Mayor: Repeated closures of Sylvan Lake health facility “unacceptable”

Once in 2022, the health authority has specified physician illness, and often notes the gap is “unexpected.”

WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

rdnewsNOW inquired with AHS to get answers, and were told a number of things, first being that reasons vary and have included different physicians.

“We are experiencing staffing challenges due to staff illness and exhaustion as part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” AHS says.

“As we’ve experienced elsewhere, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, short-notice sick calls can and do occur. It is exceptionally difficult to cover these short-notice gaps considering other local physicians are already busy in their private clinics and that locums have to travel. In addition, the summer months are historically more difficult to schedule as staff and physicians take more personal time or vacation.”

Short and long term solutions are in the works, aside from hiring new physicians, AHS adds.

AHS says leadership has met with facility teams, local doctors and locums to gather their feedback, and continues consultation with the Urgent Care Committee (UCC) and municipality. Options discussed include changes in hours of operation, service delivery or scheduling processes, though no decisions have been made.

The UCC, chaired by Susan Samson, says its position on change of hours is clear.

“The Urgent Care Committee is not supportive of a change or reduction in operating hours of the Advanced Ambulatory Care Service. Patients using SLAACS need access every day, daytime and evening hours. Requiring medical assistance cannot be scheduled,” says Samson. “Our area is currently under-serviced by doctors. Cutting back on the operating hours of the AACS further exasperates the need for medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries in our immediate area.”

Samson adds that the UCC fully supports the immediate action steps outlined by AHS, particularly the consideration of using nurse practitioners to fill physician gaps.

The UCC fought hard for SLAACS which was announced six years ago by the NDP.

Opposition NDP Labour Critic Christina Gray says the UCP has, “completely failed” Sylvan Lakers and central Albertans, by virtue of patients constantly being redirected to already busy health care facilities in Red Deer and Lacombe, among others.

“The UCP’s continued attacks on health care workers, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, has driven many frontline professionals out of the sector, creating significant gaps in the important services Albertans rely on,” says Gray, noting closures in several Central Zone communities. “These closures have put more pressure on the Red Deer Regional Hospital, which had to divert surgeries and critical services to other communities for multiple weeks. “Enough is enough.”

Gray says the province must ensure Albertans access to health care where and when they need it.

rdnewsNOW reached out to the Ministry of Health more than once, but received no reply.

“IT JUST HASN’T BEEN RELIABLE,” SAYS MAYOR

Meantime, Sylvan Lake Mayor Megan Hanson calls the situation unacceptable.

“It’s not great. It’s common to see a few closures during summer, but the volume we’ve seen this summer isn’t anything we’ve faced before,” she says. “Our residents really depend on that service, to be able to go there during the hours it’s posted to be open. The closures are causing real problems for residents, as well as visitors to town. It just hasn’t been reliable.”

Hanson believes responsibility ultimately falls to AHS, but notes the Town has been an active partner in finding a solution. This week, Town reps toured a prospective new doctor through town, including taking her to a Gulls game, in hopes she’ll decide to stay.

Hanson points out a local doctor who had a massive patient list passed away last year, leaving a gap yet to be filled.

She agrees with Samson that reducing the regular hours of 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. isn’t the answer.

SLAACS is supported, AHS explains, by doctors at two local clinics, plus eight locum (or substitute) physicians.

CONCERNS ACKNOWLEDGED

Asked who’s responsible for preventing this in the future, AHS says these challenges are not unique to Sylvan Lake, nor Alberta, and that it’s committed to being collaborative toward improved recruitment and retention.

“We recognize that residents are understandably concerned, and AHS shares those concerns,” says AHS. “We always endeavour to exhaust all options to secure physician coverage, including calling out for locum coverage, adjusting schedules and temporarily changing hours of service, before making the decision to temporary close. Decisions to temporarily close, or operate shorter than normal hours, are difficult. They are, however, the right and responsible thing to do when there is a gap in physician coverage.”

AHS shares that two new physicians have been hired for SLAACS, one of whom started recently, while the other is expected to begin in early fall. An additional three positions have been approved for posting in Sylvan Lake.

Lastly, AHS says it isn’t aware of any negative patient outcomes related to SLAACS closures.

“That would be a miracle,” adds Mayor Hanson, who didn’t want to comment on specific instances she’s heard about. “That’s certainly not the impression I’ve received.”

rdnewsNOW reached out to local doctors who respectfully declined comment.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Mayor: Repeated closures of Sylvan Lake health facility “unacceptable”

WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

“IT JUST HASN’T BEEN RELIABLE,” SAYS MAYOR

CONCERNS ACKNOWLEDGED

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