How physician assistants can help take pressure off the strained health-care system

There has been much discussion lately about how to improve health-care systems across Canada.

In Nova Scotia, the provincial government recently announced extra resources to alleviate the pressure on strained emergency departments.

Part of its emergency care plan is to have physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners provide care in ERs.

The Nova Scotia provincial director for the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants works in Ontario but says he would like to go home to Nova Scotia.

“It would be nice to come home and help out with the province getting more PAs into the communities, it’d be a bonus,” Peter Thibeault told CTV Atlantic’s Todd Battis during an interview Tuesday night.

Thibeault says physician assistants can perform multiple jobs in the health-care system.

“From the emergency rooms to specialties in medicine, family practices – the jobs are endless, actually, because PAs are such a value that they can diversify into whatever aspect they want. There is a set scope and then they can build on that to expand where they would like to work.”

Physician assistants work under the supervision of physicians, who can be reached by phone or by Zoom.

Thibeault says he’d like people to have a better understanding of the position.

“Education of what is a PA, what the value a PA can provide – that’s where we’re growing and people are going, ‘Hey, I want a PA working here.’ And this is what Nova Scotia has done.’”

In Canada, physician assistants are employed in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and more recently Nova Scotia.

“[I’m] happy to announce that the three PAs that were doing the orthopedic pilot project, the government saw, health care saw, that this was the right thing and those positions are now permanent at the QEII,” Thibeault says.

He adds that Nova Scotia has hired six more physician assistants -- three to work at the Dartmouth General Hospital and three to work at the Bridgewater Memorial Hospital.

“And my hopes and dreams are, and I’m sure very other Nova Scotian, is to have a PA in their community,” he says.

Thibeault says the two main places he can see the benefit of physician assistants working in Nova Scotia are family practices and emergency rooms.

“And one of the things I always say, PAs can identify somebody that doesn’t need to go to an ER for minor issues. ERs are for emergencies and having PAs employed in family practices – walk-in clinics would be perfect – that would hopefully take some of the pressure off.”

Thibeault also says he would like to see a physician assistant education program in Nova Scotia.

“The Atlantic Canada provinces that provide medical faculties, [it] would be awesome if they could start a project and start a PA program like the other three universities in Canada. I would be more than happy to help out and get that going.”