Physician Assistant - Ortho Hand (Medical Center)

About the Role

As a Physician Assistant (PA) at Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group, you will function as an advanced practice practitioner, responsible for maintaining and promoting patient health. This position practices medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician, providing diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, and preventative care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. You will examine, diagnose, and decide treatment for patients, including analyzing x-rays and lab results, writing prescriptions, taking patient histories, providing surgical assistance, and ordering therapy. This role operates independently under a physician's license or as part of a treatment team, directly impacting patient care in accordance with the Texas Board of Physician Assistant Examiners and Houston Methodist policies.

Responsibilities

• People:
  • Demonstrate leadership as a clinical resource, inter-professional consultant, and patient advocate.
  • Participate in rounding independently or with physicians/surgeons and attend interdisciplinary rounds.
  • Collaborate to foster healthy work relationships and act as a role model for effective communication.
  • Serve as first call for hospital staff and preceptor for Physician Assistant students and medical residents.
  • Communicate organizational and clinical practice information respectfully.
  • Advocate for balanced workloads, positive behaviors, and peer-to-peer accountability.
  • Facilitate teamwork and use peer-to-peer accountability to improve employee engagement.
  • Collaborate with inter-professional teams to manage and coordinate patient care.
  • Advocate for patients and families to resolve clinical and ethical concerns.
• Service:
  • Coordinate timely patient care between providers and ancillary clinicians under a physician’s license.
  • Drive improvement in patient satisfaction through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.
  • Collaborate with inter-professional teams to manage and coordinate patient care.
  • Respond to patient questions and emergencies as triaged by clinical staff.
• Quality/Safety:
  • Perform independent or delegated functions under a physician’s license, including diagnosis, prescriptive authority, and treatment.
  • Review medications and test reports, respond to critical results, and advise on corrective actions.
  • Conduct comprehensive health assessments (initial, ongoing, discharge), develop care plans, and evaluate outcomes.
  • Perform diagnostic, surgical, and therapeutic procedures for defined patient populations.
  • Assist in developing and implementing protocols to ensure patient safety.
  • Integrate and contribute to professional practice standards, policies, and procedures.
  • Lead improvements in patient safety-related processes.
• Finance:
  • Perform accurate and timely documentation in medical records, including diagnosis and CPT coding.
  • Implement strategies to achieve financial targets, such as timely documentation and optimizing efficiency.
  • Demonstrate awareness of resource allocation based on patient needs and staff capabilities.
• Growth/Innovation:
  • Foster identification and implementation of innovative solutions to improve patient care or department operations.
  • Participate in department or hospital projects and committees to improve quality metrics.
  • Provide education and share knowledge through research, presentations, and publications.
  • Expand individual and team knowledge, skills, and abilities through coaching and mentoring.
  • Complete and update the My Development Plan on an ongoing basis.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Graduate from an accredited Physician Assistant program by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
• One year of clinical experience.

Qualifications

• Licenses and Certifications:
  • PA - Physician Assistant - State Licensure (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation).
  • PA-C - Physician Assistant-Certified (NCCPA).
  • BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA).
  • ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (AHA).
  • DEA - Narcotics License (within 6 months of hire).
• Knowledge and Abilities:
  • Demonstrated skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job.
  • Proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing English for patient and employee safety.
  • Effective communication with patients, physicians, families, and coworkers.
  • Critical thinking and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Board of Physician Assistants.
  • Accountability for healthcare outcomes and use of therapeutic communication.
  • Strong organizational and problem-solving skills to prioritize tasks.
  • Judgment in interactions with physicians, care teams, patients, and families.
  • Proficient time management skills.

Schedule

• On-call requirements during emergencies (e.g., disasters, severe weather).
• May require travel within or outside the Houston Metropolitan area.

Work Attire

• Scrubs: Yes.
• Business professional: Yes.
• Other department-approved attire: Yes.