January 22nd Public Service Announcement

Bow Island emergency department temporarily closed  

BOW ISLAND – Due to an unexpected clinical personnel shortage and inability to secure coverage, the Bow Island Health Centre emergency department (ED) will be temporarily closed until 7 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 23. At that time, it will reopen to provide its current hours of 7 a.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Monday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.  

During the temporary closure, nursing staff will remain on-site to provide care for long-term care residents.   Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working 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 Taber Health Centre or the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, both 57 km away.  

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.  

AHS is thankful for the support of surrounding healthcare centers and medical staff and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time.   Alberta Health Services provides acute care services for more than five million Albertans at hospitals, urgent care centres and health centres across the province.

Our mission is to provide excellent and accessible patient-focused healthcare for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, increasing access to surgeries and improving patient flow.