Patients from Beaverlodge and other Peace Country communities are being redirected to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital as multiple rural emergency departments face temporary closures due to a lack of doctors.
The Alberta Health Services has issued temporary service disruptions for emergency rooms at the Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital and the Grimshaw/Berwyn and District Community Health Centre. McLennan has also experienced recent emergency department interruptions. The closures, caused by physician shortages and the inability to secure locum coverage, mean residents must travel to Grande Prairie for urgent care.
Beaverlodge is about 43 kilometres west of Grande Prairie. When its emergency department closes, the roughly 2,271 residents face a drive of nearly 30 minutes to reach the regional hospital. The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, a 24-hour acute care facility with about 240 beds, serves as the main referral centre for northwestern Alberta and has absorbed the patient overflow.
Dr. Brian Wirzba, president of the Alberta Medical Association, says the closures point to bigger problems than just physician shortages. “The problem extends well beyond physician shortages and scheduling, pointing instead to gaps in planning, coordination and long-term workforce management,” he said.
Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta, has spoken out against the closures, warning they affect both nurses and patients. “Closing the ER in Beaverlodge will not only impact the nurses who currently work in the hospital but also patients who will need to drive 45 kilometres to Grande Prairie to access emergency services,” she said.
AHS launched the Virtual Emergency Physician program in January 2025 to connect rural emergency departments with off-site doctors through secure video technology. The program has reportedly prevented 98 per cent of potential emergency department disruptions caused by a lack of on-site physician coverage, but some closures still happen.
