Addiction and Mental Health - Community Services

Assessment and treatment includes learning about your past history, present situation, and identifying your goals. A counsellor talks with a client about different treatment options, including counselling to help them reach their goals. A counsellor helps clients choose goals and strategies, make suggestions, and reviews their progress with them.

Alberta Healthy Living Program - South Zone

Alberta Healthy Living Program (AHLP) services provided vary slightly from Zone to Zone. Some of the below services may be available via on-line or telehealth at some locations. Services may include information, education, techniques, and support to help improve your health and quality of life with a chronic condition. The program is based on a model that includes:

Health Education:

• Healthy Eating for Reducing Your Risk Class
• Taking Care of You Risk Reduction Class
• Grocery Store Tours
• Stroke Sense Class
• Diabetes Management Class
• Heart CHEC Class
• Heart Failure Education Class
• Stress Management Series
• Managing Emotional Eating Series
• Sleep Health Series
• Weight Management Series
• Getting Started with Weight Management Class

Self-Management:

Better Choices, Better Health - Learn self-management skills for the physical and emotional challenges of living with long-term health conditions. Better Choices Better Health

Better Choices, Better Health® - Online - This online workshop is available to Albertans interested in gaining confidence and building skills to manage their chronic conditions and develop healthier lifestyles. Family members and support people are welcome to join.

Exercise Programs:

Supervised Exercise - Learn how to self-monitor and stay safe while exercising. Improve your cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility with our 12 week program.

Specialty Care / Clinics:

• Asthma / COPD Specialty Clinic: Individuals and families of all ages will work with a Respiratory Therapist to work on better managing asthma or Congestive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Assessment, treatment and follow up is offered in individual appointments.
• Diabetes Specialty Clinic: Provides one to one assessment and follow up for those living with Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and / or Diabetes in pregnancy to individuals and families of all ages. Diabetes specialty also provides support and services to those requiring insulin pump therapy. Endocrine clinics with an internist or endocrinologist are available to pediatric patients, pregnancy patients and those interested in insulin pump therapy.
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: Provides education, individual assessment, and follow up to those who have been impacted with various cardiac conditions. Patients along with their support people are also welcome to attend the 2 part Heart CHEC class and join the Supervised Exercise program.
• Heart Function Specialty Clinic: (HFC) a comprehensive, multidisciplinary specialty clinic that supports patients with moderate and high risk heart failure. A physician referral is required and patients will be seen in for ongoing heart failure care in a team based care.
• Outpatient Nutrition Counselling: Work with a Registered Dietitian to improve eating habits and address nutritional needs. Please see Nutrition Counselling for information.
• Bariatric Specialty Clinic: This clinic provides medical, psychological and surgical interventions for weight management. See the Bariatric Specialty Clinic.

For more information please visit the Alberta Healthy Living website.

Audiology and Children's Allied Health Services

Services are goal-driven; starting and continuing services is based on having functional reasons / goals for rehabilitation. The length of service will vary and is based on a child's needs and goals, and the availability of local programs. Assessment is part of rehabilitation and it comes in many forms. The purpose is to understand your child's strengths and needs. We will talk with you about next steps that guide the (rehabilitation) care plan. We will work together so you and your child are supported to move to the next developmental stage or between providers and services. Families and caregivers are actively involved as therapy may look like "play", depending on your child's age. 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 and we'll work with you to find home ideas that fit with your life. Services may be in-person, by phone, or videoconference. They may be in a group or one to one. Services provided are related to (neuro)developmental and / or medical conditions.

Team Based Services
Are provided for children with a variety of needs.
•hearing - responding to sounds, noise, voices, words
•moving - sitting, crawling, walking, coordination
•using hands - playing with toys, using utensils
•taking care of self - dressing, toileting, doing chores, sleeping
•equipment needs - wheelchair, splints, orthotics, walking aides, adaptive aides
•physical symptoms - pain, muscle / joint tightness, breathing, head shape, sensitivity to noise or touch
•managing emotions - behavior, becoming overwhelmed
•communication - understanding directions, babbling, using words and sentences
•clear speech - being understood by others, stuttering, voice quality
•eating, feeding and swallowing - coughing, gagging, choking, refusing to eat certain foods
•diagnostic clinic for queries on Autism Spectrum Disorder and other diagnoses in partnership with pediatricians

Audiology
Helps children and their families with hearing and hearing health, so they can participate in activities that are important to them.This service supports children's:
•hearing - screening and assessment to identify hearing loss
•management of hearing loss
•hearing health

Occupational therapy services
Supports children and their families with self-care; eating, feeding and swallowing; and motor development, so that they can participate in activities that are important to them.
•motor development
•self-care - dressing, toileting, sleeping, personal hygiene
•participation in activities typical for their development, such as play
•eating, feeding and swallowing
•specialized equipment - access and use

Physiotherapy
This service supports children and their families with development and movement, so they can participate in activities that are important to them.
•motor development
•movement and function
•specialized equipment (access and use)

Speech-Language Pathology
This service supports children and their families with communication and eating, feeding, and swallowing, so they can participate in activities that are important to them.
•communication (speech, language, voice, resonance and fluency)
•eating, feeding and swallowing

Available at some locations:
Child and Youth Developmental Specialists, Home Based Development and Social Work

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.

Continuing Care Services (West)

Provides care for people with long-term health concerns. In addition to 24/7 residential nursing care, this service offers:

• physical, occupational, or recreational therapy
• pharmacy, social work, volunteer or pastoral counselling services

Also offers services for clients who live in the community, which may include respite.

Visit the Alberta Health Services Continuing Care website for more information.

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.

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.

Fluoride Protection for Toddlers

Children only need to have a few teeth to start getting fluoride. Applications are given 4 times, once every 6 months. For eligibility information visit our website.

At the appointment:

• The child sits on their parent's lap while staff apply fluoride on the child's teeth using a brush, which takes less than a minute.
• The child can eat and drink right after the treatment.
• The fluoride sticks to the teeth and protects them. It slowly wears off when the teeth are brushed.

If the child has asthma, bring his or her asthma reliever medicine to the appointment.
This provincial prevention service is available in all AHS (Alberta Health Services) zones.

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 - Access and Disclosure

In accordance with Alberta's Health Information Act, this is a service which enables the release of individually identifiable health information with or without the consent of an individual.

For detailed instructions, frequently asked questions and forms, please visit Access & Disclosure | Alberta Health Services.

Health Information / Records Management

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

Hemodialysis - Alberta Kidney Care - South

• Provides hemodialysis treatments (a process where the client's blood is passed through a special filter that removes waste products and water).
• Most people need 3 treatments every week. Each treatment lasts 4 hours.

Home Care Services

Helps people of all ages that live at home and need support, including:

• nursing services
• personal care services
• respite services
• palliative care
• wound care
• self managed care (SMC)
• living option assessments

Home Care team members meet with clients to assess their needs and create a care plan.

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.

Nutrition Counselling - Adult and Pediatric

By completing a comprehensive nutrition assessment and developing a nutrition intervention in collaboration with the client using evidence based guidelines. The dietitian provides nutrition counselling to help clients make diet, behavioural and lifestyle changes to manage a medical condition and / or improve their health. Nutrition counselling may occur on an individual basis or in a group session. Nutrition information and resources can be found on Alberta health Services’ Healthy Eating Starts
Additional Services:

• Nutrition Counselling (Dietitian) - Alberta Healthy Living Program
• Pediatric Weight Management

Visit the PEAS (Pediatric Eating and Swallowing) website to find relevant information for families and care providers of children with an eating, feeding and swallowing disorder.

Nutrition Counselling - Pediatric Weight Management

In the Outpatient Dietitian Counselling program, families work one-on-one with a registered dietitian (dietitian) trained in Pediatric Weight Management. The dietitian will help the family work on healthy eating and active living habits and set realistic goals that focus on creating a healthy lifestyle. Areas of focus include nutrition, physical activity, sedentary time and sleep.

The dietitian and the family’s healthcare provider work together to ensure the family is supported in achieving their health goals. They can also assist in connecting the family with other supports as needed, such as physical activity, mental health, and community services.

The program’s aim is to help families achieve a lifestyle that promotes healthy growth and development in their children.

For more information visit the Outpatient Dietitian Counselling website.

Occupational Therapy - Adult Community & Outpatients

Occupational Therapists enable people of all ages to engage more fully in the activities of everyday living. They work together with clients, their families and caregivers to develop ways to help clients reach their potential in caring for themselves, working, and enjoying life.

Pediatric OT services are accessed through the Children’s Allied Health Department in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

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

Physiotherapy - Inpatients, Outpatients & Community

Rehabilitation service to help restore maximum function and independence through:

• education re: injury management and prevention
• orthopedic injury or surgery rehabilitation
• falls prevention
• chronic pain management
• functional restoration
• neurological rehabilitation
• gait, balance and coordination re-education and training

Services are available at outpatient hospital clinics, community health centres, patient's homes and continuing care / long term care centres.

Note: Services vary by community. Please call for information.

Population Health Promotion Program

The Population Health Promotion Program (PHPP) provides services on an individual client basis as well as to high-risk groups and the broad community utilizing a population health approach. The population health approach focuses on the entire range of individual and community factors that determine health. The Key ”Determinants of Health” include: Income and Social Status, Social Support Networks, Education and Literacy, Employment and Working Conditions, Social Environments, Physical Environments, Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills, Healthy Child Development, Biology and Genetic Endowment, Health Services, Gender, Culture.

The overall goal of this approach is to maintain and improve the health status of the entire population, reduce the incidence of disease and injury, and to eliminate inequities in health status between population groups.

Services encompass a continuum of health action from pre-conception to old age. Specific strategies are in line with those described in the World Health Organization’s Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) and include:

• Developing Personal Skills
• Strengthening Community Action
• Creating Supportive Environments
• Building Healthy Public Policy
• Community Needs Assessment and Program Planning

The program links with Provincial Population and Public Health Programs to deliver a wide range of health promotion interventions, including:

• Oral Health Program
• Injury Prevention
• Tobacco Reduction
• Health Equity
• Poverty Reduction Initiatives
• Health Promotion Education
• Population Health Surveillance
• Low German Speaking Mennonite Community Health Representatives - act as advocates for LGSM clients and their families through interaction with the health care system and other community services

Prenatal Education

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we have cancelled prenatal and postnatal classes in Alberta Health Services, South Zone effective March 16, 2020 and until further notice. Unfortunately, we do not know at what point we will resume running classes.

Please contact 403-388-6668 (Lethbridge and area) or 403-502-8215 (Medicine Hat and area) with any questions and to arrange refunds as needed. In the meantime, please visit www.ahs.ca/prenatal for many online prenatal and postnatal resources.

Public Health Nursing

Services provided by Public Health Nurses may include:

• immunizations
• communicable disease control (including Tuberculosis)
• prenatal / postnatal education
• postpartum caregiver / newborn support
• breastfeeding support
• health promotion / disease and injury prevention services
• school health services

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

Respiratory Therapy - Outpatients / Community

Services include:

• home oxygen assessments
• arterial blood gases (ABGs)
• respiratory education (Asthma & COPD)
• spirometry
• tobacco cessation
• artificial airway management
• trach change
• sputum induction

School Oral Health Services

Services are offered to eligible schools and may include:

• fluoride varnish, provided to kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2
• dental sealants, provided to Grade 1 and Grade 2

A child diagnosed with asthma must have their short acting asthma reliever medication with them to receive service.

Speech Language Pathology - Adult

Speech-Language Pathologists evaluate, diagnose, treat and enhance function in both communication (speech production, receptive and expressive language, cognition, voice, resonance, fluency, and hearing) and swallowing, including related feeding behaviors. Taking a lead role in advocating for and implementing Communication Access (i.e., low tech solutions to high technology solutions for individuals who are not able to use their voice for short term or long term reasons).

Intervention includes:

• health promotion
• capacity building
• prevention and wellness
• triage
• screening
• clinical assessment
• diagnosis
• individual and group treatment
• partner training
• education
• advocacy
• counseling
• self-management
• case management
• consultation
• referral and environmental modifications to facilitate communication and safe feeding and swallowing

Speech-language pathology may support individuals experiencing;

• stroke / head injury
• dementia
• neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease
• developmental delays
• other neurological / degenerative diseases such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
• people who use their voice professionally (e.g., teachers and lawyers)

Works with individuals to;

• produce sounds/articulate, reduce stuttering
• understand and use language
• use the voice in a healthier way
• learn another way to communicate (through a communication board or other device)
• learn ways to make swallowing easier to prevent food from entering the airway or choking
• read or write after changes to the brain
• thinking skills around communication (like memory, problem solving, and verbal reasoning)
• word finding

Switchboard

These services include:

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

Therapeutic Recreation - Community & Outpatient

Helps people with physical, social, emotional, and mental challenges that affect their leisure activity by assessing their needs and strengths, developing, following and evaluating a therapy plan. Teaches how to use resources and take part in recreation and leisure activities by:

• improving coping and reasoning skills
• supporting new learning
• supporting greater independence and quality of life
• increasing self-efficacy and adjusting to disability
• reducing stress, depression, and anxiety
• promoting a positive attitude
• teaching how to reduce the risk of falls
• improved memory and cognitive functioning

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.