Physician assistant expands care access for patients at Millbrook Health Centre

Adding a physician assistant to the care team at Millbrook Health Centre in Nova Scotia Health's Northern Zone has expanded access to care and created opportunities for more proactive patient follow-up.

When physician assistant Saren Labelle joined the practice in February after graduating from the first class of Dalhousie University's master of physician assistant studies program, she became an essential part of the clinic's collaborative approach to primary healthcare.

Working alongside family physician Dr. Beau Blois, Labelle cares for patients with less complex health concerns, allowing Blois to spend more time with patients who have more complex medical needs. They work closely together throughout the day, regularly discussing patients and coordinating their care.

"We're constantly communicating," Labelle said. "Every day looks a little different and that's one of the things I enjoy most about the role. We work together to make sure patients are getting the care they need. It's rewarding to be part of such a collaborative team."

Blois says Labelle's background has made her an especially strong fit for the Millbrook Health Centre.

Before becoming a physician assistant, Labelle worked as a social worker, bringing experience in relationship-building and patient advocacy that complements the team's approach to care.

"In a First Nations community, taking the time to build trust and relationships is incredibly important," Blois said. "Saren brings those skills to every patient interaction. She has a natural ability to connect with people and that has strengthened the care we provide."

Beyond increasing appointment availability, integrating Labelle into the practice has allowed the team to introduce new initiatives that were previously difficult to fit into a busy family practice schedule.

One example is a Hepatitis C screening program that Blois had wanted to establish for some time.

"It was something we knew would benefit our patients, but I just didn't have the capacity to make it happen," he said. "Adding the physician assistant role to the team gave us the opportunity to start that work."

The clinic has also introduced a process to review emergency department visits and proactively follow up with patients. Recognizing that it can be common for community members to leave the emergency department before being seen, Labelle reaches out to offer follow-up appointments at the health centre and ensure their health concerns are addressed.

In one case, Labelle followed up with a patient who had left the emergency department without being seen and encouraged them to come to the health centre for an assessment. The assessment confirmed the patient had experienced a heart attack.

"Without that follow-up, that patient’s outcome could have been very different," Blois said. "Having Saren as part of our team directly improves health outcomes."

Building relationships within the community has been one of the most rewarding parts of the role, Labelle said. "I've loved getting to know the patients and becoming part of the community,” she explained. “Having the time to listen, build those relationships and help connect people with the care they need has been incredible."

The result has been a more collaborative model of care for the Millbrook Health Centre team that is helping patients access the right care at the right time and allowing each member of the team to contribute their unique skills and expertise.

"Our patients have better access to care, they're able to spend more time with a member of the team and we're providing proactive care that wasn't possible before," Blois said. "It strengthened how we work together and ultimately led to better care for our patients.

I would absolutely encourage other physicians and practice teams who have the opportunity to integrate a physician assistant into their team to consider it."

Photo of (L-R) Saren Labelle stands with Dr. Beau Blois in front of Millbrook Health Centre in Millbrook, NS.