APP-Physician Assistant-Orthopedics-Total Hip/Knee

About the role

The West Virginia University Health System, the state's largest health system and largest private employer, comprises 18 hospitals throughout the state and bordering states. In addition, it includes five institutes, as well as providing management services for other local hospitals through affiliate agreements. Whether you are caring for our patients at one of the critical access hospitals, community sites, regional or academic medical centers, we are all one WVU Health System. Work Here. Thrive Here.

Responsibilities

• Manages comprehensive and individualized care for orthopedic patients and their families in the inpatient phase of hospitalization and immediate post discharge in the ambulatory setting.
• Completes daily rounds; consults and/or pre-procedure/evaluations.
• Completes integrated assessments.
• Orders additional tests or consults as deemed appropriate.
• Communicates results of diagnostic tests following established clinical guidelines and scope of practice.
• Consults and communicates with clinic and hospital staff regarding abnormal findings in the evaluations of patients.
• Documents findings in medical record.
• Develops a comprehensive individualized plan of care for orthopedic patients, which includes teaching, discharge planning and necessary referral to other members of the health care team as necessary.
• Identifies unstable or complex orthopedic patient care situations and facilitates appropriate intervention in the clinic and/or hospital setting.
• Recognizes emergency situations and initiates effective emergency care.
• Evaluates orthopedic patients and serves as a coordinator for follow up procedures and tests in the ambulatory setting (as applicable).
• Assists in the collection of outcome measures (as applicable).
• Demonstrates critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills in clinical decision making by the identification, evaluation and management of the individual needs of patients/families.
• Bases decisions made/actions taken on the relevant scientific principles, established standards of care and/or research findings.
• Updates own knowledge base throughout the year.
• Completes all identified clinical competencies.
• Serves as a resource person for staff caring for the orthopedic patient.
• Provides educational programs to professional and paraprofessional personnel in area of expertise.
• Participates and initiates inter-disciplinary approaches to patient care, program development and education.
• Serves as a professional role model.
• Participates and provides leadership for committees and task forces.
• Documents hours and submits billing reports, as appropriate.
• Reviews and interprets orthopedic data from sources such as patient registries, clinical and financial reports, length of stay, access to care, and cost per case reports and recommends/implements changes as necessary.
• Participates in clinical trials and research studies with the Principal Investigator.
• Assists orthopedic Faculty, Administrators and Directors in the collection of outcome measures.

Qualifications

• Master’s level degree as Physician Assistant preferred.
• Graduate of an ARC-PA approved Physician Assistant (PA) training program required.
• Certification by the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants required.
• Licensed or eligible for licensure by the WV Board of Medicine.
• BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department.