07:00, 19 December | 18 hours |
| 21:00, 19 December | 07:00, 20 December | 10 hours |
| 38 hours |
The community lost their emergency room for a combined 78 hours in December.
This emergency department also experienced closures in May, July, August, September, October, and November of last year. This was the first month, however, when Hinton experienced more than one closure.
Spirit River
The first announcement that was made in December came on the 2nd, when AHS announced that they planned to close the emergency department at the Central Peace Health Complex in Spirit River.
The closure would last 24 hours starting at 08:00 that morning, and continue until 08:00 the following morning.
This closure was a result of AHS not having enough nurses in Spirit River.
Spirit River also lost its emergency department in August 2021; in April, June, and December of 2022; in August, September, and November of 2023; and in January, July, and September 2024.
Smoky Lake
The following day, on the 3rd, AHS declared that they were shutting down the emergency department at the George McDougall Healthcare Centre in Smoky Lake.
Technically, it was 3 closures.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00, 5 December | 08:00, 6 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 12 December | 08:00, 13 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 19 December | 17:00, 20 December | 16 hours |
| 48 hours |
That’s a combined 48 hours for the entire month of December.
Like so many others, these closures were a result of AHS not having staffed a sufficient number of physicians for this hospital.
Nursing staff were on site, however, to conduct triage and assessments. EMS was rerouted to health facilities in surrounding communities.
This isn’t the first time that Smoky Lake has lost its emergency department either. It was also closed in April, August, and September 2022; March, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December 2023; and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and November 2024.
Lac La Biche
That same day, AHS announced they were also closing the emergency department at the Lac La Biche – William J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre.
It was actually an announcement for 7 closures.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00, 3 December | 08:00, 4 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 4 December | 08:00, 5 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 5 December | 08:00, 6 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 9 December | 08:00, 10 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 10 December | 08:00, 11 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 11 December | 08:00, 12 December | 16 hours |
| 16:00, 13 December | 08:00, 14 December | 16 hours |
| 112 hours |
About 2 weeks later, on the 16th, AHS posted that they were planning 6 more closures throughout the rest of the month.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00, 17 December | 08:00, 18 December | 16 hours |
| 17:00, 24 December | 08:00, 25 December | 15 hours |
| 19:00, 26 December | 08:00, 27 December | 13 hours |
| 16:00, 27 December | 08:00, 28 December | 16 hours |
| 19:00, 29 December | 08:00, 30 December | 13 hours |
| 16:00, 30 December | 08:00, 31 December | 16 hours |
| 89 hours |
Three days later, they had another closure to the above list: 16:00 on the 19th until 08:00 on the 20th.
That works out to a combined loss of 217 hours for this community’s emergency department in December.
All the closures were a result of the AHS’s “inability to secure physician coverage”.
Nursing staff were on hand for triage and assessments during all closures, but those needing emergency care were referred to emergency departments in other communities in the region.
The community also lost their emergency department in June and August 2022; in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December 2023; and January, February, April, May, August, October and November 2024.
In May 2022, Lac La Biche also lost “obstetrical and surgical services for an undetermined period”.
Sylvan Lake
On the 9th, AHS announced that they were closing the Sylvan Lake Advanced Ambulatory Care Service twice over the next two days.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00, 9 December 2024 | 22:00, 9 December 2024 | 2 hours |
| 14:00, 10 December 2024 | 22:00, 10 December 2024 | 8 hours |
| 10 hours |
On the 16th, AHS announced they were shutting down advanced ambulatory care again. This time, it was set to run from 14:00 until 22:00 that evening.
These closures were all due to AHS not hiring enough physicians; although AHS called it “gaps in physician coverage”.
Keep in mind that advanced ambulatory care is regularly shut down every night from 22:00 until 07:30 the following morning. Not including the regularly scheduled overnight closures, Sylvan Lake lost its advanced ambulatory care for a combined 18 hours in December.
This isn’t the first time the community has lost ambulatory care; they lost it in August and over the Christmas holidays in 2021; in January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022; in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023; and January, Februrary, March, April, May and July of 2024.
Coronation
AHS announced on the 12th that they planned to close the emergency department at the Coronation Hospital and Care Centre.
In the announcement, AHS said they planned to shut down the emergency department for 4 hours: from 08:00 until noon on three dates in December: the 13th, the 20th, and the 27th.
This is in addition to another announcement made last March, when AHS said they planned to shut down emergency department twice a week until further notice. The first closure was to be for 24 hours, beginning at 08:00 every Monday morning, and the second closure was for 28 hours beginning at 08:00 on Thursday mornings.
I have yet to see an announcement saying that they have cancelled this closure yet.
For December, that came to 232 combined hours, plus the three 4-hour closures, for a total of 244 hours.
These closures were due to AHS’s inability to have sufficient staffing levels of physicians, or as they called it: “gaps in physician coverage”.
Nursing staff were on hand for first aid and triage to other facilities in the region.
EMS were to be rerouted to hospitals in Castor (35 km), Hanna (90 km), and Stettler (95 km).
Coronation also lost their emergency department in April, May, June, July, September, October, November, and December, as well as January, February, March, and October 2024.
Milk River
On the 16th, AHS announced they were closing the emergency department at the Milk River Health Centre. The closure was to begin at 08:00 that morning and last for 24 hours.
Four days later, they published another closure, but this one would last for 72 hours beginning at 08:00 on the 23rd.
Milk River lost their emergency room for a combined 96 hours in December.
These closures were due to insufficient staffing levels of physicians.
Nursing staff were on site in both cases to provide care for long-term care residents, and EMS were redirected to Raymond or Lethbridge.
Milk River also lost their ER in February, May, September, October, and December of 2022; in January, February, May, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023; and January and June 2024.
Boyle
AHS published an announcement on the 18th saying that they were closing the emergency department at the Boyle Healthcare Centre. The closure was scheduled to run from 16:30 the following evening and last for 3.5 hours.
This closure was a result of AHS not hiring enough physicians.
Boyle’s emergency department was also closed in June 2021; April and June of 2022; August and December 2023; and May, August, September, and November 2024.
Hardisty
On the 19th, AHS said they were closing the emergency department at the Hardisty Health Centre for several days.
The closure was to begin at 07:00 on Christmas and not end until 17:00 on the 27th. That’s a total of 58 hours without an emergency department.
The cause was “a gap in physician coverage”.
Nursing staff were on hand for assessment and triage. They were also available for first aid, where needed, and were to refer patients to alternate care facilities in surrounding communities, including Killam, Wainwright (ironically), and Daysland.
Hardisty also lost their emergency department in November and December 2023 and August 2024.
Stettler
AHS announced that same day, on the 19th, that they were closing the emergency department at the Stettler Hospital and Care Centre 3 times between then and the end of the month.
| Start | End | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 17:00, 26 December | 08:00, 27 December | 15 hours |
| 17:00, 30 December | 08:00, 31 December | 15 hours |
| 17:00, 31 December | midnight | 7 hours |
| 37 hours |
However, a few days later, they announced they had found coverage for the 26th closure but that they had a similar closure beginning at 17:00 on Christmas.
Unsurprisingly, these closures were because of “a temporary gap in physician coverage”.
Nursing staff were on site for assessments and triage, and EMS were redirected to facilities in Camrose, Castor, Drumheller, Lacombe, and Red Deer.
Stettler had emergency department closures in May, June, and August of 2021; in September 2022; in April and December of 2023; and in July and October 2024.
Fort Macleod
On the 29th AHS announced that they were closing the emergency department in the Fort Macleod Health Centre the following day for 24 hours, beginning at 07:00 and the following morning.
However, the next day, they provided an update to say they were able to find partial coverage, so the closure would last just 12 hours instead of 24 hours.
This closure was due to AHS’s inability to hire enough doctors to keep staffing levels sufficient.
Nurses were on site but only to provide care to long-term patients.
Fort Macleod was also without emergency department services in September and December 2023, as well as April, May, July, August, and October 2024.
Swan Hills
Another emergency room closure was for the Swan Hills Healthcare Centre, which was posted on the 30th. It was actually for over a week, but most of the closure was to occur this month. The December portion of the closure would run from 08:00 on the 31st until midnight that night.
This was a combined loss of 16 hours during the entire month.
Swan Hills also lost ER service in January, February, May, July, and December of 2022; June, August, and November of 2023; and January, April, June, August, September, and October of 2024.
Westlock
That same day, AHS announced a closure for Westlock Healthcare Centre. It, too, was supposed to begin the following day and last into January, except it was to begin at 17:15. The December portion of this closure was to be just under 7 hours.
There were to be no physicians on site, but nurses be there for triage and referrals to other medical facilities in the area.
This was the first time AHS shut down this emergency department; although they closed their obstetrics department for 2 months back in 2021.
Keep in mind that these are just the closures announced in October. It doesn’t include communities with extended closures.
For example, in Grimshaw, AHS closed their emergency department in November 2022 and still hasn’t reopened it.
Two Hills has had reduced hours since March 2024, closing between 16:00 on Friday and 08:00 on Monday, as well as between 20:00 and 08:00 on weeknights.
Finally, since September 2024, Elk Point has had its emergency department closed starting at 07:00 every Wednesday and lasting for 25 hours.
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