General Physician Assistant-ELM-12270-002

Mount Sinai Health System • Elmhurst, NY

7d

About The Position

Under the direct supervision of the Acute Pain Service (APS) attending physicians, the Physician Assistant provides diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative pain management services to inpatients at Elmhurst Hospital Center. The PA is a core clinical member of the APS, managing the daily consult service, continuous peripheral nerve and epidural catheter infusions, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), and multimodal analgesia protocols across surgical and medical services. The PA works closely with the APS attending, pharmacy, nursing, and primary teams to provide protocol-driven acute pain care and support opioid-stewardship and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) initiatives.

Depending on departmental staffing needs, the successful candidate may also participate in other areas of Pain Management and the Department of Anesthesiology, including outpatient pain management clinic, preoperative anesthesiology assessments, and management of postoperative patients in coordination with Anesthesiology Attendings.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program at the bachelor's or master's level.
• At least one year of clinical experience.
• Current New York State PA license and registration.
• NCCPA certification.
• DEA registration.
• NPI number.
• ACLS and BLS certification.
• Infection Control Certificate.
• Proficiency with Epic, including SmartPhrases, SmartLists, and Epic messaging, and intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Relevant clinical competence in acute pain management; new PA graduates must demonstrate current knowledge of clinical processes and their application.
• Ability to maintain effective interpersonal relationships and communicate clearly with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to work as part of a team and demonstrate effective communication and critical thinking under time pressure.
• Visual, physical, auditory, and cognitive ability to assess patient status, including that of acutely ill patients with a broad variety of diagnoses.
• Ability to walk, stand, and respond quickly across inpatient units, PACU, and procedural areas for extended periods.
• Proficiency in using data entry and retrieval systems and electronic medical record documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical experience in acute pain management, anesthesiology, or another acute-care inpatient setting.

Responsibilities

• Respond promptly to inpatient consults for acute and complex pain management, including postoperative, trauma, and medically complex patients.
• Perform focused pain-related histories and physical examinations and review relevant laboratory results, imaging, and medication histories.
• Develop and present multimodal analgesia plans in collaboration with the APS attending and place or adjust orders within scope of practice.
• Round daily on active APS patients, including those with catheters, PCAs, or complex consultations, and communicate plans to primary teams and nursing.
• Triage and prioritize new consults and urgent pain issues throughout the shift, recognizing complications that require escalation to an attending.
• Evaluate perioperative pain patients upon arrival in the PACU.
• Coordinate logistics for peripheral nerve and epidural catheter infusions, including pharmacy orders, pump and tubing setup, and PACU sign-out.
• Round daily on patients with indwelling catheters; renew medication orders, replace infusion bags, reprogram pumps, and document wasted volume with nursing according to protocol.
• Confirm active intralipid orders and equipment availability on the patient's floor for the duration of an infusion.
• Coordinate catheter discontinuation with primary teams and nursing, including anticoagulation holds where applicable; ensure equipment is returned and cleaned according to protocol.
• Maintain the shared Epidural/Peripheral Nerve Catheter patient list and update it promptly when catheters are discontinued.
• Review and adjust PCA orders for opioid-naive and opioid-tolerant patients using standardized APS parameters.
• Monitor PCA efficacy, side effects, and patient safety using the Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale (POSS) and departmental protocol.
• Assist pharmacy and nursing with PCA order and pump-programming troubleshooting and formulary questions.
• Assist the APS attending with PACU- and floor-based pain procedures, including peripheral nerve blocks and catheter placements; support patient preparation, timeouts, and post-procedure monitoring.
• Participate in procedural scheduling and coordination with PACU nursing and scheduling staff.
• Assist with outpatient pain management clinic and interventional procedures.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation using departmental Epic SmartPhrases and dot-phrase templates.
• Document wasted controlled-substance volume, complications, and sign-off communications in accordance with hospital and DEA requirements.
• Liaise among the APS, primary services, pharmacy, and nursing to support continuity of pain management care.
• Support development of APS clinical protocols, order sets, and quality and outcomes tracking.
• Assist with instruction of residents, students, and nursing staff rotating through or interfacing with the APS.
• Participate in departmental quality improvement activities related to consult volume, opioid utilization, and length of stay.
• Perform other duties in Pain Management and the Department of Anesthesiology as required by departmental staffing needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time