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Urgent Care Committee plans meet and greet to talk progress on new medical facility

Meet and greet will explain progress and promote golf tournament for AACS in Sylvan Lake.
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The Sylvan Lake Urgent Care Committee is moving forward in its effort to upgrade medical services available to the Towns of Sylvan Lake and Eckville, as well as other communities in the area.

In anticipation of a golf tournament it plans to hold later this summer in August, the committee will be holding an information session to keep residents of the area apprised of the progress that has been made in the acquisition of funds for an Advanced Ambulatory Care Service [AACS] in Sylvan Lake.

“We are going to hold a golf tournament, and the money we raise from that will go towards the total bill for equipment [for the AACS] of $350,000. We think we will add a nice chunk to that [with the proceeds from the tournament],” said Susan Sampson, chair of the Urgent Care Committee.

In advance of the tournament, the committee will be holding a June 15 meet and greet, noted Samson. The meet and greet at the Meadowlands Golf Course will take place at 7:30 p.m., and will provide the general public a thorough update on what has been accomplished since January’s announcement of funding for the AACS from the provincial government.

“There’ll be complimentary hors d’oeuvres, the cash bar will be open. At that time, we will make two presentations, at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., which will update the general public as to where we are with the development of the AACS,” said Samson.

The Urgent Care Committee has been working for six years to bring enhanced medical services to Sylvan Lake and the surrounding area, in the form of an urgent care centre that would serve communities including Sylvan Lake, Eckville, Bentley, Red Deer County, and Lacombe County and the five Summer Villages of Birchcliff, Half Moon Bay, Jarvis Bay, Norglenwold and Sunbreaker Cove.

In the six years it has been at work, the Urgent Care Committee has raised $200,000 - an amount that is held in trust for the eventual purchase of medical equipment for the AACS.

“We are looking for an urgent care centre that would provide treatment for non-life threatening injuries - one that’s open seven days a week. It would provide access to labs and x-rays, and would be staffed by doctors and nurses,” said Samson. “We want close-to-home treatment. It would be a better way of delivering service.”

Recently, the committee’s work reached a pivotal moment, when this past January, Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman announced the AACS would be a reality. Samson anticipated opening for the AACS is May 2018.

Now that things are coming along, Samson is looking forward to the golf tournament and meet and greet, indicating that the public ought to get an update on the progress that has been made.