General Physician Assistant-ELM-12270-001

Mount Sinai Health System•New York, NY

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direct supervision of Acute Pain Service (APS) attending physicians, the Physician Assistant provides diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative pain management services to inpatients at Elmhurst Hospital Center. As a core clinical member of the APS, the PA manages 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 consistent, protocol-driven acute pain care and support opioid-stewardship and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) initiatives. Depending on departmental staffing needs, the PA may also participate in other areas of Pain Management and the Department of Anesthesiology, including the outpatient pain management clinic, preoperative anesthesiology assessments, and management of postoperative patients in coordination with Anesthesiology attendings. Mount Sinai Health System describes a commitment to outstanding patient care, inclusion, collaboration, fairness, continuous learning, and professional growth. It is an equal opportunity employer.

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 the MS 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, communicating effectively and applying 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 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 is preferred.

Responsibilities

Respond 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 with the APS attending and place or adjust orders within scope of practice.
Round daily on active APS patients, including patients with catheters, PCAs, and complex consults, and communicate plans to primary teams and nursing.
Triage and prioritize new consults and urgent pain issues throughout the shift, recognizing complications that require attending escalation.
Evaluate perioperative pain patients upon arrival in the PACU.
Coordinate placement logistics for peripheral nerve and epidural catheter infusions, including pharmacy orders, pump and tubing setup, and PACU sign-out.
Round daily on 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, and ensure equipment is returned and cleaned according to protocol.
Maintain the shared Epidural/Peripheral Nerve Catheter patient list and promptly remove patients from it after discontinuation.
Review and adjust PCA orders for opioid-naive and opioid-tolerant patients using standardized APS parameters.
Monitor PCA patients for efficacy, side effects, and safety using the Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale (POSS) and departmental protocol.
Help pharmacy and nursing troubleshoot PCA orders, pump programming, and formulary questions.
Assist the APS attending with PACU- and floor-based pain procedures, including peripheral nerve blocks and catheter placements, patient preparation, timeouts, and post-procedure monitoring.
Participate in procedural scheduling and coordination with PACU nursing and scheduling staff.
Assist with the 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.
Coordinate care as a liaison among the APS, primary services, pharmacy, and nursing.
Support development of APS clinical protocols, order sets, and quality and outcomes tracking.
Assist in instructing residents, students, and nursing staff rotating through or working with the APS.
Participate in departmental quality improvement activities related to consult volume, opioid utilization, and length of stay.
As staffing needs require, participate in other Pain Management and Anesthesiology duties, potentially including outpatient clinic work, preoperative assessments, and postoperative patient management.