Last Wednesday, some patients of the Wembley Medical Clinic received an email notifying them that the clinic is closing on May 29. 

After five years of operating the clinic, Dr. Angela Luckham is moving back to her home province of Nova Scotia. 

“I understand this comes as a huge shock for my patients and for many people in Wembley,” said Luckham in an emailed statement to the News. Luckham declined an interview with the News.

“We share their disappointment and sadness to see the clinic closing.”

Luckham said she arranged for the clinic’s ownership and operations to move to Dr. Candace Khun but due to a College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) practice permit restriction, Khun cannot take over the clinic.

Khun recently moved to Alberta from South Africa with her husband. 

Town & Country News reached out to Dr. Khun but did not receive a reply. 

Wembley Mayor Kelly Peterson also declined an interview with the News, but in a written statement said, “the recent announcement of our physician’s departure and closure of the clinic at the end of May is definitely a huge blow.”

He said the clinic is a key part of the community and noted the closure highlights rural communities' struggles in attracting and retaining healthcare professionals. 

“We (Wembley council) are going to be in talks with Alberta Health Services and other partners to figure out how we can keep healthcare accessible and sustainable in the long run. We’re looking at new ways to staff the clinic and keep the services available so we can continue to meet the needs of our residents.” 

Other local towns like Sexsmith have also struggled to attract medical staff. 

In October, Sexsmith council directed its administration to bring back information on the process and costs of sponsoring a physician and draft a plan for restructuring the lease at the medical clinic.

Changes by the CPSA allow municipalities to sponsor a physician to open a practice in their town. 

“When we think of the needs within our region, to lose a physician at any point is discouraging,” Kate Potter, South Peace Professional Attraction and Retention Committee (SPPARC) chair and Sexsmith mayor, told the News. 

“Physicians end up moving for lots of different reasons, and my understanding is that this physician is moving back to be closer to family, so of course, you can't hold that against someone, but it is really heartbreaking for our region when we consider that we're already short so many physicians.”

Potter says the challenges are nothing new for the North, but it's time to look for creative solutions.

She suggested physician assistants who could take care of much of the paperwork required by physicians. She said they are widely used in the military and have begun being used in southern Alberta. 

“We need to be creative in our solutions, so we're making some forward steps.”

Luckham said she is required to let patients know of the change at least 90 days in advance; emails and paper notifications were sent on Feb. 12. 

In January last year, the clinic said Luckham was accepting 140 new patients, which resulted in hundreds of people in the region heading to the clinic to try to land a family doctor. 

Now, patients will again begin the search. 

Some patients expressed their frustration to the News and have already begun looking for a new family physician. 

Potter said a new physician in Grande Prairie began accepting patients, with the panel filling within two days. 

“It is a testament to the need that exists,” she said.

“They didn't even publicly announce that they were looking for new patients; it was just word of mouth.”

Potter said some family physicians in the area see patients who travel over an hour from other communities to see their doctor.

She said the problem goes beyond family medicine as the Grande Prairie area services over 300,000 people, many of who need to travel to Edmonton for specific services and medical appointments. 

Luckham and her husband, Alexander, moved to Wembley in October 2019 and quickly saw the need for a clinic in the town, she told the News in 2020. 

“My husband and I opened the Wembley Medical Clinic five years ago, and we have truly enjoyed watching the clinic grow and change over the years,” she said. 

“Our family has also been growing and changing; our two children have been born here, and, as they are getting older, it is time for us to move back to Nova Scotia, where I am from, and our family lives.”

She said she hopes her patients can find another practitioner in the area. 

“It has been my privilege to practice here.”