Physician Assistant/ Pa

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

A Physician Assistant provides health care services to patients under the direction and responsible supervision of the Physician. PA's are academically and clinically trained to perform many of the routine but time-consuming tasks that physicians usually do, and are accountable for their own actions as well as being accountable to their supervising physicians.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Under the general supervision of the Medical Director, examines patients, takes medical history, records results, and makes preliminary diagnosis of disease, illness and injury and decides care plan, or follow-up procedures
• Assess patient health by interviewing patients, performing physical examinations, obtaining, updating and studying medical histories
• Identify short-term and long-range patient care issues that must be addressed; providing information; recommends options and course of action
• Administer or order diagnostic tests such as X rays, electrocardiograms, and blood work, and interprets test results
• Perform therapeutic procedures, such as immunizations, injections, suturing and wound care, and managing infection
• Instruct and counsel patients by describing therapeutic regimens, giving normal and abnormal development information, and promoting wellness and health maintenance
• Exercise professional judgment regarding consultation with other Physicians concerning appropriate treatment
• Provide continuity of care by developing and implementing patient care plans, instructing and counseling patients, and recording progress
• Work in triage and makes decisions on patient care needs
• Must be able to fully prescribe

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Completion of a four-year accredited physician assistant baccalaureate program and a year of clinical training , OR
• Completion of a two-year accredited physician assistant program ( which , in turn , requires two years of undergraduate study) plus two years of clinical training following completion of PA program.
• State accreditation based on certifying exam. Continued employment requires 100 hours of CME every two years and passing a recertification examination every 6 years.
• Must have full prescribing authority.