Addiction and Mental Health - Domestic Abuse Response Team

Domestic violence can take many forms, including verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, spiritual, financial, and the violation of rights and can happen in any relationship that is based on intimacy, dependency, or trust. The Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) offers specialized support to patients of all genders who are experiencing any form of domestic violence. Individuals do not have to be in a crisis to access DART and can request a referral at select emergency departments, urgent care centres, and maternity units. Participation is voluntary.

DART services are provided while individuals are present within the Alberta Health Services (AHS) or Covenant Health facility and are confidential, nonjudgmental, and choice-based. Once the referral is initiated, a DART responder will connect with the individual either in-person or over the phone to conduct further assessment and provide the following services based on the their needs:

• emotional support
• information and education about domestic violence
• assistance with safety planning
• information about and referrals to local supports, including financial assistance, counselling, food bank, etc.
• assistance with contacting local law enforcement and / or Children's Services
• access to safe accommodations, including emergency shelter or hotel
• transportation from AHS or Covenant Health facility to safe accommodations
• follow-up support This service is provided by AHS and AHS contracted service providers.

This service is provided by AHS and AHS contracted service providers.

Alberta Aids to Daily Living Program

Due to COVID-19, service times may vary. Call to confirm.

This Government of Alberta funded program assesses people for funding for benefits like wheelchairs, walkers, bathing equipment, wound supplies, and compression stockings.

Breastfeeding Clinic

Free service that supports breastfeeding mothers and mothers with breastfeeding issues due to:

• not making enough milk
• plugged ducts
• mastitis
• thrush
• latching issues
• poor infant weight gain
• breast reduction surgery
• adoptive nursing

Cafeteria Services

Cafeteria services offer food and beverages at Alberta Health Services facilities. Catering services and vending machines are available at some sites. Each cafeteria services site team is dedicated to creating great food, inspiring healthy eating, and providing outstanding customer service to support the health of Albertans.

**Please note hours of operation may vary from site to site.

Car Seat Safety

If you need assistance with your child safety seat, please refer to the child safety seat owner’s manual and the appropriate YES Test available at Health Link.

For more information on rear facing / forward facing car seats, booster seats and Transport Canada public notices on child restraint systems (recalls), visit our website.

Community Health Centres

Services include immunization and public health nursing.

Continuing Care Services

Albertans who would like to schedule a visit at participating continuing care sites can visit Continuing Care Visitation Request.

Visit the Alberta Health Services Continuing Care website for more information on services and resources.

Early Childhood Intervention Program

The program provides navigation, education,support and information for families of children from birth to 5 years in many settings and locations; clinic, family's home (if needed), playgroups, and in the community.

Works with families concerned with their child's development and/or children at risk for developmental delays (premature birth, prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol, diagnosed disability).

Emergency Services

If you have an emergency, call 911.

Emergency departments:

• take care of people that are very sick or injured on a priority basis. This means the sickest people are seen first. If you go to an emergency department for care that isn't urgent, you will not likely be seen right away.
• provide medical care, which includes assessment and treatment
• stabilize people and get them ready to transport to a higher level of care facility (if needed)
• provide follow-up care including referrals to a family doctor or specialist (if needed)

Emergency Department wait times are now available for Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer.

Get the right care when you need it, to learn more visit Know Your Options

This service may be impacted by the COVID pandemic. View the Hours of Operations to see if the location has been impacted. Visit https://ahs.ca/covid for up-to-date information.

Equipment Loan Program

Due to COVID-19, service times may vary. Call to confirm.

Provides short-term loans of medical equipment for people who are recovering from surgery or need palliative care so they can live in their own homes. Equipment loans include:

• wheelchairs, walkers, and canes
• hospital beds
• moveable toilets, raised toilet seats, and toilet armrests
• transfer benches, bath seats, and grab bars

General Radiography (X-Ray)

General Radiography uses x-rays to produce images of the structures inside the body, particularly bones. X-ray beams can pass through the body, but they are absorbed in different amounts depending on the density of the material they pass through.

Health Information / Records Management

Completes patient charts, collects data, data entry and coding, collects patient information, dictates notes, and transcribes inpatient and outpatient charts.

Home Care

Home Care helps people who live at home and need support such as:

• Care after surgery
• Long-term care
• Palliative care
• Respite services

A case manager, who is usually a nurse, will meet with the clients and help decide what services will best support them.

Hospitals

To access contact information and a list of services offered, select a hospital.

Search through a complete list of progams and services, or hospital and facility information with the following:

Find Healthcare:

• Progams & Services
• Hospitals & Facilities

Immunization - Adult Services

This service provides routine immunization for adults. Suggested immunizations:

• a booster dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)(dTap) every 10 years
• dTap vaccine for pregnant women every time they are pregnant
• Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) for unprotected adults born in 1981 or later. Some adults born before 1981 may need this vaccine if they are at risk for hepatitis B (e.g. health problems, type of work, lifestyle, contact with the virus)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for adults up to and including age 26 years who did not get it in school.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine for adults whose immunization records do not show the recommended number of doses of measles, mumps, or rubella vaccine.
• Chickenpox vaccine for unprotected adults
• annual influenza vaccine
• pneumococcal vaccine for all adults 65 years of age and older and adults with certain health problems
• shingles vaccine for adults 18 years of age and older who have had or are going to have an organ transplant

To find out which vaccines are recommended for you and to book an appointment for immunization, call your nearest community / public health centre. If you are not sure where your nearest community / public health centre is, you can call Health Link at 811. Bring any immunization records you have to the appointment, especially if you were immunized in another province or country.

For more general information about immunization go to ImmunizeAlberta.ca, Immunizations at myhealth.alberta.ca, or call Health Link.

Immunization - Infant and Preschool Services

Alberta Health Services provides routine immunization for infants and children across Alberta. Immunizations are free of charge for infants and children who live in Alberta.

Immunizations are recommended for infants starting at 2 months of age. Routinely recommended vaccines include: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenza type b, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal, pneumococcal, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), and influenza.

For the routine immunization schedule, go to immunizealberta.ca.

Additional vaccines may be needed depending on your child’s health conditions or other risk factors.

Immunization is effective. Other than providing safe drinking water, no other health intervention works as well as immunization to reduce disease and death rates. Immunization protects whole communities. The more people who are fully immunized in a community, the safer everyone is.

Immunization is safe. It is much safer to get immunized than to get the diseases that vaccines protect against.

For more information, and to book an appointment, call your nearest community/public health centre. If you are not sure where your nearest community/public health centre is, call Health Link at 811. Bring your child’s immunization record to the appointment, especially if your child was immunized in another province or country.

For more general information about immunization, go to immunizealberta.ca,Immunizations at myhealth.alberta.ca, or call Health Link at 811.

Immunization - School Services

Each year, Alberta Health Services, Public Health reviews immunization records for students in grades 1, 6, and 9 to see what immunizations each student needs. A consent form is then sent home with an information sheet for each vaccine recommended for the student. No immunizations will be given in school without consent from a parent or legal guardian. Immunizations in this program include:

• Grades 1, 6, and 9: Any routine childhood and school vaccines that may have been missed according to a review of the students immunization record on file
• Grade 6: Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine for students who have not already completed a hepatitis B immunization series and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine
• Grade 9: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (dTap) and meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y, W-135) conjugate vaccine

Laboratory Services

Effective December 5, 2022, walk-in or pre-scheduled appointments will no longer be accepted at select locations.

For information on service restrictions or to book an appointment, visit APL Appointments & Booking.

Laboratory Services provides collection of blood and body fluids for tests ordered by your doctor or healthcare provider including a comprehensive range of routine and specialized lab testing and clinical consultations:

• blood and body fluid sample collection
• biochemistry and toxicology
• electrocardiogram (ECG)
• genetics and genomics
• urinalysis
• transfusion medicine
• hematology
• coagulation studies
• microbiology
• public health testing
• serology
• surgical pathology
• cytopathology
• autopsy pathology
• student practicum training for medical lab technologists and medical lab assistants

Note: Some locations may not offer the full range of testing. To confirm availability of a specific test, contact the location.

Linen & Environmental Services

Cleans acute and continuing care facilities according to standards set by Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Health Services (AHS) infection control.
Services include:

• waste management
• managing outside contracts (e.g. door mats, windows, pest control)
• managing cleaning contracts for leased space
• providing personal laundry services to north zone long term care clients at their request.

Patient Food Services

Patient Food Services overarching objectives are to:

• Offer quality food and food choice, to support Patient Centered Care
• Work with the whole care team to ensure that Food Matters
• Foster a positive meal experience that results in enjoyment of meals, as well as improved satisfaction and food intake that supports recovery
• Provide menus that are based on “Canada’s Food Guide” and that are adaptable for therapeutic requirements
• Offer appealing food that encourages eating for health
• Provide meal service styles appropriate to the patient population (e.g. tray service, dining room service) and meal delivery systems that support safe high quality food served at appropriate temperatures to the correct patient / resident

PFS delivers more than 31,000 patient/resident meals each day within AHS facilities.

Patient Information

Services offered:

• responding to patient location inquires
• providing direction on a patients whereabouts

Pharmacy Services

Collaborates and interacts with healthcare service providers to provide clinical services and medications to patients in hospital and long-term care facilities.

Registration

Patient Registration

• registers and pre-registers patients and collects demographic and financial information.
• registers patients for inpatient admissions, ambulatory clinic appointment, and emergency department services

Respite Care

Respite services provide caregivers a short period of rest or relief from their caregiving responsibilities. Overnight respite services are offered in a Continuing Care environment and organized through Home Care. A Home Care Case Manager can review respite options available.

School Health Program

Provides healthcare in schools.

Services include:

• immunizations
• education and consultations about contagious diseases

Social Work

Services may include:

• refer and liaise with appropriate community and government agencies
• collaborate with other healthcare providers (discharge planning, family conferences)
• provide counselling and crisis intervention
• provide information/education on important resources and legislation (e.g., Personal Directives, Guardianship, Trusteeship, Child Welfare and Protection for Persons in Care)

Switchboard

These services include:

• answering incoming telephone calls
• transferring telephone calls and
• giving out authorized telephone numbers

Travel Health Services

The Edmonton and Calgary clinics are currently closed.

If you are seeking immunization services, please contact a private travel health clinic, your doctor or local pharmacist.

If you are a post-secondary healthcare student seeking immunization and / or a tuberculin skin test for your healthcare training program, please contact your educational institution to confirm if provincially funded immunizations are available through this institution. Alternatively, you can contact a private travel health clinic, your doctor or local pharmacist to obtain immunizations for a fee.

Please note:ROUTINE CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONcontinues to be offered through community health centres / public health offices, at this time. Please call your local community health centre/public health office, for information.

Tuberculosis Testing

Offers free tuberculosis (TB) skin testing to eligible Albertans. The Mantoux skin test is not recommended to diagnose TB.

Testing is done at public health centres throughout the province:

• North Zone
• Edmonton Zone
• Central Zone
• Calgary Zone
• South Zone

If you are not eligible for free testing but still need to be tested there will be a charge for the test.

For travel or work related TB testing contact the Travel Health Services in your area. With the exception of Edmonton, you would contact the Immunization Business Unit to have school or work-related TB skin testing done.

Volunteer Resources

Our volunteer roles share a commitment to improving the quality of the patient and family experience.

Volunteers are:

• way-finders who help guide patients and families around our busy facilities,
• friendly visitors who spend time with our socially isolated patients,
• patient and family advisors who provide input and direction to AHS on numerous committees,
• supporters of our volunteer retail operations - where the proceeds are returned to AHS to provide patient care and comfort.

For general information about volunteering with AHS please visit our website.

Well Baby Clinic

Provides immunizations for babies and young children.

Services include information about:

• breastfeeding
• normal sleep patterns
• child growth and development
• nutrition
• child safety

New mothers are also offered postpartum depression screening.

For more information please visitImmunize Alberta.