Rural AHS sites move to appointment-only lab collections
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EDMONTON – Rural hospitals and urgent care facilities are moving to appointment-only lab work for outpatients starting Monday, May 4, to control traffic in and out of healthcare facilities.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is implementing this temporary change in an effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in these facilities, and to ensure laboratory resources remain available for people who need them most.
The change will not affect lab work for hospital inpatients, and all patients requiring laboratory tests will continue to receive them.
AHS is limiting outpatient activity at acute care and urgent care facilities as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many rural AHS facilities offer the only laboratory services in the community. Some waiting areas in these rural lab collection sites are small and not appropriate for maintaining appropriate physical distancing. Appointment-only lab work will improve safety for rural patients at high risk for severe illness, such as those with compromised immune systems.
