Physician Assistant - Cardiac Surgery

UCSF•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

UCSF is recruiting a Physician Assistant to join its inpatient Cardiothoracic Surgery APP team. The service provides advanced surgical care, including coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic and mitral valve replacement, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and heart transplantation. APPs collaboratively manage patients throughout the inpatient continuum, in both ICU and floor settings, working with CT Surgery Fellows, Cardiac Surgeons, and Intensivists. The role includes bedside procedures and may include operating-room assistance when appropriately privileged and certified. The team is expanding and emphasizes collaboration, innovation, high-quality patient care, professionalism, communication, adaptability, and effective prioritization. APPs are expected to be accountable for their clinical practice, participate in patient and staff education, serve as resources to colleagues and learners, demonstrate leadership, and mentor newly hired APPs. Credentialing, privileging, and health-plan enrollment must be completed before the first working day. UCSF and any other applicable facilities require ongoing credentialing and privileging; procedure privileges depend on demonstrated competency through the required evaluation process and activity-log submission.

Requirements

Graduation from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the PA (ARC-PA).
For a Physician Assistant with fewer than five years of PA experience: clinical rotation in cardiac surgery in operating-room, ICU, and floor settings.
For a Physician Assistant Senior with five or more years of PA experience: at least two years of inpatient cardiac surgery experience in ICU and floor settings.
For a Physician Assistant Senior: experience as first or second assist in the operating room, including endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) and radial artery harvest.
For a Physician Assistant Senior: experience managing ECMO, heart transplant, complex aortic, CABG, and valvular surgery patients.
Unrestricted California Physician Assistant license.
National Board Certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
California driver's license if required for the position.
DEA registration for Schedules 2, 2N, 3, 3N, 4, and 5 registered to a California address.
American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
American Heart Association Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification.
Complete and maintain required UCSF and applicable facility credentialing and privileging, including required standardized procedures.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or doctoral degree and/or completion of a relevant NCCPA Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ).
At least two years of PA experience managing cardiac surgery patients in critical care and acute care environments.
At least two years of cardiac surgery operating-room experience, including EVH and first assisting.
Ability to perform radial artery harvest.
Experience managing post-heart-transplant patients.
Experience placing chest tubes and central lines.

Responsibilities

Independently or collaboratively evaluate and manage patients, including taking histories, performing physical examinations, and responding to changes in patient status.
Perform consultations and order or furnish medications, diagnostic tests, treatments, therapies, referrals, durable medical equipment, and home health services as appropriate.
Document care, assessments, orders, episodic care notes, and discharge summaries in the electronic medical record in accordance with UCSF rules and regulations.
Ensure provider services are billed to reflect the performing provider and comply with UCSF APP billing policy.
Respond to clinical documentation integrity inquiries from the Department of Quality and Patient Safety within three days.
Perform procedures granted through privileges or standardized procedures.
Identify patients with acute decompensation or failure, respond to the hospital plan of care, and review the situation with a physician.
Initiate consultations as indicated and document independent assessment findings with appropriate treatment recommendations.
Participate in service rounds, patient evaluation, and treatment planning.
Review laboratory, radiographic, and other diagnostic tests and initiate appropriate team plans.
Evaluate complex cases and establish individualized plans of care for transition to a lower level of care.
Interpret and act on completed tests, procedures, and radiographic studies.
Communicate findings, treatment options, and care plans effectively to patients and their families.
First assist in the operating room when appropriately privileged through OMAG and after completing required certification and proctoring.
Monitor and evaluate patients for discharge and set continuum-of-care parameters with the multidisciplinary team, including defining discharge regimens.
Discharge patients, including furnishing or prescribing medications, ordering durable medical equipment, arranging or recommending follow-up care, providing discharge teaching, and completing discharge summaries.
Participate in patient and staff education, serve as a resource to APPs, students, fellows, residents, nurses, and other staff, demonstrate leadership, and mentor newly hired APPs.