The Manitoba government has met its commitment to hire 50 physician assistants in communities across the province, Health Minister Sharon Blady announced.
“Physician assistants improve access to health-care services for Manitoba families by providing quality care and allowing physicians to focus on more complex patient needs,” said Minister Blady. “Manitoba has been a leader in developing educational opportunities for physician assistants, and I’m excited we’ve been able to provide job opportunities for these highly skilled health-care professionals to ensure quality care for Manitobans.”
This year, new positions were created and 11 program graduates were hired to ensure more timely access to team-based care for families, the minister said. This will allow more physician assistants to join Manitoba’s health-care teams, helping patients access the care they need more quickly, she added.
Every year, up to 12 candidates are accepted into the University of Manitoba’s first-in-Canada Physician Assistant Education Program, a two-year graduate program that includes learning in clinical settings as well as the classroom.
Physician assistants work with physicians and are trained to perform a wide range of services including patient exams, ordering diagnostic tests, undertaking minor procedures, and prescribing needed medications and treatments.
“Our organization is proud to be the voice of physician and clinical assistants in the province,” said Trevor Stone, president, Physician and Clinical Assistants of Manitoba Inc., and president, prairie chapter, Canadian Association of Physician Assistants. “We’re excited to be a part of the growth of the profession in Canada, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all Manitobans for allowing us to be part of their health-care team.”
Physician assistants currently work in a variety of areas across Manitoba’s health-care system including primary care, emergency medicine, oncology, rehabilitation medicine and internal medicine, as well as general, orthopedic, plastic, cardiac, vascular and neurosurgery.
