RMH adds physician assistant
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Posted 3 months ago
Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) has been selected to participate in a two-year demonstration project that allows it to add a physician assistant to its emergency department.
Robert McDougall joined the hospital on Oct. 19.
Physician assistants are health professionals who support physicians in a range of health care settings, the hospital stated in a press release.
They have provided support to the Canadian Forces and have been an integral part of the U. S. health care system for more than 40 years, officials stated.
The activities of a physician assistant may include conducting patient interviews, taking medical histories, performing physical examinations, performing certain functions delegated to them by a physician and providing counseling on preventive health care.
RMH was one of the 20 Ontario hospitals chosen to take part in the new demonstration project.
"RMH is excited to participate in a pilot project using the skills of a physician assistant in the emergency department," said Dr. Ron Drury, chief of staff at the hospital.
"McDougall will be primarily assisting in the less acute areas in the emergency department and will be supported by emergency physicians. His experiences in management of lacerations and musculoskeletal injuries will hopefully reduce wait times and allow our physicians to devote more time to the sicker patients."
According to the press release, McDougall spent 25 years working as a physician assistant with the Canadian military.
He was responsible for caring for the soldiers with whom he was deployed, who were healthy and fit, but had also suffered from minor ailments and injuries.
McDougall has now retired from the military and is settling down with his family.
"I grew up in Beaverton; I came from this area," McDougall said in the press release. "I've had an awesome career with the military and now I think working as a physician assistant is a great way to give back to my community."
There are currently more than 60 physician assistants across the province in hospitals, community health centres, diabetes care and long-term care patient management centres.
