Physician Assistant

divh2Physician Assistant/h2pThe Physician Assistant (PA) plays a vital support role in our organization. In general, this individual is responsible for providing professional patient care and assistance to the Physician/Surgeon and the clinical staff. The Physician Assistant will be primarily involved with direct patient care in support of the physicians of the practice. Assists the physician in the outpatient clinic and hospital settings following protocols established by the physician and written practice guidelines to facilitate effective medical care and patient safety. The person in this position functions in the multiple settings (operating room, clinic) under the supervision of their assigned physician; may perform activities which involve an initial evaluation and treatment of the patients condition, as defined in the scope of the State of Illinois standards and the Physician Assistant Practice Act./ph3Responsibilities/h3pHospital/Surgical Center Responsibilities (as applicable)/pulliAssist the Surgeon by rounding on patients in the hospital as directed./liliPerforms hospital consults as directed/liliAssists the surgeon with major and minor surgical procedures in the operating room./liliPositions, preps and drapes the patient, as needed./liliCloses surgical wounds and performs post-operative wound care/liliApplies dressings, casts, splint brace, abduction pillows, etc./liliPerforms minor surgical procedures within scope of licensure./liliPerforms and/or assists with patient traction, adjustment, realignment and removal of traction./liliResponsible for coordinating patient care between the office and the hospital, writing orders for surgical patients both pre and post operatively, and reporting the condition of care of hospitalized patients to the physician./liliCoordinates patient discharge: prescriptions, discharge instructions, discharge summary, patient education/liliEnsure operative reports are dictated no later than 48 hours after procedure/liliParticipates in on-call activities assigned by the physician according to the medical center policy on allied health./li/ulpOffice/pulliSees patients in the clinic both independently and with supervision. Dictates clinic progress notes. Orders appropriate tests and develops patient treatment plans with physician approval./liliDictates HPs, consultations and discharge summaries./liliPerforms joint aspirations/injections./liliInterprets x-rays./liliApplies casts, splints, braces, etc. under supervision of the physician./liliRemoves staples, sutures, drains, etc./liliAssists in fielding/triaging physician calls./liliReviews lab results, x-rays, and MRI/CT results prior to entering patient exam room/liliConfers with physician regarding new patient findings and potential diagnosis and treatment./liliAdministers therapeutic injections and performs minor procedures as needed/liliReviews pre-operative instructions and explains the surgical process to patients who are about to have surgery/liliProvides diagnosis and treatment services to established patients and postoperative patients/liliPrescribes medications, treatments, in accordance with physician protocols and ensures that all prescriptions and required notes are in patients medical record/liliFormulates and updates patient care plans; consults with physician as needed/liliOrders pre-operative tests, CT scans, and MRIs, and documents, utilizing the EHR software/liliFollows applicable ICD 10 and billing guidelines./liliReturns patient phone messages at designated times throughout the day; follow through with appropriate action; documents action taken in patient chart/li/ulh3Scope of Privileges/h3pUnder the direct supervision of the sponsoring attending physician, the physician assistant (PA) may perform the following activities:/ppPatient Care/pulliPerforms initial and on-going clinical assessment of patients./liliObtains medical history and performs physical examination (countersigned by sponsoring/attending physician)./liliDevelops treatment plans./liliPerforms basic patient care services including wound assessment, dressing change, suture removal./liliPerforms minor procedures such as application of cast or splint, reduction of displaced fracture, suturing deep and superficial structures, joint injection./liliPerforms additional procedures such as placement of traction pins, setting up traction, reduction of dislocated prosthesis (hip, knee, shoulder)./li/ulpSurgical Assistance/pulliObtains preoperative history and performs physical examination of patient./liliFunctions as first or second assistant in the operating room on primary or incidental procedures for which the sponsoring/attending physician is approved./liliProvides preoperative and postoperative education to patient and family./li/ulpMedical Record Documentation/pulliWrites orders for treatment and diagnostic tests at the direction and co-signature of the sponsoring/attending physician./liliWrites orders for medications categorized as Schedule III, IV and V controlled substances, as defined in Article II of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act./liliDictates reports (e.g. History and Physical, Operative Notes, Discharge Summary)/li/ulpPerforms other duties within the guidelines per department and hospital policy within normal scope and characteristics of the sponsoring/attending physicians practice and current clinical privileges./ph3Work Environment/h3ulliPosition requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, as well as manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination./liliEmployees will occasionally be asked to lift and carry items weighing up to 30 pounds. Position requires lifting associated with patient transfers (up to 50 lbs.)/liliNormal visual acuity and hearing are required./liliThe employee will work under stressful conditions and work irregular hours./liliThe employee will be exposed to bodily fluids on a regular basis./liliThe employee will have frequent exposure to communicable diseases, blood-borne pathogens, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medicinal preparations and other conditions common to a clinical environment./liliTravel to all associated hospitals and/or facilities/li/ulh3Requirements/h3pEducational Requirements/pulliGraduate of an accredited physician assistant program with completed residency./liliPhysician Assistant IL state licensure up to date/liliTraining in orthopedic care preferred/liliMasters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies./liliActive Certification from NCCPA/liliActive Licensure as Physicians Assistant in the State of Illinois/liliACLS desirable; current CPR required/li/ulpQualifications and Experience/pulliAt least two years of experience in a physician office or hospital preferred./liliAbility to make independent decisions about patient care/liliHistory of exhibited competence, judgment, stability and professional integrity./liliExperience assisting physicians in surgery/liliExperience diagnosing and treating patients/liliWorking knowledge of managed care basics, and experience working with a managed care and Medicare population/liliKnowledge of practice management and EHR software/liliAble to lift and assist patients, as needed./liliMust be a self-starter, highly organized with good time management skills./liliAble to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment./liliCommunicate effectively verbally and in writing to document/record information./liliStrong interpersonal skills, able to work well and communicate professionally with physicians, patients and staff in all levels in the organization./liliAble to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others and maintain them over time./liliCapable of prioritizing and organizing information to achieve a smooth flow of tasks in the office./liliAbility to interpret and explain an extensive variety of instructions. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions./liliUses logic and reasoning to identify the strength and weaknesses of alternate solutions or approaches to a problem./liliUse good judgment to determine if a problem requires consultation, referral or evaluation by the Supervising Physician or other health care professional./li/ulpBase salary offers for this position may vary based on factors such as location, skills and relevant experience. We offer the following benefits to those who are benefit eligible (30+ hours a week): medical, dental, vision, life and ADD insurance, long and short term disability, 401k program with company match and profit sharing, wellness program, health savings accounts, flexible savings accounts, ID protection plan and accident, critical illness and hospital benefits./p/div