SABI Specialist Series: Medical Director Dr. Craig Pearce
An ongoing series that highlights the specialists who make up the multidisciplinary team behind the SABI Mind Method.
Born and raised in Calgary, SABI Medical Director Dr. Pearce is an anesthesiologist, clinical researcher, and Medical Cannabis consultant. He completed his medical degree and residency in Anesthesia at the University of Calgary shortly after completing a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology and Pharmacology.
Currently serving as the President of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), Dr. Pearce’s experience and expertise at both an administrative and a clinical level put him in a unique position to understand the value of a multidisciplinary approach.
"What role does your specialization play in our healing phases at SABI Mind?"
Dr. Pearce - Anesthesiologists specialize in pharmacology, anesthesia care, pain management, and critical care medicine. No other physicians have as much experience in understanding and administering ketamine as an anesthesiologist does, let alone managing its potential adverse effects. As such, we are uniquely specialized, trained, and experienced in administering this drug. I am very excited to be using this anesthetic in a novel, incredibly innovative, and life-saving manner.
"In your own words, what advantage does the SABI Mind Multidisciplinary approach provide to clients?"
Dr. Pearce - Multidisciplinary care teams are becoming increasingly popular and effective models in many patient care areas. One of the fundamental goals of these teams is to provide highly individualized care to patients suffering from chronic or debilitating health conditions. This approach also affords better communication between each specialized health care team member about the patient.
The result is a more comprehensive and cohesive approach to the patient’s needs and aspects of care. Here at SABI, our team is comprised of patient experience specialists, registered nurses, social workers, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, chronic pain specialists, and anesthesiologists. Our healthcare professionals can also collaborate with the patient’s preexisting healthcare team, such as their family physicians, therapists, or chronic pain specialists, along the way. As such, our multi-disciplinary team allows us to treat the entire patient and provide comprehensive and collaborative care.
"Why choose SABI Mind as a place to work given your specialization?
Dr. Pearce - Anesthesiologists are often unsung heroes in the world of perioperative medicine. Patients will meet us before their surgery, and despite being with them for the entire duration, we will never really be known or remembered. We will also likely never see the patient again. We often surrender the continuity of care that exists in many other areas of health care in the practice of Anesthesia. I use Ketamine in the Operating Rooms almost daily for sedation and anesthesia, but working at SABI allows me to use this anesthetic drug in an entirely new and exciting way without putting a patient off to sleep.
Most importantly, it allows me the opportunity to be involved with the patient for the duration of therapy and gives me back that continuity of care I miss in my hospital practice.
What makes me most passionate about being involved with SABI and our ketamine-assisted psychotherapy model is the opportunity to provide greater access to care for patients who are suffering from treatment-resistant disorders, such as severe depression or PTSD. It is not uncommon for these types of patients to have no other treatment recourse other than Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or ‘shock’ therapy, as it is often called. While seemingly archaic and primitive, it is a highly effective therapy. Unfortunately, it is often accompanied by adverse effects, which might complicate a patient’s stay.
Further, each treatment requires a hospital admission and a general anesthetic for the patient. Finally, there are a finite number of appointments available for these in-hospital treatments, and each treatment requires a team of healthcare professionals.
In summary, this adds up to limited access to patients who may be suffering from chronic pain or severe depression. At SABI, our model provides greater and easier access to much less invasive therapies with potentially significant therapeutic benefits. Also, each member of our multidisciplinary team will have continuity of care with the patient and work with them along the way.
