“Nov. 27 is National Physician Assistant Day, an important day to recognize the skills and knowledge of physician assistants and the contribution they make to enhance patient care for Albertans.
“Physician assistants have been part of health-care teams in the Canadian Armed Forces for years but are quite a new and welcome addition to Alberta’s publicly funded health-care system. As such, many Albertans may not be familiar with their extensive expertise.
“Physician assistants have clinical training in areas such as trauma and emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, general surgery, anesthesia and family medicine. Working under the supervision of doctors, they provide routine care, assessments, referrals and interventions and more – freeing doctors to provide care to more patients and spend more time with those who have complex health concerns.
“Last April, Alberta Health was proud to include physician assistants as a regulated health-care profession, requiring them to adhere to the highest standards of professional excellence, safety and ethics. Their inclusion provides Albertans with expanded access to health care with more highly trained health providers to address their needs, particularly in rural and remote areas.
“Regulating physician assistants allows these professionals to work to their full scope of practice, which increases the depth and capacity of hospitals and clinics by strengthening the delivery of team-based care. Physician assistants are now well integrated in Alberta’s health-care system and assist extensively in the delivery of care – from emergency and operating rooms to primary care clinics.
“Please join me in thanking Alberta’s physician assistants who provide high-quality, compassionate care across the province. They have played an important role in expanding access and capacity during the pandemic and work tirelessly to improve access to health services for every Albertan.”