Dawson Creek hospital emergency department to close for 10 hours due to ‘staffing challenges’

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The emergency department at Dawson Creek and District Hospital will shutter for a big portion of Friday, according to the region’s health authority.

A Facebook post on July 10th from Northern Health says the ER will be closed from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 11th for what is being described as “staffing challenges.”

In June there were three hospital diversions in the Peace region, all occurring at the Chetwynd General Hospital.

People in the Dawson Creek area who need life-threatening emergency care are asked to call 911 for the nearest “available and appropriate facility,” the post reads.

For non-urgent care needs, patients should contact their primary care provider to make an appointment, according to Northern Health.

Those without a family doctor or nurse practitioner can call Northern Health’s Virtual Clinic at 1-844-645-7811 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily to access a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

The First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day program also enables Indigenous people and their family members living in B.C., with limited or no access to their own doctors, to make virtual appointments by calling 1-855-344-3800 seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Those unsure about whether a condition will warrant a hospital visit are urged to call HealthLink BC at 811 or visit HealthLink BC’s website for non-emergency health information.