The first two physician assistants in the province have been hired to work at Saanich Peninsula Hospital’s emergency department as part of a one-year pilot project.
Physician assistants, who work under a physician supervisor, are common in other provinces and in the Canadian Armed Forces, but are new to hospitals in sa国际传媒
Adrian Dix, when he was health minister, announced the pilot project in March 2024 for Island Health and Northern Health.
On Jan. 8, new sa国际传媒 Health Minister Josie Osborne personally welcomed the two new recruits at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
“I’m really excited to see how this rolls out and how effective it is in Saanich Peninsula, I know a lot will be learned,” Osborne said in an interview Monday.
“And over time, seeing the program expand into other health authorities will really give the health authorities and the ministry the insights that we need on how to best implement the program and … eventually provide training programs here in British Columbia.”
Island Health has hired two of up to six physician assistants, jobs for four are being advertised in Northern Health, and other health authorities are looking into how to incorporate the positions into their emergency departments.
“They are going to be a really integral part of the care team; essentially they are like ‘emergency physician extenders’ and I really look forward to seeing the program roll out,” said Osborne.
Physician assistants work alongside physicians, helping to assess and treat patients. It’s part of an effort to increase the number of patients that can treated and reduce harm to patients because of delayed care.
Saanich Peninsula Hospital’s emergency department is one of many in sa国际传媒 grappling with long wait times and insufficient staffing. Because of staff shortages, the hospital’s ER is currently closed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and there are no immediate plans to change that.
Dr. Brendon Irvine, medical director and emergency physician at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, said the unveiling of the pilot project is an exciting team effort years in the making.
“Given the pressures here and around the province it’s a much-needed step towards responding to the challenges in emergency departments and across the health care system,” said Irvine.
The new hires are Fu Wu (Fred) Bai, a physician assistant in Manitoba since 2012 and former registered nurse and medical geneticist, and Eric Demers, a physician assistant from 2010-2018 in the Canadian Armed Forces who currently works part time with First Nations in northern Manitoba.
The physician assistants are under the direct supervision of Dr. Paeta Lehn.
Bai will work full-time filling either day or afternoon shifts while Demers will work part time and continue to work in remote communities in northern sa国际传媒.
Bai said he’s always sought new challenges in health care and is confident about helping to make the program at Saanich Peninsula a success. “I want to use my experience to help open the gate to physician assistants.”
Demers describes health care as a team sport and the adding of physician assistants as similar to the building of a good hockey team. “You need some grinders, you need some superstars, you need a good goaltender.”
There are at least three physician-assistant training programs in sa国际传媒 — at the University of Manitoba, University of Toronto and a satellite site at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. There’s none in sa国际传媒
(Physician assistants are not to be confused with associate physicians who are medically-trained and approved by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of sa国际传媒 to work under physician supervision.)
Physician assistants train under the same medical model used for physicians. On top of an undergraduate degree, their training generally takes 24 months, with about 2,000 clinical training hours.
Once certified, physician assistants can conduct patient interviews and physical examinations, perform diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions, prescribe most medicines, order and read tests, and make referrals — all under the direct supervision of a physician.
“Sore throats, sprained wrists and ankles, and splinting and casting are all within areas of common work [for physician assistants],” said Irvine. On the other hand, while he touts the capability of physician assistants, they’ll not be abandoned “to the rigours of demand.”
The physician assistant pilot program is a joint initiative between the Health Ministry and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of sa国际传媒
Physician assistants are already licensed to practise in several provinces including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.
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