Physician Assistant

About the Role

Under the supervision of a physician, the Physician's Assistant provides healthcare to patients. Maintains records and progress reports on patient's plan of care, treatments, and procedures. Instructs patients on use of prescriptions.

Responsibilities

• Take or review patients' medical histories.
• Examine patients.
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as x-rays or blood tests.
• Diagnose a patient's injury or illness and give treatment.
• Educate and counsel patients and their families.
• Prescribe medicine.
• Assess and record a patient's progress.
• Research the latest substance use disorder treatments to ensure quality patient care.
• Conduct or participate in outreach programs, talking to groups about managing diseases and promoting wellness.
• May order x-rays, electrocardiograms, laboratory tests, and other procedures.
• May administer injections, immunizations, suturing, and wound care.
• Perform CLIA waived testing as needed.
• Screen and assess for suicide ideation and aggression.

Requirements

• Master's Degree from an accredited college/university accredited by the Accredited Review Commission for Physician's Assistants (ARC-PA).
• Must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
• Active DEA (and CDS if required by state) license. For full-time roles, the DEA and CDS must match the facility address. For part-time and PRN roles, the address may differ.
• Current CPR or BLS certification preferred (or must complete during orientation period).

Skills

• Medical Knowledge: Understanding of pathophysiology, patient presentation, differential diagnosis, patient management, surgical principles, health promotion, and disease prevention. Ability to apply core biomedical and clinical sciences to patient care and demonstrate investigatory and analytic thinking in clinical situations.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Excellent verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills for effective information exchange with patients, families, physicians, associates, and the healthcare system.
• Patient Care: Age-appropriate assessment, evaluation, and management. Ability to provide effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care.
• Professionalism: Adherence to ethical practice, legal and regulatory requirements, sensitivity to diverse patient populations, and prioritization of patient interests. Must practice without impairment from substance abuse, cognitive deficiency, or mental illness.
• Critical Thinking: Ability to formulate accurate medical and psychiatric assessments.
• Understanding of ASAM Criteria: Knowledge of ASAM criteria and levels of care.
• Safe Prescribing: Ability to safely prescribe and administer medications.

Working Conditions

Work Environment: The Physician's Assistant will work in an in-patient facility providing direct care for patients seeking substance use disorder treatment in office and examination room settings. They spend much of their time on their feet, actively working with patients.

Physical Demands: Regularly required to talk or hear. Frequently required to use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. Occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Must occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds. Requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Ability to administer at least 2 consecutive minutes of quality CPR.

Travel: Primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected.