Health Minister Tyler Shandro during Tuesday's announcement (Government of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

Expansion to EMS transport to reduce ambulance and care wait times

Jul 6, 2021 | 10:16 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Changes to emergency medical services (EMS) aim to get more ambulances back on the road faster.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced Tuesday that Albertans requiring EMS can now be transported to alternative care locations instead of being brought to emergency departments. Before, under government-sponsored benefit programs, transport by ambulance to health-care facilities like hospices or community health centres that assist with urgent but non life-threatening situations, was not allowed.

This in turn limited EMS ambulances to only bring patients to emergency departments instead of locations that made the most sense for the care they required. The province said that removing “this outdated requirement” will help reduce red tape, and ease strain on emergency departments.

Tuesday’s announcement in Medicine Hat can be viewed below.

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Minister Shandro said, “we have seen far too many times ambulances lined up at emergency departments with non-critical patients waiting to receive care.”

“Often, these patients don’t need emergency services and would be better served at other health-care facilities. Albertans requiring EMS should be taken to the most appropriate health-care facility – and ambulances should be back on the road as quickly as possible to reduce EMS wait times. This is one of many steps we’re taking to improve the EMS system for Albertans.”

From 2017 to 2019, EMS ground ambulances responded to roughly 90,000 non-urgent calls where directing patients to alternative care sites could have been an option.

Chief paramedic and senior provincial director of EMS with Alberta Health Services, Darren Sandbeck, said that “expanding the types of health facilities that EMS ambulances can transport patients to enables better patient care and reduces reliance on hospital emergency departments in situations where they are not needed.”

“We can help ease the strain on patients and our emergency departments by allowing transport to alternate destinations for non-emergent or follow-up care.”

The province said this change will help improve access and speed of care in non life-threatening medical events, and Albertans will receive better management of chronic illnesses by referral to a location that is best able to support their immediate situation and ongoing health needs.

By the end of this year, 10 alternative health-care facilities in the province will be a part of the first phase of this change, with more locations to be added by 2023.

Some locations are already receiving patients being transported by ambulance. These facilities include:

• St. Michael’s Health Centre (Lethbridge)
• St. Joseph’s Home Carmel Hospice (Medicine Hat)
• Bashaw Care Centre (Bashaw)
• Sylvan Lake Community Health Centre (Sylvan Lake)
• La Crete Health Centre (La Crete)
• Rainbow Lake Health Centre (Rainbow Lake)

Facilities to be included by December 31, 2021:

• Magrath Health Centre (Magrath)
• Piyami Health Centre (Picture Butte)
• East Calgary Health Centre (Calgary)
• Slave Lake Family Care Centre (Slake Lake)

Paramedics transporting to emergency departments must continue to treat the patient until care is transferred to emergency department staff.

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