Physician Assistant

Physician Assistant (Hand Ortho/Surgical) - OPA Lake Otis - Anchorage, Alaska

Orthopedic Physicians Alaska seeks a highly skilled, dedicated and professional Physician Assistant (Ortho/Surgical) to join our rapidly growing and dynamic team. At OPA, employees enjoy work-life balance, competitive salaries, and comprehensive medical, dental, FSA or HSA, life, and disability insurance, as well as profit sharing, 401(k), and paid time off starting at three weeks per year.

OPA fosters a strong working and learning relationship with our physician assistants. We take a keen interest in our continued staff education and development. OPA leads the way in continued learning, including PA/physician mentorship, educational in-services and generous continuing education including CE leave.

The Orthopedic Surgical PA is responsible for practicing medicine with physician supervision including conducting examinations and writing prescriptions. Within the physician/physician assistant (PA) relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. Practice is restricted to orthopedic subspecialty as well as orthopedic surgery and surgical assists. May include responsibility for administrative duties and includes additional duties and parameters of specific individual contract and/or continuing education requirements.

Representative duties:

• Conduct physical exams, assesses health status, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, and treat illnesses and conditions including giving injections and suturing wounds.
• Consults with physicians as needed and refers to physicians for more complicated medical cases or cases that are not a routine part of a PA's scope of work.
• Monitor therapies and provide continuity of care.
• Triage patient calls and evaluate patient problems.
• Responds to emergencies including use of CPR.
• Counsel patient/family on preventive health care.
• Document patient information and care in medical record.
• First assist in assigned provider's surgery cases.
• Participate in occasional patient rounding.
• Serve appointed rounds in Walk in clinic.

Knowledge and skill requirements:

• Understand role of physicians and physician assistants.
• Familiar with anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis.
• Able to apply patient assessment techniques including taking medical histories, performing physicals, evaluating health status including state of wellness, and compliance with care recommendations.
• Able to diagnose and treat medical problems and develop care plans.
• Able to gather and analyze physiological, socioeconomic, and emotional patient data.
• Accurately evaluate patient problems in person or via phone and provide appropriate advice, intervention, or referral.
• Skill in developing/revising patient care plans based on patient status.
• Able to make responsible decisions within scope of PA practice.
• Able to collaborate effectively with physicians on complicated cases.
• Able to educate patients, families, and staff in a user-friendly manner.
• Able to demonstrate eye–hand coordination, full range of motion, and manual dexterity.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and successful completion of accredited physician assistant program
• Four (4) years of health care experience prior to applying to PA program
• One (1) year of experience as PA, preferably in a hand clinical setting.
• Must have surgery experience.
• National PA-C certification

Candidates meeting the above skills and qualifications and desiring to be part of a patient-centered, professional environment are invited to apply.

The mission of OrthoAlaska, Orthopedic Physicians Alaska division is to provide the finest orthopedic surgery and musculoskeletal care in North America through quality, patient-centered care. Each of our physicians and surgeons works in concert with a certified orthopedic surgical physician assistant and other staff to provide patients an individualized care-team experience. Currently, we have offices in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Eagle River.

Employees enjoy opportunities for professional growth in a collaborative environment and exposure to a full range of orthopedic care with orthopedic, injury walk-in, and rheumatology clinics, an imaging center, athletic training and physical, occupational and massage therapy.

OPA values quality, patient-centered care, personal fulfillment through continuous improvement, team development, and community service. We welcome applicants who embrace our same core values and possess a daily renewed attitude of excellence.

OPA benefits include health and dental insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) and profit sharing, as well as paid time off.

OrthoAlaska is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, pregnancy, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected categories.