Physician Assistant (Spine Surgery)

Physician Assistant (Spine Surgery) - (3245330) GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT: Under the supervision and direction of the Orthopaedic Department, Physician Chief, and APP Clinical Director, the Physician Assistant (PA) is responsible for the care of the Orthopaedic Spine patient population in the outpatient setting and coordinates overall care to enhance the patient surgical experience (inpatient, outpatient, postop, surveillance). The PA will practice in accordance with the rules, regulations and standards issued by the state and federal governing boards, including the American Academy of Physician Assistants (PAs) and the National Commission on Certification of PAs. PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides direct care, counseling, and teaching to the Spine patient population. Functions independently in own clinic. Assists all spine surgeons with the management of their patients and organization/workflow of clinics. Performs complete histories and physical examinations on new, established, preop, postop patients. Orders, interprets, and evaluates appropriate laboratory and diagnostic tests. Develops appropriate plans of care and follow-up based on the outcomes of diagnostic, laboratory, and physical examination findings. Consults with supervising physician/other spine surgeons regarding abnormal findings outside of scope of practice. Prescribes medications and narcotics as necessary according to organizational and state/federal regulatory policies and procedures. Initiates consultations and referrals for patients. Obtains preoperative surgical consents; confirms laterality and abides by all hospital consent guidelines. Performs surgical optimization/education for patient and family, reinforcing the surgical plan presented by the attending physician. Orders necessary preoperative diagnostic tests (MRSA/MSSA, COVID test), imaging, consultations, and procedures as indicated or requested by the attending physician to prevent delay with surgical procedure, which also includes obtaining medical clearance and instruction regarding medications/anticoagulation prior to surgery. Performs first assist role when the need arises with any spine surgeon. Sees patients in clinic for urgent issues Provides symptom management for spine patients; surgical and nonoperative. Manage is high volume of patient calls, Patient Gateway messages, emails and completes all outpatient clinical forms (FMLA, insurance disability, hardship needs). Obtains prior authorizations for surgery, scans, medications, DME and other procedures as necessary Consistently provides high quality and timely documentation of clinic visits, admission and progress notes, procedure notes, and e-mail/phone conversations. Contributes to patient presentation in clinic, weekly indications conference, and multi-disciplinary meeting/conferences as necessary. Identifies patients appropriate for division research studies and obtains consents after completion of Citi Training. Practices cost effective medicine in an efficient manner, maximizing available resources. Discusses patient data with other physicians and professionals as appropriate in a multidisciplinary setting. Maintains communication with all inpatient staff (APPs, case management, OT/PT, consults) and all involved in the transition of patient care (skilled facility, VNA, PCP, referring physicians). Provides an environment for effective patient/family centric care. Demonstrates expert clinical judgment skills to function in an independent role. Additional duties and responsibilities as required by the department/division. Demonstrates professional collaborative and consultative relationships with inpatient Spine APP colleagues and other multidisciplinary providers. Participates in departmental and organizational committees and programs as appropriate and attends all required meetings, in-services, and professional trainings. Maintains superior interpersonal and communication skills as a member of the healthcare team to collaborate effectively with patients, families, staff, and community health workers. Remains actively involved in continuing education with a commitment to self and departmental growth. Adheres to all established safety policies, procedures, and precautions; identifies potential or actual unsafe situations in the environment and takes measures to rectify the situation. Demonstrates understanding of procedures, policies, and documentation required to ensure compliance with hospital standards of care. SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED: Must have the ability to work in a high stress, dynamic, acute clinical setting with changing organizational climate. Must have the ability to be self-directive and to demonstrate initiative in addressing the responsibilities of the position. Must have the ability to utilize appropriate problem-solving and conflict resolution skills. Must excel in effective and positive communications with patients, families, staff nurses, case managers, surgeons, trainees, support staff, and many interdisciplinary providers. Must be energetic and quality driven and have a proven ability to be a productive member of a team dedicated to providing optimal patient care. Must be proficient with MGH computer systems as needed to independently perform daily tasks (Epic preferred). Holds self and colleagues accountable to learn, develop and achieve the best and highest quality results. Treats colleagues with respect. Must maintain the highest degree of professional judgment under the collaborating supervising physician and Director of Orthopaedic APPs. WORKING CONDITIONS: Possible exposure to potentially infective material. Work may require contact with needles and other sharp instruments, electric-cautery devices, monitoring devices, and other state-of-the-art equipment. Prolonged standing can be expected. Walking to and from the patient care units can be expected. Hazards present from exposure to combustible anesthetic or disinfecting agents are minimized when safety precautions are strictly adhered. The appropriate candidate will have successfully completed a graduate level physician assistant program (Master’s degree) accredited by the Accreditation and Review Committee for Physician Assistants (ARC-PA) or such other accrediting agency as may qualify a graduate to sit for the NCCPA certifying examination. Certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) must be obtained prior to first day of employment. Must hold a current valid license or be eligible for licensure as a physician assistant in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Must have or eligible for, and maintain, a current DEA registration and Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration. Must complete 100 hours of CME according to national and state regulations during each two year period of employment. In addition, PA must demonstrate continued competence by passing a re-certification exam every ten years. Qualified in all basic and advanced cardiac life support standards as established by the American Heart Association. EEO Statement Massachusetts General Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. Applications from protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged. Primary Location MA-Boston-MGH Main Campus Work Locations MGH Main Campus 55 Fruit Street Boston 02114 Job Physician Assistants Organization Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH) Schedule Full-time Standard Hours 40 Shift Day Job Employee Status Regular Recruiting Department MGH Orthopaedics Job Posting May 19, 2023