Shared Health spotlights physician assistants

Shared Health Manitoba is highlighting the growing impact of physician assistants (PAs) across the province, especially in rural communities where recruiting and retaining physicians remains a persistent challenge.

For Portage la Prairie PA Heidi Wilson, discovering the profession more than a decade ago was a turning point. After exploring multiple health-care paths, she found the emerging PA role offered the hands-on medical work she wanted without the extended training of medical school. Today, she spends most mornings assisting general surgery and ENT procedures at Portage District General Hospital, where she was the first PA hired in Southern Health.

“We all had to learn together,” Wilson said in a Shared Health release. “I love surgery and doing procedures … there’s nothing better.”

Working in a rural setting allows Wilson to support two specialties and shorten waits for patients who might otherwise travel to Winnipeg. Afternoons shift based on surgical demand, helping ease bottlenecks and allowing physicians to focus on complex cases. She credits the PA profession, and the University of Manitoba’s intensive two-year Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program, for giving her the flexibility to build a diverse career close to home.

“You don’t take your work home the same way a physician would,” she said. “I get great work-life balance.”

Wilson has also helped bring new services to Portage, including Manitoba’s first allergy testing program developed alongside a site ENT surgeon. “PAs are still paving their way in our health-care system,” she said. “This role has so much to offer.”

Across the province, Winnipeg PA Dan Fillion is seeing similar impact in mental health care. With eight years in psychiatry, he works in the Psychiatric Consultation Service in the Adult Emergency Department at the Health Sciences Centre, often supporting rural Manitobans who arrive in crisis.

“This area combines my biggest interests: psychiatry and emergency medicine,” he said. “I strive to provide compassionate care to patients arriving in crisis. It’s challenging but incredibly rewarding.”

Fillion originally trained as a physiotherapist before debating between medical school and the MPAS program. Choosing the PA route allowed him to stay in Manitoba, graduate quickly, and contribute directly to patient care. After joining the Adult Mental Health Program in 2017, he has become a consistent presence in HSC’s fast-paced emergency environment, helping assess patients, support treatment plans and manage high volumes.

“Our collaborative approach helps us respond rapidly to consultations,” he said. “I think my presence provides stability for both patients and our team.”

Shared Health says Manitoba’s use of PAs continues to expand, an encouraging sign for rural communities where staffing shortages can disrupt emergency, surgical, and mental-health services. Physician Assistants help increase daily patient capacity, reduce wait times, provide continuity when physician staffing shifts, support visiting specialists and add stability across clinical teams.

For Wilson, the benefits are clear.

“I’ve found the ‘more’ I was looking for,” she said. “More opportunity, more variety and the chance to make a real difference right here in my community.”

» Winnipeg Sun