Patient Safety

If a PA in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is seeing civilian patients in Alberta, they must register with CPSA.

To submit your Overseas Medical Attestation report, read through the information below and send your report to CPSA by email.

• The form submitted must contain the physician’s signature (a digital signature is acceptable).
  • The physician can follow the instructions outlined in the physician FAQ here.
• CPSA only reviews the medical form signed by the physician. It is not necessary to include additional pages.
  • CPSA’s role is to verify that the medical exam was performed by a physician licensed to practice in Alberta.
• Upon receipt of the medical report, CPSA will:
  • verify that the physician holds an active license to practice within Alberta and
  • affix our signature, stamp and seal the report.
• The medical report and documents will be returned via the provided email.
• CPSA aims to process the document and return it within 2 business days.

How to email your report to CPSA:

The forms can be emailed to Registration@cpsa.ab.ca. We will return the forms to the email address from which the initial forms were sent.

Additional information:

• CPSA is unable to attest other documents outside of the Overseas Medical Attestation.
• There is no charge for this service.

CPSA must have access to patient information and records to properly investigate a complaint, and the physician involved in the care outlined in the complaint must also have access to this information to respond to the complaint. When a complaint is filed, complainants are asked to consent to the access and release of applicable patient records and medical information.

Patient privacy is taken very seriously. Any health information gathered as part of a complaint investigation is done so in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Health Information Act.

Under the Health Professions Act, the Complaints Director is delegated broad authority with respect to the complaints process, including but not limited to:

• Determining what action to take when a complaint is received.
• Making recommendations regarding interim suspensions or interim practice conditions.
• Conducting investigations or appointing an investigator to conduct an investigation, and making a determination about the complaint based on the results.
• Preparing written reasons if a complaint is dismissed.
• Presenting evidence and making submissions to a Hearing Tribunal.
• Making submissions at an appeal to CPSA Council or to the Alberta Court of Appeal.

The Complaints Director is not available to respond to general complaint inquiries.

Concerns about the care provided by a physician assistant can be directed to CPSA as they fall under our regulation.

For questions or concerns about care provided by non-physicians and/or standards of accommodation received by a patient in a hospital, nursing home, non-hospital surgical facility or community program administered by, or under contract to, Alberta Health Services (AHS) or Covenant Health, contact AHS or Covenant Health, depending on the facility. If the concern is regarding a privately-owned facility, then please contact the management of the facility directly.

You may also contact the regulatory authority (e.g. Alberta College of Pharmacy for pharmacists, the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta for nurses) of an individual healthcare provider involved.