P.E.I. needs to work to attract physician assistants, association says

It may be a while before P.E.I. sees any physician assistants (PAs) actively working in the province.

PAs work under the supervision of a doctor and can assess and treat common ailments in areas like orthopedics and emergency medicine. 

Last month, the provincial government announced changes allowing PAs and associate physicians to be licensed and practice on the Island. 

But the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants warns that with only around 80 graduates a year from the necessary two-year program, PAs are in short supply.

"If you're not from the Maritimes or don't have any ties here, then you might look to more densely populated areas," said Erin Sephton, the association's director for P.E.I.

"That will be very interesting for the province, to see how they can entice and keep their PAs."

There are currently three post-secondary institutions in Canada that offer the program required for someone to become a licensed physician assistant, two in Ontario and one in Manitoba. 

Sephton said she's hoping the yearly number of graduates to climb to about 200 in the future, with new programs being offered at the University of Calgary and Dalhousie University.

P.E.I. has no PAs yet, but some are working with the Canadian Armed Forces across the country.

Sephton said having consistent regulations will help attract some.

"By regulating the profession before introducing them, you're ensuring that when we are ready to have PAs, there's an accountability framework, there's a standardization," she said.

"That way, when you're ready to hire physician assistants, they can really hit the ground running and work to their full scope of practice."

'A step in the right direction'

Sephton said PAs are vital to health care, especially in places like P.E.I. where resources are stretched.

"You're allowing the safe delivery of efficient patient care," she said. "You're helping your physicians not only with the workload, but also with being able to expand your reach of patients you can see."

In an email, Health P.E.I. told CBC News there's been a "good number" of internationally trained doctos interested in physician assistant and associate physician roles. It said it's hopeful PAs will come to the Island.

"It's early days yet, but I would say that the interest has been positive," a spokesperson said in the email. "As we get more details, we will be in a better position to support the recruitment of these new professions."

While Sephton said they won't fix all the problems in the province's health care system, she thinks having PAs is a "step in the right direction."