Milk River's emergency department is closed again. The impact goes beyond the rural town

The emergency department in Milk River, Alta., is closed — again.

Alberta Health Services said a shortage of doctors forced the health care facility in the southern Alberta town to shut its doors for a week.

The closure began Friday morning, and it marks the seventh time the emergency department has closed since May. 

"It's affected us very stressfully," said Colleen Bianchi, who lives in the nearby village of Coutts, Alta. "A lot of frustration for people not having a doctor, having to find help when there's emergencies."

During the temporary closure, AHS said nursing staff will remain on-site to provide care for long-term care residents.

Milk River's emergency department services an area much larger than the southern Alberta town and its 814 or so residents.

Patients in need of care are advised to access emergency services at the Raymond Health Centre, which is about 60 kilometres away, or the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, which is roughly 90 kilometres away.

EMS calls will also be re-routed to to either of those centres, AHS said. 

But traveling that distance isn't always doable.

"If you live out where we farm, it's 35 miles," Bianchi said. "I get to Milk River and you want me to go another hour, 45 minutes. It's a concern."

The Milk River facility services an area of about 1,300 square kilometres. It's the closest emergency department for many southern Alberta towns near the U.S. border. 

"Everybody that lives in this area is dependent upon their services," said Scott MacCumber, the deputy mayor of Coutts and the chairperson of the Milk River health professionals attraction and retention committee.

"We've got people coming down here from Lethbridge, we've got people coming in from the east from the country."

There's also a significant amount of traffic that comes through the area due to its proximity to Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, the Gold Springs Park Campground and the U.S. border.

Attempts to improve health care services in Milk River started in April, when AHS added a primary care physician to the area.

"We are actively recruiting for a second physician for the area, a physician assistant, and a nurse practitioner to further support the healthcare team," AHS said in a statement.

Still, physician retention has been an issue, and AHS said it is working to provide support to doctors to help them stay in the communities they serve.

The Milk River emergency department is set to reopen on July 21.