Fu Wu (Fred) Bai, Dr. Paeta Lehn and Eric Demers.Island Health
Peninsula News Review Staff Jan 14 2025
Two physician assistants have been hired to help in the emergency department
Two physician assistants have been hired by Saanich Peninsula Hospital to work in the emergency department as part of a pilot project for the province.
Medical professionals who work under a doctor’s supervision are known as physician assistants (PAs). Despite not having a medical degree, they receive training in the same medical model as doctors through a two-year graduate program.
Fred Bai began working as a physician assistant in Manitoba in 2012. He previously worked as a medical geneticist abroad and spent a number of years providing patient care as a registered nurse.
Eric Demers became a physician assistant in 2010 while serving with the Canadian Armed Forces. In addition to continuing to offer medical assistance to isolated First Nations communities in Canada’s northern regions, Demers will assist the Saan Pen emergency department team.
As part of a one-year pilot program authorized by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, Bai and Demers began their clinical shifts on Jan. 8.
“We’ve been excitedly waiting and working through the processes to have our physician assistants joining us,” said Dr. Brendon Irvine, medical director for Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands. “We plan to hire at least six physician assistants so that they can be present in our emergency department through our open hours as Saan Pen has had to reduce our night hours due to staffing challenges. We’re glad to have them here and look forward to their contribution.”
Irvine said this is the first time physician assistants have worked in British Columbia outside the military. The Canadian Armed Forces were the first to implement the physician assistant model in Canada in 1984. They were then incorporated into the country’s public health-care system in Manitoba in 2009 and Ontario in 2007 (first as clinical assistants in 1999 and then as PAs).
“We’re finally into the process and it’s out of our need for increasing human resource and supporting the demand of patient care, which has gone up incredibly, especially in our area.”
The director explains Saan Pen has had a huge increase in volume through the emergency room because of wait times and as such, has been trying to keep to reasonable wait times and getting patients through the department.
“The hospital’s nursing, laboratory and medical imaging departments, along with other employees who assist patients in navigating the emergency room, are all involved in the pilot program,” he added.
