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Press Release - Mississippi River Health Alliance

The Emergency Department at Almonte General Hospital will close on Friday, July 7th, at 3 p.m. and will re-open at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 8th.  This temporary closure is due to a shortage of nursing staff. The rest of the hospital is still open and caring for patients.

Like many rural hospitals in Ontario and across the country, Almonte General Hospital (AGH) has had to close the Emergency Department (ED) for short periods due to staffing challenges. These decisions are not made lightly and not without every alternative being exhausted. The ED has a very small staff with one physician and two nurses working on each shift. If one of them is sick, there is a big impact as there is not a large pool of people with Emergency Department training to draw from.

“We know these closures are concerning for our community,” notes Mary Wilson Trider, President and CEO. “Unfortunately, we are dealing with multiple sick leaves. We are in contact with Ontario Health East Ministry staff to discuss potential solutions.”

“Patient and staff safety is our main priority,” adds Wilson Trider. “The hospital applauds all the staff who have worked countless hours of overtime in their efforts to ensure the best care for our community. They have provided outstanding care throughout the pandemic and continue to work extremely hard.”

The Mississippi River Health Alliance (which includes Almonte General Hospital, Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital, Fairview Manor and the Lanark County Paramedic Service) has provided many collaborative benefits including joint recruitment initiatives and taking advantage of government-funded programs such as the Clinical Externs program which bring nursing students to the hospital for in-depth training.

Anyone requiring immediate medical attention should call 9-1-1.  Paramedics will take you to the nearest Emergency Department for care.

Patients can also call 8-1-1 for health advice or to chat with a Registered Nurse. This provincial Health Connect Ontario program replaced Telehealth Ontario last year. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The closest Emergency Departments are: