Advanced Practice Provider, Orthopedics

Position Title

Advanced Practice Provider, Orthopedics

Job Description Summary

Orthopedic Spine Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant)

VHC Health - Arlington, VA Full-Time | Main Hospital Campus

VHC Health Orthopedic Spine Surgery is seeking a versatile Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner to provide coordinated care across three core settings: the outpatient clinic, the hospital or inpatient environment, and the operating room. The APP will flex among these responsibilities according to the surgical schedule, patient census, clinic access needs, team coverage, and service-line priorities.

Why VHC Health

VHC Health is a nationally recognized, independent health system known for clinical excellence, innovation, physician engagement, and exceptional patient outcomes.

Highlights include:

• Ranked among the top hospitals in Virginia and the Washington, DC metropolitan region by U.S. News & World Report

• Multiple "A" Hospital Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group

• CMS 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating

• Magnet® designation for nursing excellence

• Accredited with Commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC)

• Independent health system with strong physician leadership and administrative support

• Modern ambulatory and inpatient oncology infrastructure with continued investment in cancer services

• Located in Arlington, Virginia - consistently ranked among the best places to live in the United States with immediate access to Washington, DC

• At VHC Health, physician leaders have the opportunity to meaningfully influence strategy, operations, quality, and growth while practicing in a collaborative and highly respected clinical environment.

Position Overview

This position is designed for an APP who values variety, continuity, and team-based practice. The APP may lead an independent clinic session on one day, first assist in surgery on another, and support postoperative rounding and discharge coordination as needed. The position is a 1.0 FTE and includes rotating weekend rounding duties. Assignments will be planned and communicated by practice leadership, with expectations calibrated to the actual mix of duties.

Clinical Responsibilities

Outpatient Clinic

• Evaluate and manage new and established patients within scope, including assessment, education, care planning, nonoperative treatment, perioperative care, follow-up, referrals, testing, medications, and patient communications in collaboration with the physician.

• Maintain clinic productivity and efficient use of exam rooms while ensuring accurate documentation, orders, coding support, patient instructions, and timely escalation of urgent findings.

Outpatient Clinic Flow & Workflow Improvement

• Support daily clinic operations through workflow coordination, role clarification, room utilization, visit preparation, handoffs, and standardized process development.

• Identify and communicate workflow improvement opportunities while collaborating with leadership, IT/Epic, and operational teams on access planning, education, and practice optimization.

Inpatient & Observation Care

• Manage postoperative inpatient and observation patients through assessment, care coordination, order management, patient education, documentation, and communication with the surgeon.

• Support postoperative recovery, discharge planning, scheduled weekend coverage, and timely escalation of urgent clinical issues to ensure safe transitions of care.

Operating Room & First Assistance

• First assist in orthopedic spine procedures when appropriately credentialed and privileged, supporting surgical exposure, hemostasis, closure, and other delegated procedural activities within scope.

• Maintain sterile technique and effective team communication while participating in surgical safety processes, including time-outs, debriefs, and escalation of safety concerns.

Case Readiness & Perioperative Coordination

• Coordinate preoperative readiness by reviewing cases and ensuring required records, imaging, testing, clearances, equipment, implants, and documentation are addressed.

• Collaborate with surgical, anesthesia, nursing, clinic, and vendor teams to optimize case flow, prevent delays, complete perioperative documentation, and facilitate effective handoffs.

Cross-Setting Coverage & Continuity

• Deliver care across clinic, inpatient, and surgical settings while maintaining competency, communicating workload concerns, and ensuring seamless transitions of care.

• Support quality, safety, operational improvement, and staff development initiatives, including onboarding and education of team members.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner program.

• Current or eligible Virginia PA or APRN licensure, with national certification and prescriptive authority as applicable to the role.

• Current BLS certification; ACLS and other certifications as required by VHC policy or assigned duties.

• Eligibility for VHC medical staff credentialing and privileges appropriate to clinic, inpatient, and perioperative responsibilities, including first-assist privileges when required.

• Strong clinical judgment, communication, organization, adaptability, and ability to work effectively in a physician-led, team-based environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in orthopedic spine, neurosurgery, orthopedics, or another complex surgical specialty.

• Prior first-assist experience and experience with inpatient or observation care, discharge planning, and multidisciplinary perioperative coordination.

• Experience improving ambulatory or perioperative workflows, implementing standard work, or partnering with Epic/IT and practice operations.

• Demonstrated comfort shifting among clinical environments while maintaining dependable communication and follow-through.

Position Highlights

• Team-based practice

• Rotatinh between outpatient clinic, first assist in the OR, and inpatient rounding responsibilities

• Rotating weekend rounding duties

Compensation & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits

• Generous paid time off and CME allowance

• Retirement plan options

• Malpractice insurance with tail coverage

Job Description

Purpose & Scope:

A Physician Assistant (PA) employed by VHC Health Physicians ("Physician Group") is required to complete a PA Agreement with their Collaborating Physician(s). This PA Agreement will describe the PA's role and function of the PA, including but not limited to, number of patients, types of illnesses, nature of treatments, special procedures, the nature of physician's involvement, and the evaluation process. In addition, it will indicate the prescriptive authority of the PA and approval of invasive procedures authorized by the executed PA Agreement.

Overall, the PA will support objectives, budget, performance metrics and medical activities at an Individual level including implementation of quality control standards, risk management and compliance programs.

Education:

Graduation from an accredited Physician Assistant program required.

Experience:

One year of experience as a Physician Assistant preferred.

Certification/Licensure:

Licensed as a Physician Assistant by the Virginia Department of Health Professions required.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

• Received a 'High Performing' designation in U.S. News & World Report's 2024 list of maternity hospitals across the United States. This survey was based on factors most important to parents when choosing the hospital to deliver their baby.
• Received a top ranking in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals list for 2023-2024. The report ranked hospitals in 15 adult specialties as well as national and regional rankings. VHC Health is proud to be ranked second in Northern Virginia, 4th in the Washington, DC metro region, and 5th in the Commonwealth of Virginia, out of 121 hospitals ranked
• Received an "A" grade in the spring of 2024 in the Leapfrog Group's ranking for hospitals. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade gives 3,000 "general acute-care hospitals" a grade based on certain measures surrounding patient safety.
• VHC Health ranked as one of the top hospitals in the region , according to the prestigious annual rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. VHC Health tied for fourth place alongside George Washington University Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine-Sibley Memorial Hospital.
• VHC Health's Outpatient Pavilion Parking Garage has been awarded the prestigious International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI) 2024 Apex Award for Stand-Alone Facility Design .
• VHC Health ranks as Best-in-State for 2024 in Virginia by Newsweek . The first ranking of its kind, this survey ranked the leading hospitals in the United States based on four data sources. VHC Health ranked as #5 in Virginia and was in the top three in the Washington, DC, metro region.
• VHC Health received 5 stars (the highest) in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's Quality rating . We were one of only 381 hospitals nationwide to achieve the prestigious five-star rating.
• The Commonwealth of Virginia renewed VHC Health's 2021 accreditation as a Level II Trauma Center . This underscores the hospital's commitment to excellence as a community provider of comprehensive medical services and to acutely injured patients.
• VHC Health's cancer program received Accreditation with Commendation from the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer Accreditation. This recognition demonstrates VHC Health's dedication to providing our community with the highest quality cancer care.

OUR COMMUNITY

• Living in Northern Virginia, one of the best places to live near D.C., you can have it all: a lucrative job at a forward-thinking company - plus access to the country's greatest historical sites, a bustling café culture, active nightlife and concert going, a thriving wine region, seven professional sports teams, and a mild four-season climate with year-round kayaking, biking, and hiking. We offer some of the best public and private schools in the nation and access to 60 colleges and universities. In fact, we are the most educated region in the country. Here, there are no compromises. NOVA is one of the best places to live and work in the country.
• Arlington is home to the Pentagon, and the Arlington National Cemetery.
• Home to more than 100 U.S. and global corporate headquarters, including the 6th highest number of Fortune 500 companies.
• Northern Virginia is one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in the United States
• Fairfax County has many of the highest ranking schools in the nation according to U.S. News and World Reports.
• Arlington County also offers outstanding schools - about 94 percent of all graduating high school seniors in Arlington go on to attend college.
• Two major airports with direct flights to 109 domestic and 60 international destinations.
• Northern Virginia has many recreational and community amenities including: over 89 miles of biking/jogging trails, 167 public parks, approximately 14 community centers, 7 live stage theaters, 8 libraries, and 652 restaurants.
• Minutes to the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Museums, Tyson's Corner, and Wolftrap National Park for the Performing Arts
• Whether you choose to live in Arlington County, Fairfax County, City of Alexandria or in any of the other great areas in the DC area, you will have little problem in finding a location that is right for you.

We look forward to hearing from qualified candidates interested in joining us in a highly collegial environment where the patient is at the center of what we do.

Additional Job Description

At VHC Health, every role contributes to exceptional care, better outcomes, and stronger communities.

In addition to your base compensation, VHC Health offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage (subject to eligibility requirements), as well as additional wellness and retirement benefits designed to support our employees and their families.

VHC Health is committed to wage transparency and equitable pay practices. The compensation offered for this position-whether expressed as an annual salary or hourly rate-is determined based on a variety of legitimate, non-discriminatory factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, a candidate's qualifications, relevant training and experience, skill level, shift differentials (where applicable), internal equity, and current market conditions.

The posted hiring range reflects the range VHC Health, in good faith, believes is appropriate for this role at the time of posting. This range may be adjusted in the future based on business needs or market changes. No portion of compensation is considered earned until it is vested and determined in accordance with the terms of applicable policies and benefit plans. The availability and amount of any bonuses, incentives, or other benefits are subject to the terms of those plans and may be modified at the sole discretion of VHC Health, in accordance with applicable law.

VHC Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, pregnancy (including childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions and lactation), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristics protected by law.

VHC Health maintains a drug-free workplace. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited at all VHC Health locations.