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Right care in right place eases emergency pressures
June 29, 2010
Improving access
Across the province, urgent care centres and community clinics are keeping Albertans healthy and out of emergency departments.
Urgent care centres help people who don’t need emergency care but require more than a visit to their doctor’s office or a walk-in clinic. More than 160,000 people are expected to visit the province’s five urgent care centres this year – that means 160,000 fewer people in emergency and better access to emergency services for all.
“At one site, we found a 22 to 25 per cent decrease in emergency utilization between the hours of operation of an urgent care centre,” Dan Marchand, provincial director, Urgent Care, Community and Rural, Alberta Health Services.
“So you know it does work.”
Alberta has five urgent care centres:
- South Calgary Health Centre
- Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre in Calgary
- Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre
- Airdrie Regional Health Centre
- Health First Strathcona in Sherwood Park
Specialty clinics also ease emergency pressures by helping patients better manage their conditions to prevent complications that might land them in emergency.
In Athabasca, pharmacist Cindy Jones educates patients with blood disorders about their therapy and regularly monitors their blood thinners.
“I always ask about their health, so we catch things sooner,” says Jones.
>> Read more about our Action On: Emergency initiatives.
