Physician Assistant Cardio Surgery & Thoracic Stroger Hospital

Physician Assistant, Cardiovascular Surgery and Heart, Stroger Hospital of Cook County

Position Responsibilities:

Trained, licensed physician assistant provides high quality, comprehensive care for patients with Cardiovascular and Thoracic diseases. Coordinates the provision of clinical care for patients pre and post surgery. Acts as the liaison between the physician(s), floor nursing staff, residents, fellows and other nursing staff to ensure continuity and quality of care. Is accessible to patients as a point of contact for on-going clinical issues and for updates for the family during the peri-operative phase. Sets the standard for patient and referring physician communication.

• Assist all physicians in surgical procedures and care in the operating room and surgical intensive care unit.

• Assist all physicians in the clinic by interviewing patients in the exam rooms, obtaining necessary clinical information, including HPI, vital signs, social history, etc. in preparation for the physician’s exam, and documenting in Epic.

• For return patients, in addition to above assessment, assess the current status of all post-operative wounds, perform minor procedures as requested by physician and within the PA scope of services, update all clinical information as necessary.

• Triage patient phone calls, answer questions within scope, discuss all relevant finding or patient issues with attending.

• Provide patient and family education regarding their specific disease process and their treatment plan.

• Meet with elective surgery patients and families pre-operatively to provide them with an opportunity to discuss any issues or questions.

• Pre-round on all post surgical patients to ensure all necessary information is readily available for the attending physician.

• Coordinate the care plan amongst the various inpatient providers and follow-up to assure tests are appropriately carried out, lab tests are performed and results are available.

• Along with the attending and other clinical staff, coordinate the discharge plan for each patient, including coordinate home care, as needed.

• Dictate the discharge summaries for patients (if not completed by the fellow) and prepare for physician review and signature.

• Maintain current knowledge of all research trials being conducted by assigned attending. Inform physician of possible trial candidates.

• Assist research coordinators in enrolling appropriate patients into the studies. Provide additional clinical support to the studies as requested by the Chairman or assigned physician.

• Participate in research studies as the research coordinator at the request of the Chairman or the assigned attending

• Assist in the development, monitoring and implementation of patient databases on behalf of the practice, the specialty and such.

• Other duties as assigned.

Position Qualifications Include:

• Master of Physician Assistant Studies

• Current license to practice in Illinois or eligibility for licensure