12 Feb PEIPA 2025 Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Global Access Pilot Project
The PEI Physiotherapy Association (PEIPA) is pleased to introduce a one-year pilot project, supported by Health Innovation Fund, aimed at providing pelvic floor physiotherapy services to uninsured and underinsured residents of PEI.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy is the gold standard of care for many pelvic floor conditions. The provision of physiotherapy for these issues has proven to improve quality of life, decrease the likelihood of development of chronic conditions and, in some cases, eliminate the need for surgical intervention. This specialized area of practice requires extensive additional training and special authorization from the PEI College of Physiotherapy.
Nine physiotherapy clinics located across Prince Edward Island with physiotherapists who have specialized training (and authorization) have agreed to participate in the provision of treatment for the following pelvic floor conditions:
- Urinary incontinence
- Emptying disorders of the bladder
- Faecal incontinence
- Emptying disorders of the bowel
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Sexual dysfunction
The process: If a patient is assessed and found to have one of the listed conditions, they can be referred to a participating clinic (listed on the back of the referral form) for an initial assessment and up to nine follow-up treatment session at no cost.
Inclusion criteria for the program are as follows:
- Patient has a valid PEI health card
- Patient has no or insufficient insurance coverage (or cannot afford their co-pay)
- Patient has an appropriate diagnosis from a physician or nurse practitioner (see above referenced list of diagnoses)
- Patient has not previously received pelvic floor physiotherapy for this condition
Please note: this pilot will run for one year with a tapered wrap up ending in March 2026. The anticipated limitation will be capacity of the clinics to keep up with the predicted influx of referrals.
Participating Clinics/Therapists:
- Tignish: Vital Balance Physiotherapy (Jennifer Bursey)
- Alberton: You Move Health and Wellness (Amy Irving)
- Summerside: Collective Health (Blythe Martin)
- Cornwall: PEI Pelvic and Breast Health (Paige Martin, Rebecca Arenburg)
- Charlottetown: Sports Centre Physiotherapy (Ashley Andrews)
- Charlottetown: Body Works PEI (Coreena Hughes)
- Charlottetown: Charlottetown Physiotherapy (Jenna Jo Cullen)
- Stratford: Reactive Health (Lana MacDonald)
- Montague: Reactive Health (Lana MacDonald)
If you have any questions, please reach out to the PEI Physiotherapy Association:
Sheila MacMurdo
President, PEIPA
peiphysiotherapy@gmail.com
Paige Martin
Private Practice Rep, PEIPA
paige@peipbh.com