Physician Assistant 40 Hours Days - Bwh Department Of Medicine

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Under the medical direction of the Medical Director provides health maintenance as well as episodic

illness or chronic disease patient care to patients. The Physician Assistant has responsibility for assessment and management of patients including diagnostic and therapeutic interventions and continuous implementation and evaluation of an appropriate plan of care. The Physician Assistant is responsible for the daily management of selected patients and is under the supervision of the Medical Director.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provides direct care counseling and teaching to a select patient population.

Incorporates the concepts of health maintenance prevention and promotion into

daily practice through patient education and counseling.

• Performs physical examinations and provides preventive health measures appropriate to patient needs. Screens for substance abuse tobacco use domestic violence sea belt use immunization status nutrition exercise history of falls as necessary and initiates appropriate interventions.
• Orders interprets and evaluates appropriate lab and diagnostic tests to assess patients clinical problems and health care needs.
• Arranges for appropriate plan of care and followup based on outcome of diagnostic lab and physical assessment findings.
• Orders medications and writes prescriptions according to organizational and regulatory policies and procedures.
• Records pertinent patient care findings in LMR medical record in a timely manner. Completes forms and reports for insurance companies and other agencies as needed.
• Sets priorities for appropriate and efficient management of patient care that reflects cost effective management of time available human resources supplies and equipment.
• Maintains interdisciplinary approach to planning and communicating patient care information by discussing patient data with appropriate physicians and other health care professionals. Demonstrates awareness of community resources and assists staff patients and families to effectively use them.

Assist coworkers in their duties (within the limitations of training and scope of practice)

All other duties as prescribed

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be a Masters prepared from an accredited Physician Assistant program. Experience working in an ethnically culturally and racially diverse work staff preferred; ability to work harmoniously with diverse groups of individuals required. Maintains PA license in Massachusetts and maintains controlled substance licensure in MA and has federal DEA license.

1. Expert clinical judgment skills to function in an independent role.

2. Excellent interpersonal relationship and communication skills in order to collaborate with patients; families staff and community health workers.

3. Ability to work with frequent stress resulting from busy clinical settings and a changing organizational climate.

4. Ability to be selfdirective and demonstrate initiative in addressing responsibilities of the position.

5. Ability to utilize appropriate problemsolving and conflict resolution skills.

6. Must have experience working in a primary care environment

Specific license/certification/registration required to perform the job

1. Must have successfully completed a Graduate Level accredited Physician Assistant Program approved by AMA Board of Approval and Certification of PA programs.

2. Must have 4 years of college level education and bachelors degree or equivalent. (BS/MS joint programs are also acceptable).

3. Board Certification by the National Commission on Certification of PAs is required.

4. License as a Physician Assistant in Massachusetts

5. Maintain current DEA and Massachusetts Controlled Substance Licenses

6. Complete 100 hours of CME according to national and state regulations during each 2 year period of employment.

7. Maintain current BLS/ACLS certification

8. Complete BWH Professionalism Program within 3 months of date of hire.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

Customer focused and patientcentered

• Enjoys being part of a diverse team. Comfortable trusting other properly trained and licensed members of the team to perform clinical tasks.
• Ability to multitask
• Comfortable with change
• Spanish language skills a plus but not required

Medical Knowledge:
Medical knowledge includes an understanding of primary care practice health promotion and disease prevention pathophysiology patient presentation differential diagnosis patient management. The PA must demonstrate core knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care in their area of practice. In addition the PA is expected to demonstrate an investigatory and analytic thinking approach to clinical situations.

The PA is expected to:

• Understand etiologies risk factors underlying pathologic process and epidemiology for medical conditions
• Identify signs and symptoms of medical conditions
• Select and interpret appropriate diagnostic or lab studies
• Manage general medical and surgical conditions to include understanding the indications agents and other relevant treatment modalities
• Identify the appropriate site of care for presenting conditions including identifying emergent cases and those requiring referral or admission
• Identify appropriate interventions for prevention of conditions
• Identify the appropriate methods to detect conditions in an asymptomatic individual
• Differentiate between the normal and the abnormal in anatomic physiological laboratory findings and other diagnostic data
• Appropriately use history and physical findings and diagnostic studies to formulate a differential diagnosis
• Provide appropriate care to patients with chronic conditions.
• Demonstrate proficiency with BWH computer systems as needed to independently perform daily tasks such as order entry LMR Percipio lab tests and results incident reporting BICS etc.
• Consistently provide high quality and timely documentation including admission notes progress notes discharge summaries and dictations.
• Must have knowledge of billing practices.

Physical and mental abilities required

• Must be energetic quality driven and have proven ability to be a productive member of a cohesive team of peers dedicated to providing optimum patient care.
• Must exercise the highest degree of professional judgment under the direct supervision and guidance of a licensed physician.
• Must maintain a professional attitude towards patients and exercise such mature independent originality in solving problems not covered by existing guidelines within legal limits to meet the needs of the patients.
• Must maintain a professional attitude towards patients at all times and an excellent and collegial working relationship with other personnel involved in patient care.
• Must demonstrate understanding of procedures policies and documentation required to ensure compliance with practice standards of care.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The PA will work in a pleasant community based primary care practice. The workload can be challenging requiring both teamwork and individual initiative. A high level of patient care is required while working quickly and often multitasking. The schedule may require some flexibility in hours while maintaining a goal of 40 hours/week on average.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:

1. Proper complete and timely documentation
2. Awareness of billing and compliance issues
3. Participates in setting productivity metrics and in cost effective management of personnel time supplies and equipment in his/her area.