Meritas Health is hiring a Physician Assistant to join our Comprehensive Surgery team in the Northland! If you’re looking for a great opportunity to serve our community and be part of a growing organization, join our Meritas team!

Here at Meritas our mission is to provide hope and healing to every life we touch. Whether you are serving patients at a primary care practice, specialty practice, or in a support capacity, every team member works together to complete this mission. Joining Meritas means you are joining a family that is committed to serving our community and giving patients better quality of life.

Reasons to Join Meritas:

• Comprehensive Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, FSA)
• Competitive wages
• Paid time off for personal/vacation/sick
• Six paid holidays per year
• Educational assistance
• Day shift schedules

Job Description:

Under the direction of physicians, the Physician Assistant (PA) Surgical provides comprehensive care to patients, such as assessments, specimen collection, and consultation services including education on preoperative and postoperative care. In collaboration with the health care team the physician assistant will provide continuity of care to patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting to achieve optimal outcomes and a sense of stability to the patient during a traumatic time. Continually assists surgeon to maximize patient volume and acts a liaison by monitoring and communicating with high-risk patients, formulates treatment and education plans for the patient as directed by the physician.

Job Duties:

• Provides comprehensive patient assessments including ordering, conducting and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosis; prescription of pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic therapies to both inpatients and outpatients. Interpreting highly complex surgical pathology, and relaying results to patients.
• Assist physicians in ER consults and floor consults, while in clinic and in between surgical cases. Determines if surgery is necessary, arranges all perioperative orders and scheduling cases. Provides preoperative and postoperative care including patient education, by maintaining communication with patients and their families.
• Assists the surgeon during operations by opening locations for surgery, operating laparoscopic cameras, suturing wounds, using surgical staplers, providing suction or anything else that the surgeon may need.
• Assists surgeon by maximizing patient volume, monitoring, and contacting high risk patients, returning patient calls in a timely manner, and providing follow up. Coordinates with other departments for continuity of patient care. Interprets radiology results to determine surgical plan.
• Develops with the patient and/or caregivers, a mutually acceptable cost-aware plan of care that maximizes health potential. Formulates a treatment plan which includes ordering diagnostic tests, selecting appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, develops a patient education plan, and obtains appropriate consultation or referral.
• Consults with physician appropriately regarding patient care issues and concerns. Communicates clinical findings to, and works collaboratively with, physicians to develop patient treatment and education plans.
• Performs procedures independently in the office. Conducts wound care for ongoing surgical wounds, requiring debridement in the office setting.
• Reviews all referrals for soft tissue tumors, skin lesions and properly delegates to self or surgeon for excision. Completes all discharge summaries for physicians.
• Demonstrates productivity and initiative by organizing patient care, delegating appropriate staff, prioritizing work load and seeking opportunities to improve clinical processes and staff/patient education.
• Hosts floor specific educational seminars for nursing education in the hospital setting. Helps implement new protocols and delegates tasks to floor nursing managers in relation to surgical care.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in Physician Assistant Studies and a maintained board/association certification
• Licensed by the State of Missouri as a Physician Assistant
• 4 years experience as PA in surgical specialty, strongly preferred
• Basic Life Support (BLS) from American Heart Association (AHA) required
• High level of autonomy, first assistant skills, procedural skills, complex wound care
• Proficiency with electronic health records and database management. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

More Possibilities:

As the largest network of providers in the Northland, we can offer you more opportunities to grow. Here at Meritas, we believe that together, we will become legendary for our commitment to remarkable patient care. If you are looking to better the lives of those in our community, then join our Meritas family, where your voice counts.

Meritas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in our organization. We do not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable discrimination laws.