Physician Assistant - Gastroenterology

Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as best in the Columbia Metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Health delivers more than 4,000 babies each year, performs more than 34,000 surgeries annually and is the region's third largest employer. Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state’s first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer’s care center. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.

Job Summary

Assesses the physical and psychosocial status of patients by means of interview, health history, physical examination and diagnostic tests. Interprets the data, develops and implements a plan of treatment, follows through on a continuum of patient care across the health‑illness continuum and life span within protocols set forth and approved by both the Physician Assistant and Physicians. Provides a wide spectrum of direct health care services to patients of all ages under the supervision of a licensed physician.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university. Minimum Years of Experience: None. Substitutable Education & Experience: None. Required Certifications/Licensure: Approved South Carolina state licensing through a local medical licensing office and/or board of Medical Examiners. Required Training: Successful completion of a course of study or training approved by an accredited medical body such as CAHEA, American Medical Association, or the Association of Medical Colleges; CPR, BLS.

Essential Functions

• Responsive to all patients and office staff requests and needs.
• Documents all situations, both internally and externally, that may arise out of the ordinary or are necessary to maintain accurate patient charts/records.
• Helps maintain the work area in a neat and orderly fashion. Responsible for keeping supplies necessary to perform the job duties.
• Provides diagnosis and treatment of common acute illnesses; prevention and maintenance health care to patients with stable chronic illnesses; and performs interim physical examinations for healthy patients within prescribed guidelines:
  • Elicits appropriate present and past medical history and review of systems.
  • Performs appropriate physical examination and orders appropriate diagnostic studies.
  • Discriminates between normal and abnormal findings in history and physical.
  • Establishes appropriate differential diagnosis.
  • Assesses stability of chronic illness and compliance with present therapy; monitors for complications of disease or therapy.
  • Establishes appropriate treatment plan. Assesses need for hospitalization or physician intervention.
  • Determines timing for follow‑up and orders appropriate referrals.
  • Counsels regarding health maintenance and disease prevention, and provides anticipatory guidance as appropriate.
• Provides health education to patients about ways to improve, promote, and maintain their health status, including but not limited to providing educational information on disease/disease processes, self‑care practices, and positive lifestyle choices (i.e. diabetes, safe sex, weight loss, smoking cessation, etc.).
• Indicates, designs, and completes educational programs for patients, families, and targeted audiences.
• Maintains accurate records, medication lists, and documentation of care and follow‑up for administrative purposes and reimbursement of services.
• Adheres to agreed‑upon format/protocol for documentation or records.
• Maintains appropriate level of documentation to promote/support level of complexity when compared against/to service fee charges.
• Reviews and updates problem list at least on annual visit/episodic visit by patient and initiates problem and medication lists on new patients seen.
• Documents telephone calls with patients and specialists.
• Documents visit in concise, clear, logical, and legible manner.
• Participates in a variety of educational activities in order to maintain and increase competency.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Uses continuing education opportunities as a basis for expanding medical knowledge and improving clinical skills, and incorporates these into the daily practice of medicine.
• Participates in developing, implementing, and interpreting quality assurance/risk management programs.
• Supervises and intervenes with clinical issues and supports/directs triage by clinical staff when necessary. Implements clinical education and training or clinical staff when necessary.
• Provides in‑services and clinical education for staff members on an “as needed” basis.
• Is available for feedback on call‑back and triage issues as needed.
• Identifies barriers to patient care flow or delivery, and assists at formulating corrective action.
• Prescribes within the practice agreement set forth by supervising physicians 100% of the time.
• Ensures updated and accurate practice agreement every 2 years as set forth in rules and regulations for prescribing authority.
• Demonstrates regard for the dignity and respect for all patients, their families, guests, and representatives of other organizations as well as fellow employees, volunteers, and medical staff in support of the practice’s mission to provide consistent, quality health care services in a professional, caring, and responsive environment.
• Demonstrates responsibility for individual performance and efficient utilization of products, supplies, equipment, and time to ensure the timely completion of duties and to promote financial viability through provision of services at a reasonable cost.
• Provides proper notification for all absences or tardiness, scheduled shift and scheduled time off in accordance with company policy.
• Employee follows established safety precautions and procedures in the performance of all duties in order to ensure a safe environment
• Demonstrates a complete knowledge of body mechanics by consistent use in the work setting as evidenced by no injuries sustained as a result of improper body mechanics in the evaluation period.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by authorized personnel or as required in an emergency, e.g., fire or disaster.

We are committed to offering quality, cost‑effective benefits choices for our employees and their families:

• Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
• Employer paid life insurance – equal to 1x salary
• Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
• Adoption assistance
• LHI provides its full‑time employees employer paid short‑term disability and long‑term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
• Student loan forgiveness

Equal Opportunity Employer It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination‑free environment, and to recruit, select, on‑board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee’s desires and abilities and the hospital’s needs.