Patients in rural areas of Alberta will have to make appointments to have outpatient lab work done as Alberta Health Services continues to introduce new measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The temporary change goes into effect on Monday, May 4, and covers hospitals and urgent care centres.
“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,” AHS said in a news release.
A full list of affected rural health care facilities is listed below.
“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.”
Patients needing inpatient lab work will not have to make appointments, the health authority said.
Those who need lab work are being encouraged to discuss the urgency of that work with their doctors before making an appointment, as AHS is also working to “ensure laboratory resources remain available for people who need them most.”
Health care providers and patients can make appointments for the lab work, either over the phone or online.
Three sites that have Dynalife lab collection facilities nearby will be closed for the time being and patients will be directed there. Those sites include:
- Camrose St. Mary’s Hospital – patients will be sent to Camrose DynaLife Laboratory
- Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital – patients will be sent to Fort Saskatchewan DynaLife Laboratory
- Stony Plain WestView Health Centre – patients will be sent to Spruce Grove, Devon, or Leduc DynaLife Laboratory
Below is a full list of rural health care facilities where appointments will be needed for lab work:
Appointments by phone at 1-833-572-0577 or online at https://aplappointments.ca/
- Athabasca Healthcare Centre
- Barrhead Healthcare Centre
- Bassano Health Centre
- Bashaw Health Centre
- Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital
- Bonnyville Healthcare Centre
- Bow Island Health Centre
- Boyle Healthcare Centre
- Cardston Health Centre
- Castor Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital
- Coaldale Health Centre
- Cold Lake Healthcare Centre
- Consort Hospital and Care Centre
- Coronation Hospital and Care Centre
- Crowsnest Pass Health Centre
- Daysland Health Centre
- Devon General Hospital
- Drayton Valley Community Health Centre
- Drumheller Health Centre
- Edson Healthcare Centre
- Elk Point Healthcare Centre
- Fairview Health Complex
- Fort Macleod Health Centre
- Fox Creek Healthcare Centre
- Gibbons Health Unit
- Grande Cache Community Health Complex
- Grimshaw & District Community Health Centre
- Hanna Health Centre
- Hardisty Health Centre
- High Prairie Health Complex
- Hinton Healthcare Centre
- Innisfail Health Centre
- Seton – Jasper Healthcare Centre
- Killam Health Care Centre
- William J. Cadzow — Lac La Biche Healthcare Centre
- Lacombe Community Health Centre
- Lamont Health Care Centre
- Leduc Community Hospital
- Manning Community Health Centre
- Mayerthorpe Healthcare Centre
- Sacred Heart Community Health Centre
- Milk River Health Centre
- Morinville Clinic
- Olds Hospital and Care Centre
- Onoway Community Health Services
- Oyen – Big Country Hospital
- Peace River Community Health Centre
- Picture Butte — Piyami Health Centre
- Pincher Creek Health Centre
- Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre
- Provost Health Centre
- Raymond Health Centre
- Redwater Health Centre
- Rimbey Community Health Centre
- Rocky Mountain House Health Centre
- Slave Lake Healthcare Centre
- George McDougall – Smoky Lake Healthcare Centre
- Spirit River — Central Peace Health Complex
- St. Therese — St. Paul Healthcare Centre
- Stettler Hospital and Care Centre
- Sundre Healthcare Centre
- Swan Hills Healthcare Centre
- Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre
- Taber Health Centre
- Three Hills Health Centre
- Tofield Health Centre
- Two Hills Health Centre
- Valleyview Health Centre
- Vegreville — St. Joseph’s General Hospital
- Vermilion Health Centre
- Viking Health Centre
- Wabasca / Desmarais Health Care Centre
- Wainwright Health Centre
- Westlock Healthcare Centre
- Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre
- Whitecourt Healthcare Centre
Appointments by phone at 1-877-868-6848 or online at http://www.calgarylabservices.com/
- Banff Mineral Springs Hospital
- High River Hospital
- Black Diamond Oilfields General Hospital
- Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre
- Canmore General Hospital
- Strathmore District Health Services
- Claresholm General Hospital
- Vulcan Health Centre
- Didsbury District Health Services
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