A joint task force has spent the last month and a half creating an action plan for the future of health care services in Beaverlodge. Part of their work was gathering input from the public, and in total, nearly 500 people filled out an online survey and almost 150 attended an open house last week.
Alberta Health Services says the feedback the task force received made it clear that while people are happy with health care services currently available, the hospital is old and doesn’t meet the needs of the growing community. Residents says there’s not enough room, leading to privacy concerns. That can be made worse by Grande Prairie residents making the trip to the town to get shorter wait times.
On a positive note, many residents noted that having local services means they have to leave town less, which is especially important in the winter when road conditions can be poor. Continuing care and more palliative care beds are also needed, along with more supports for health care workers and better recruitment of physicians.