It's been a minute. Life. Work. Etc. But I felt compelled to hop on here to share a little of what acute care is facing in Edmonton. Warning: it's grim. Really grim.

Albertans are witnessing the deathblow to fair and equitable HC access right here, and all without even a discussion to see if there is a mandate for govt to do this. This is not hyperbole or fearmongering. Let's pick 10 quick highlights🧵: 1/15 https://t.co/mP0IFxqiz4

Stories like these are everywhere because that’s who Darren was. His impact lives on in his patients, colleagues, friends, and family. I’m deeply grateful for the moments I shared with him, and I’ll carry his example forward. Rest easy, my friend. ❤️🌅

I’ll never forget when I was 32 weeks pregnant and needed to get across RAH campus to a sick patient... Darren didn’t hesitate...he grabbed a wheelchair, plopped me in, and wheeled me across the hospital so I could get there. That was Darren: supportive, witty, endlessly generous

Heartbroken by the loss of my friend & colleague, @drdagly. This exchange is one I’ll always hold close. Darren could challenge you to be better while reminding you of your worth. He was brilliant, compassionate, and kind. To have his respect and friendship was a true gift.

Prophecy alert: The enemy seeks to derail global shifts and silence God’s justice. Hear Amanda Grace’s full message now

At this point, we're not surprised by the endless demands. We're just weary, running on empty, doing our best in a system that feels beyond repair. Thank you to all of those working in these conditions. I see you, I hear you.. I am you. #healthcare #ableg

And we start the cycle over. Every morning, seeing what record high number of patients admitted internal medicine. Our current high is 253 patients. Our actual funded capacity space? 182 patients.

2 AM: On call MD heads home after reviewing and admitting sometimes upto 10-12 patients in an 8 hour shift. Continues to receive calls from rural and peripheral sites for assistance with acute patients. MD somehow drives home.... Only to have to be back on site for handover...

7 PM: The ED consult MD, off shift 3+ hours ago, is still reviewing admissions. On-call MDs and residents triage the 'least worst' way to manage growing requests. Upstairs, the ward MD finally sits to chart, hoping to see their kids before bedtime.

4 PM: Still rounding, trying to craft safe discharge plans. But with the primary care crisis and lacking community supports, it feels impossible. Staffing shortages everywhere create a vicious cycle of rushed discharges, leading to preventable readmissions.

Our departments have discharge targets to make room for new admissions. But for months, we've rarely met them. The result? Hallway medicine, 5-6 patients in rooms meant for 4, and ER inpatients with no extra staff to handle the volume. The system is buckling.

Back in the ER, the consult MD juggles a growing patient list while fielding calls from Raapid North to support rural MDs—often arranging transfers to city hospitals. The relentless buzz of pagers, alarms, and consults creates an overwhelming, overstimulating storm.

Upstairs, ward physicians start rounds on 25+ increasingly complex patients, many with end-stage disease. Once supported by robust teams, it's now often a solo effort. Burnout has left skeletal staff struggling to do the work of many—a system stretched to its breaking point.

8 AM: Our ER consult team begins their shift, often facing 8-10 pending consults plus a backlog of ER inpatients—admitted patients stuck in the ER due to lack of ward beds. The day starts under pressure, and the weight only grows.

730 AM: Morning handover. New admissions reviewed, patients assigned to internal medicine teams. What was once a moment of camaraderie with colleagues now feels like a daunting task—knowing our already overstretched teams are about to take on even more.

The UCP is lying to us. They are lying about surgical wait times, they are lying about doctors and they are lying about the state of our healthcare system. Recently, I heard from a woman in Lethbridge who is currently in her second year of waiting for a double knee

Hearing the Premier is saying the new FM funding model will be implemented after the govt “processes” complete. Gotta “respect the processes” AB (even though they can’t tell you what they are, or how long) While you sit in a busy ED WR, let it comfort you: govt is “processing”

'On the brink of collapse': Doctors warn Edmonton-area hospitals are at capacity

From the DM’s… Has this ever even happened before? Internal medicine in #yeg is completely overwhelmed. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

From the DM’s… Edmonton zone has reportedly capped general internal medicine patients. The hospitals in #YEG are officially full. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli