Physician Assistant- ACTAT Surgery

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Join our dynamic Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery team as a dedicated Physician Assistant. In this vital role, you will be involved in a variety of critical surgical procedures, including vein harvesting, venous lines, drive lines, arterial lines, and suturing. As a first assist in surgery, you will play an integral role in managing wound care and closures, including LVAD dressings for heart failure patients. A strong understanding of hemodialysis, hemodynamics, and cardiothoracic surgery is essential to ensure optimal patient care.

Your responsibilities will also include managing patient care both pre-and post-operatively, contributing to a smooth recovery and the best possible outcomes. Collaboration with a multidisciplinary team will be key to delivering high-quality care to our patients.

We prefer candidates with two years of experience in cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery and one year in transplant experience.

Once you join us you won’t want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus: 

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as… 

• Free financial and legal counseling
• Free mental health counseling services
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
• Resources for child and elder care
• Plus many more!

Position Summary:

Provides advanced medical care to patients, in a surgical setting, in one or more specialized surgical areas under the direction of a surgeon.

Position Key Accountabilities:

1. Conducts complex, standardized patient care procedures which require experience and specialized training which would otherwise be performed by a physician but which do not constitute the practice of medicine.

2. Assesses patient’s medical complaints and provides appropriate treatment.

3. Performs minor surgical procedures as delegated by the supervising physician.

4. Manages pre-operative and post-operative patients in coordination with the faculty supervising physician.

5. Utilizes advanced assessment skills to anticipate complex patient problems specific to surgery while communicating information to supervising / attending physician.

6. Assists in collecting patient histories.

7. Performs physical examinations and provides episodic care or problem oriented care under the supervision of a physician. 

8. Orders appropriate laboratory tests and interprets the laboratory data such as blood and urine samples.

9. Monitors the treatment program of the patient to inform the attending physician of pertinent medical/surgical information.

10. Provides guidance and instruction to patients on preventive health care or postsurgical care.

11. Assists physicians in formulating therapeutic decisions.

12. Enters chart documentation for review and counter signature by the physician.

13. Prepares and cares for supplies and equipment.

14. Responds to emergency situations.

15. Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills:

Current Texas Licensure as a Physician Assistant 

Current Physician Assistant certification issued by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants

Basic Life Support (BLS) certified or specialty required by department

Proficient in the use of medical and surgical instruments and equipment required by work.

Minimum Education:

Master’s degree as Physician Assistant. Bachelor’s degree as Physician Assistant with at least two years of professional experience in the role is acceptable based on terminal degree requirements at the time of graduation.

Minimum Experience:

None; previous experience in a surgical specialty preferred.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds frequently and/or up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code § 51.215

Veteran Information:

Military occupations that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include but are not limited to: 0904, 0963, 1976, 46Y1C, 46Y1H, 66B, 66C, 4A0X1, 46YX, 65D, 230X, PHA10, 42GX, 66P, 66R, 290X.

For a complete list please visit www.uthealth-veterans.jobs.

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.

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