Meet this year's Associate Member Representative

Each year, a Councillor is elected to Council from the Associate Members Register. Associate members include medical students, residents, physician assistants, and clinical assistants. An election for this seat was held in May and Christopher Barnes was re-elected for another term.                                  

Can you tell us about your career background as a Physician Assistant?

I am a graduate of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program through the University of Manitoba, Max Rady College of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. I am a nationally registered Canadian Certified Physician Assistant (CCPA) through the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) and the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) and I currently practice medicine with Ongomiizwin Health Services (OHS) throughout Northern Manitoba in various remote Indigenous communities.

Prior to completing my graduate degree in PA studies, I completed a Paramedic diploma (1999) and a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (2006). I worked as a paramedic and, concurrently, a registered nurse. Most of my clinical experience in my career was in northern/remote and urban EMS services and hospitals in Alberta, Manitoba, and Northwest Territories. I was also a critical care flight nurse in Nunavut for several years. Additionally, I was a paramedic educator at the Alberta Health & Safety Training Institute and a member of the Alberta College of Paramedics examination committee and a member in good standing at the Colleges of Registered Nurses of Alberta, Nunavut, and Manitoba.

After graduating from MPAS, I practiced medicine at the Victoria Hospital Emergency Department and continued there through the Manitoba healthcare transformation, then through the COVID-19 Pandemic and, subsequently, transitioned to my current role as an Independent Contractor (IC) with OHS through the University of Manitoba. I currently practice mostly in Northern Manitoba, Island Lakes region - most notably Garden Hill and St. Teresa Point. I also Locum at the Percy E Moore Hospital in the Interlake Region of Manitoba and continue as a casual through the Victoria Hospital.

Outside of clinical practice, I am an instructor and clinical preceptor for the MPAS program as a nil salary (NSA), I also hold an appointment on the Clinical Learning and Simulation Program Education Committee. Additionally, I have a passion for Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) and have completed the IP CORE- Acute Care & IP Diagnostic, MSK through the Department of Emergency Medicine at the U of M and hold certification through the Canadian Point of Care Ultrasound Society. Additionally, I am working on the Accelerated Remote Consultation Tele-PoCUS  in Cardiopulmonary Assessment (ARCTICA) Trial with Dr. Tom Jelic partnering with Queens University as well as other stakeholders.

I am very humbled to have been elected for a 3rd term as the elected Associate Member to the Council of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) and have worked on various working groups such as the episodic, walk-in and home visit working group and the Quality Prescribing Practices Working Group. I believe that  I have helped shape the practice of medicine in Manitoba through practice direction and standard of practice development.

In my spare time, I manage the Manitoba Society of Physician Assistants - a not-for-profit education & advocacy organization for Manitoba PAs. I was awarded the Tom Ashman CAPA PA of the Year in 2021 by my peers.

What made you want to join CPSM Council?

I have had an interest in governance and regulatory process and policy development since joining the Alberta College of Paramedics in 2002. Additionally, I am now into my third regulated health profession career so after a while, you realize how privileged we are to have the confidence of the public and society to be allowed to self-regulate. The public interest and public safety are crucial to a healthy and prosperous society and that is what I want for my children and my family. I realize that governance and regulatory college activities might not seem exciting or important to the day-to-day operations while in clinical work, but the larger framework that we all operate in, its intentions, goals, and safeguards are what allow us all to do what we do best; help people.

      Why do you think Associate Member representation is important in Council?

I believe representation by all associate members is important. PAs strive to provide high-quality, predictable, effective, and safe medical care to all Manitobans. PAs are uniquely positioned in the Manitoba healthcare system to fill gaps, improve quality, improve access, shorten emergency and surgical wait times and, in some cases, decrease costs to the system either directly or indirectly. This isn’t just my opinion, there are decades of evidence from the United Stated and more recently, Canadian data showing comparable contributions by PAs.

PAs impact the health and wellness of Manitobans at all levels and representation on CPSM council has been important to ensure the PA perspective is considered in matters of safety to the public. It is also a great way to educate the public Council members, physicians, and others that interact with the Council on the role of PAs and the impact PAs have on the healthcare system and the safety of the public.

What can you tell us about the role of PAs in the healthcare system? 

First, I want to share that PAs have been practicing in Manitoba for over 20 years and practice in almost every specialty in healthcare. Manitoba even has 1 PA currently practicing in Berens River that has been a PA for over 40 years. Manitoba is progressive regarding the role of PAs and this is reflected in [relatively] modern legislation through the RHPA and receives [i think] incredible support from the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba, the healthcare system, Physicians and other healthcare providers. There is a lot to improve, but I think that Manitoba is ready and willing.

Additionally, I want to acknowledge that many PAs work independently with high levels of autonomy in the CPSM Level 5 category. These PAs and many others are required to assess, diagnose, communicate, treat, and perform minor surgical procedures consistent with their Physician Supervisors and, in some cases, without the availability of on-site Physician resources. All CPSM registrants should consider this when they encounter a PA learner in their clinical practice. I encourage everyone to continue to support MPAS students with the same commitment shown to other medical learners.

What are some of the priorities or projects you look forward to being a part of on Council? 

I look forward to continuing my work on the CPSM General Council and the Central Standards Committee (CSC). The CSC specifically has been making excellent progress with area standards committees and its branches and the Quality Improvement Program has been fascinating to follow. CPSM registrants can be assured that the protection of the public and registrant education and standards of practice are top priorities.

Additionally, I am looking forward to continuing my work on the Quality Prescribing Rules working group. Among many items, updating Physician & Clinical Assistant Prescribing Practices has been an area of focus. I am looking forward to expanding PA/CL.A prescribing authority and increasing access to all Manitobans in the safest and most responsible way while not creating inequities in care provision and unnecessary duplication of administrative duties. I believe that the current Federal prescribing policy creates inequities in safe service delivery and negatively affects remote Indigenous Reserve Communities and resolving this is my top priority.