Community Health Centres

Community Health Centres provide a wide range of health services, which may include:

• Antenatal Community Prenatal Program (ACCP)
• Best Beginning
• Early Start Parent Drop In
• Postpartum Services
• School Health Program
• Well Child Services

To book an immunization appointment only, dial 811 Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Environmental Public Health - Disease: Communicable, Rabies, Food Borne Illness

This service:

• investigates cases and outbreaks of illness, which are caused by germs like E. coli, salmonella, and Giardia (beaver fever) to find out the cause and prevent other people from getting sick
• investigates people with vomiting and diarrhea who don’t know how they got sick
• provides follow-up for animal bites (dogs, cats, bats, and other animals) to make sure people don’t get rabies
• investigates single cases and/or outbreaks of many diseases including botulism, hantavirus, norovirus, shigella, and Q fever

For more information visit Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Drinking Water

Inspects public water supplies, reviews water sample results, and issues water advisories if needed. You can get water testing supplies (sample bottles) and shipping information from your local Community Health Centre. Testing for municipalities and private home owners is done through the Provincial Laboratory of Public Health and Alberta Centre for Toxicology. If there is E. coli or total coliform bacteria in your sample, you will be contacted right away in most parts of the province.

May advise private homeowners about how safe their well, cistern, or dugout water is and talk about treatment options if needed.

Does drinking water testing for bacteria through the Provincial Laboratory of Public Health, Environmental Microbiology Services, which checks for:

• E. coli bacteria (shows if water is contaminated with sewage or fecal matter)
• total coliform bacteria (helps determine the integrity of the water source)

Chemical water testing of untreated ground water for private households is done by The Alberta Centre for Toxicology which checks for many different things including bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, and magnesium.

Your water sample requisition may be reviewed before your sample is sent to the right place for testing. This is to make sure your water supply is eligible for testing.

Sample Bottle Pick-up and Drop-off locations in Alberta.

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

For more information visit the Environment Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Education

Answers general environmental public health questions about topics like safe cooking, pest problems, and mould.

Offers classes, courses, presentations, and displays on many environmental public health topics. They are suited to the audience’s needs. Information can be in-person, online, or in home study, and may be available in other languages. Some services offered are:

• bed bugs presentations
• courses for childcare facility staff
• courses to operate temporary food concessions at fairs, festivals, exhibitions, carnivals, or other special events
• displays at trade shows and expos
• food sanitation and hygiene courses (the AHS Food Safety Course is required by Alberta’s Food Regulation)
• hand washing and personal hygiene presentations
• home study on food safety (a certificate in basic food safety may be issued)
• swimming pool operators course
• 3-hour courses on food safety (a certificate in basic food safety may be issued)

For more information visit our website.

Environmental Public Health - Housing and Illegal Drug Operations

Requires that owners / operators / landlords / property managers keep public housing healthy and safe for tenants. The service follows up on complaints from tenants or other agencies about housing conditions which may include no heat, water problems, structure problems, or pest problems (mice or other rodents, bed bugs or other insects). If conditions could be dangerous to tenants, they may need to move out. The service works with landlords to fix or remove problems. The service can also order dangerous conditions to be fixed like houses used for illegal drug operations (e.g., marijuana grow ops, meth labs).

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - New Business and Plan Approval

Reviews and approves plans for building or renovating restaurants or other food establishments, swimming pools, social care facilities (e.g., daycares and nursing homes), and personal service facilities (e.g., tattoo studios, spas).

Reviews plans for special events (e.g., fairs, exhibitions, or carnivals) to make sure the right services are available (including washrooms and hand wash stations).

Issues permits and licenses needed for some facilities to operate like:

• a Food Handling Permit for food establishments open to the public
• a Public Swimming Pools Regulation License for swimming pools open to the public

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Orders, Disclosure and Legal Activity

This service inspects public places. When needed, is granted the power by The Public Health Act to order dangerous conditions to be fixed, removed, destroyed, or declared unfit.

Public health inspectors are designated as executive officers under the Public Health Act (RSA Chapter P-37) and enforce these regulations and standards:

• Artificial Tanning Regulation
• Bodies of Deceased Persons Regulation (AR 135/2008)
• Communicable Diseases Regulation (AR 238/1985)
• Food Regulation (AR 31/2006)
• Food Retail and Foodservices Code
• Housing Regulation (AR 173/1999)
• Institutions Regulation (AR 143/1981)
• Minimum Housing and Health Standards
• Nuisance and General Sanitation Regulation (AR 243/2003)
• Personal Services Regulation (AR 1/2020)
• Personal Services Standards
• Recreation Area Regulation (AR 198/2004)
• Pool Standards
• Public Swimming Pools Regulation (204/2014)
• Standards for Artificial Tanning Facility Signage
• Waiver Regulation (AR 298/2003)
• Work Camps Regulation (AR 218/2002)

For more information visit Health Enforcement Orders

Environmental Public Health - Personal Services

Prevents illness and infection from spreading by:

• reviewing plans for new businesses
• approving facilities before they open
• doing inspections to make sure practices followed are safe and facilities are maintained as regulation requires
• investigating any complaints from clients.

The requirements of the Personal Services Regulation and its related Health Standards and Guidelines apply to services which offer:

• barbering
• body and ear piercing (using guns or needles)
• body wraps
• branding
• chemical hair colouring, straightening and curling
• chemical peels
• cosmetic cryotherapy
• cryolipolysis (cool sculpting)
• dermal jewelry anchoring
• dermal filler injection
• dermal rolling
• earlobe stretching
• electrolysis
• esthetic cupping
• eyebrow threading
• face and body painting
• facial and body waxing
• facials
• hair extension
• haircutting and hairstyling
• henna
• lash and brow tinting
• lash extension
• laser and cosmetic tattoo removal
• laser hair re-growth and restoration
• laser hair removal
• manicure
• microblading
• microderm abrasion
• mud treatments
• neuromodulator injection (botox)
• pedicure
• permanent make-up
• scarification
• shaving
• skin exfoliation
• spray tanning
• tattooing
• teeth whitening
• tooth decoration
• ultraviolet (UV) tanning (tanning beds)
• vaginal rejuvenation

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Recreational Water

Keeps the public from getting sick when using recreational water by:

• approving pool plans
• inspecting pools and other water facilities to ensure water is safe and sanitary
• teaching operators about proper pool maintenance
• reviewing water sample results (local community health centres may accept water samples for testing for E. coli, total coliforms, and Pseudomonas)

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health page.

Environmental Public Health - Risks: Indoor Air, Outdoor Air, Contaminated Sites

Responds to and investigates health risks from activities like sour gas wells, forest fires, and accidental releases of gasoline, pesticides, or other chemicals.

Reviews and makes recommendations to approving authorities regarding proposed land use developments (e.g., intensive livestock operations, industrial plants, or developments on contaminated sites).

Responds to complaints and investigates indoor air in residences, schools, malls, swimming pools, or other public places. Will also respond to and investigate complaints about outdoor air.

For more information visit our website.

Environmental Public Health - Safe Food

Inspects public food facilities (e.g., restaurants, mobile food trucks, grocery stores, kitchens in daycares and nursing homes) to make sure food is prepared safely.

Applies Food Regulation requirements in public food facilities or operations to areas like:

• bed and breakfast facilities
• commercial caterers
• community organization functions (when food is prepared for the public by volunteers)
• convenience stores and fast food restaurants
• restaurants, delis, and mobile food vendors
• farmers’ markets (licensed by Alberta Agriculture) and their stallholders
• food banks
• food facilities in halls and churches that may be rented to the public
• daycares, nursing homes, group homes, and other care facilities with over 10 clients that offer food service
• grocery stores
• private homes from which low risk home-prepared foods are sold
• temporary food facilities at special events (e.g., fairs, festivals, exhibitions, carnivals, rodeos)
• work-camp food facilities

This program offers guidance but will not apply Food Regulation requirements at private functions like:

• bake sales when low risk foods are sold for charity
• food prepared in a private home for family and guests
• potlucks and other functions not open to the public

For more information visit our website.

Environmental Public Health - Social Care

Reviews plans for new businesses and approves facilities as requested by Children's Services, Inspects many adult and childcare facilities routinely and follows up on complaints from clients or their families. May also provide education for staff in social care facilities.

Applies the requirements of various regulations under the Public Health Act and the CSA Standards in social care facilities including:

• daycares and foster homes
• drop-in centres and shelters
• group family day homes and group homes
• long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and seniors’ lodges
• preschools and out-of-school care
• playgrounds

For more information visit our website

Environmental Public Health - Work Camps

Inspects work camps of all sizes, including camps that move around Alberta or stay in one place. This includes camps used for any type of business (e.g., oil exploration and development, logging, tree planting). Inspections check that food is safely prepared, water is safe to drink, sewage is properly treated and disposed of, and housing conditions are safe.

Teaches companies about requirements for work camps.

Investigates complaints from people living at work camps.

For more information the Environmental Public Health website

Environmental Public Health Program

Work to keep public places (e.g., restaurants, daycares, pools, rental properties, tattoo studios) safe. Tell people about health risks (e.g., unsafe water or housing). Make sure that the Public Health Act is being followed.

Our services include:

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Health Promotion

This service provides:

• education and / or counselling on a variety of topics such as nutrition, safety, family violence, infant / child growth and development, through home visits, telephone calls, parenting classes, and well-child immunization clinics.
• collaboration with other Alberta Health Services divisions and external agencies and organizations to promote health in the community.

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

Rural Pediatric Allied Health

What Families Can Expect:

• families and caregivers are actively involved
• we want to understand what's important to your child and family (what matters to you) e.g. daily routines, family and friends, activities you enjoy
• services are goal-driven; starting and continuing services is based on having functional reasons/goals for rehabilitation
• the length of service will vary. It is based on a child's needs and goals, and the availability of local programs
• services may be time limited. Teams address child and family needs within available resources
• services may be in-person, by phone, or videoconference. They may be in a group or one to one
• we will talk with you about next steps. You and your child will be supported to move to the next developmental stage or between providers and services
• assessment is part of rehabilitation. It comes in many forms. The purpose is to understand your child's strengths and needs. This guides the (rehabilitation) care plan
• we will work together with you and other providers
• therapy may look like ‘play’, depending on your child’s age
• we will work with you to find home ideas that fit with your life
• we want to know if the (rehabilitation) care plan is not working for your child or family
• we want to know if things are getting in the way of rehabilitation e.g. travel, health, other family needs
• AHS Translation / Interpretation services are available.

Program Description:

Your child may need help from more than one type of service. The care team works with children, youth and families to support participation in activities that are important to you. Working together helps everyone to focus on your biggest priority for your child and family. Supports provided are related to (neuro)developmental and / or medical conditions.

Services are provided for children and youth with a variety of needs. For example:

• hearing (e.g. responding to sounds, noise, voices, words)
• moving (e.g. sitting, crawling, walking, coordination)
• using hands (e.g. playing with toys, using utensils)
• taking care of self (e.g. dressing, toileting, doing chores, sleeping)
• equipment needs (e.g. wheelchair, walking aides, adaptive aides)
• physical symptoms (e.g. muscle/joint tightness, head shape, sensitivity to noise or touch)
• managing emotions (e.g. behavior, becoming overwhelmed)
• communication (e.g. understanding directions, babbling, using words and sentences)
• clear speech (e.g. being understood by others, stuttering, voice quality)
• feeding and swallowing (e.g. coughing, gagging, choking, refusing to eat certain foods)

This team will do their best to find ways to help everyone on the team, including the child / youth, their parents and the family.

School Health Program

This service offers:

• public health nursing to support all schools in the region. Works in partnership with school communities to promote health and develop strong, supportive communities using a comprehensive school health approach.
• teachers, parents and students can consult with a public health nurse for guidance around school health activities
• school aged immunizations through school based programs. Routine immunization programs occur in grades 1, 6 and 9
• public health nurses monitor, report and respond to communicable disease outbreaks within the school community

To book an immunization appointment only, dial 811 Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Well Child Services

Provide appointments for:

• routine vaccination (2, 4, 6, 12, 18 months and 4 years of age)
• health education, health promotion and support for parents related to adjustment to parenthood, breastfeeding, infant feeding, nutrition and healthy eating, normal growth and development, etc.
• health assessment and screening to identify health concerns
• information and referral to community services, and community partnerships

There are 20 Community Health Centres (8 urban and 12 rural) across the Calgary Zone.

To book an immunization appointment only, dial 811 Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.