Milk River Emergency Department temporarily closed

Posted on 27 March 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

 Due to a lack of physician coverage, the Milk River Health Centre Emergency Department (ED) will be temporarily closed at 5 p.m. today, March 27. The ED will re-open at 8 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday March 28 to provide 24-hour service.

During the temporary closure, nursing staff will remain on-site to provide care for long-term care residents.

AHS is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time.

Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. EMS services are prepared to respond to emergency events and support inter-facility transfers to neighbouring sites. Patients seeking care can access emergency services at the Raymond Health Centre (60 km away) and Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge (87 km).

Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions. Individuals requiring non-emergency medical care are also encouraged to call their family physician.

We are thankful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this time.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.