British Columbia, The BC Minister of Health has recently engaged in the budget estimates process, these conversations included discussing the integration of Physician Assistants (PAs) into the British Columbia healthcare system. The debate included Physician Assistants on April 26 and 27, with questions raised by both the BC United representatives and the leader of the 3rd Party.
Shirley Bond, Opposition Critic on Health for BC United and MLA for Prince George- Valemount, asked the Minister if he would commit to introducing physician assistants in British Columbia. Minister Dix confirmed that the College of Physicians and Surgeons is working on licensing and regulation, while also noting that the number of available Physician Assistants was limited due to a lack of training programs in Canada and none in BC.
In response to the Minister’s remarks, Lisa Stewart, BC Director of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA), stated, “The PA profession is constantly expanding with the number of employment opportunities rising within provinces… that new post-secondary masters’ programs are being created and introduced to some of Canada’s top-leading universities like the University of Calgary. Training spots are also being added to existing programs such as the University of Toronto, McMaster, and the University of Manitoba.” She emphasized the positive impact PAs have on Canadian healthcare systems and the potential to fulfill demand for PAs as more universities create training programs.
Paul Adams, Executive Director of the BC Rural Health Network, has been working with communities seeking the integration of Physician Assistants into their healthcare services. He acknowledged the limited availability of PAs but emphasized their readiness to work in under-resourced areas. Adams stated, “30 or 40 PAs could significantly impact both Primary and Acute care provision in several locations… Adding trained resources that are ready to deploy, especially those that are keen to work in smaller and more remote locations, just makes sense.”
On April 27, Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the BC Green Party, asked the Minister about the role of PAs in team-based care and Community Health Centre (CHC) developments. The Minister reiterated that the licensing and regulation of Physician Assistants is currently being addressed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC).
Dr. Heidi Oetter, Registrar and CEO of CPSBC, confirmed that they are in the early stages of policy work with the Ministry of Health on this matter.
The BC Rural Health Network and the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants are both delighted with the initiation of licensing and regulation of PAs and look forward to the progress made toward integrating PAs into the healthcare team in British Columbia. Lisa Stewart concluded, “Considering national medical staff shortages, adequate care can be practically non-existent in rural and remote areas. This is where PAs can help.”
