Bow Island emergency department reduces hours due to staffing shortage

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on May 1, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Due to a staffing shortage, the Bow Island Health Centre Emergency Department will be reducing hours.

Effective immediately, the emergency department will be open from 7 a.m. Friday until 7 a.m. every Monday, and closed on all other weekdays.

This is due to an ongoing inability to secure consistent coverage during the remainder of the week, says AHS.

Nursing staff will remain on site to provide care to remaining acute-care patients while the department is closed, as admissions to two acute-care beds have been re-opened at this time.

Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency, and are assured that EMS services are prepared to respond to emergency events and support inter-facility transfers to neighbouring sites, such as Taber Health Centre and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. Residents can also seek emergency care at these sites.

Those seeking non-emergency care are encouraged to call their family physician, or call Health Link at 811 for non-emergency, health-related questions.

AHS says it is is actively recruiting for positions in the community and working to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time.

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