A doctor working in Port Hardy, British Columbia – one of many communities struggling with doctor shortages – says he could see more patients and help keep the city’s emergency room open if the province let him hire physician assistants.
Physician assistants are often referred to as “medical expanders,” meaning they work under the direction of a physician to perform many of that physician’s duties.
They follow a specific two-year training program to be able to conduct interviews and examinations with patients, write prescriptions and assist in surgery. Unlike nurse practitioners, they do not practice independently — all the work they do is on behalf of the physician they work for.
Dr. Alex Nataros, a family physician who works out of a Port Hardy clinic, also provides long-term care in more remote communities and works on rotation in the beleaguered Port Hardy Hospital emergency room, says that the Physician Assistants basically let him work in multiple locations at once.
He has worked with them in rural Manitoba, one of four provinces that currently allow them. The profession is also regulated in Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick. Two other provinces, New Scotland and Newfoundland are conducting pilot projects.
“They’re transformative. They allow physicians to expand their reach and really meet the needs of the people. They’re a perfect fit for that context in Port Hardy.”
The Port Hardy emergency room has seen intermittent closures recently, in part due to a shortage of doctors.
Physician assistants are common in the military
Physician assistants can train in one of three programs in Canada: through the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto, and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
But many come to work through the Canadian Armed Forces, who uses medical assistants on its bases, on the ground and on its ships and submarines.
Eric Demers, a resident of Victoria, became a physician assistant after starting out as a medic in the army. When he retired, he decided to stay on Vancouver Island. He says he wanted to work as a physician assistant, but that wasn’t an option.
“I have the skills, I have the experience…I would like to help the health care system in British Columbia”
Associate physicians are now licensed in British Columbia
In November, the province announced it was creating a new category of health care workers called “associate physicians.”
It covers internationally trained physicians who are not yet qualified to practice as full physicians in British Columbia and allows them to perform work similar to that of a physician assistant.
In a statement, a Department of Health spokesperson said he understands physician assistants can also contribute to the healthcare system, but adding new healthcare professions requires “special attention.”
“As the department works to implement this strategy, it will continue to assess the possibility of implementing additional professions and trades, such as physician assistants.”
Dr. Nataros says the creation of physician associates is a “very clear path” to adding physician assistants to BC’s health care system.
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