Report Recommends Actions to Address Health Service Gaps in Beaumont

Beaumont residents’ health needs are generally well served, but there are gaps in areas including after-hours services, urgent care, and family doctors with capacity for new patients, concludes a study commissioned by the City.

The Community Health Needs Assessment, prepared by MNP in collaboration with the City of Beaumont and Alberta Health Services, examined the current state of health care services for Beaumont residents and makes recommendations to address existing issues and meet future needs.

“Council asked for this study to give us a clear, evidence-based picture of health services and actions necessary to meet the needs of residents today and as Beaumont grows,” said Mayor Bill Daneluik. “Health care is primarily a provincial responsibility, but as the study notes, there are steps we can take as a municipality, such as attracting services that support population growth and advocating for our residents’ needs to senior levels of government.”  

The assessment noted that Beaumont residents are more likely to have a family doctor than the average Albertan and that most services are available within a 15-kilometre radius. However, it also found that local physicians and clinics don’t have capacity for new patients and residents aren’t able to access after-hours service within the community. As a result, residents are visiting emergency rooms at hospitals in Edmonton and Leduc for non-emergency care.

Other key findings include:

• The leading health issues for Beaumont residents are high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• A lack of local transportation options is a barrier for some residents trying to access health services.
• There are gaps in social supports for seniors, people with disabilities and their caregivers, and 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth.
• There is a lack of awareness among health care providers of health and social services available in the community.
   

Research for the study included reviewing health care data from AHS, cataloguing health care services within 15 kilometres of Beaumont, a survey of 940 residents, and a series of interviews with community groups and health care providers. 

The study makes 19 recommendations for the City of Beaumont, the Ministry of Health, Alberta Health Services, and other groups. Key recommendations include initiatives to attract more family physicians and after-hours service providers, improve community health, and make residents more aware of existing services in the Beaumont area. The full report is available on the City of Beaumont’s website.
 
Administration will present an action plan for implementing relevant recommendations to City Council on April 9.

Media contact:
Mike Berezowsky
Director, Communications
780-243-0458
mike.berezowsky@beaumont.ab.ca