Oyen emergency department resumes full services

The Oyen Big Country Hospital emergency department (ED) returned to 24-hour service on Friday, April 7, 2023. In mid-January, ED hours at the hospital were reduced to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily due to lack of nursing staff.

The facility will also reopen five of its 10 acute care beds.  The Oyen Big Country Hospital is resuming full services after securing agency nurse coverage. AHS continues to recruit to fill vacant staff positions at the facility.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time. AHS is grateful for the support provided by EMS, surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff, who helped ensure those who needed care continued to have access to it, even if it required receiving that care in a neighbouring community.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.