Physician Assistant – Surgery

Full Job Description

Title: Physician Assistant – Spine Surgery & Collaborative Care Program

Reports To: ApteumX Spine Surgeons

Location: NYC and Northern NJ, with work in hospital OR, office clinic, and outpatient settings

Employment Type: Full-time

Position Summary

ApteumX is building a collaborative care spine program that emphasizes high-quality conservative management and carefully selected, optimally executed surgical interventions.

The Physician Assistant (PA) will be the first advanced practice provider in this program. This role combines traditional spine surgery PA functions (OR first assist, perioperative care, clinic) with a strong focus on internal care coordination and pathway standardization for spine patients.

The PA will work closely with Dr. Cornacchia, other ApteumX surgeons, and non-clinical care coordinators to ensure that patients move through a structured conservative-first pathway and, when necessary, receive timely, well-prepared surgical care.

Key Responsibilities

Surgical Care & Perioperative Support

• Serve as first assist in spine surgery cases under the supervision of ApteumX surgeons.
• Perform pre-operative evaluations, including history, physical examination, documentation of indications, and review of conservative treatments.
• Participate in intraoperative care, including positioning, exposure, retraction, closure, and other first-assist responsibilities as allowed by hospital bylaws and state regulations.
• Provide post-operative care in hospital and office settings, including routine rounds, wound evaluation, suture/staple removal, medication reconciliation, and early complication recognition.
• Assist in developing and implementing standardized perioperative protocols (ERAS-style pathways, infection prevention, pain management, mobilization).

Outpatient Clinic & Internal Navigation

• Evaluate new and follow-up spine patients in the office under physician supervision, including detailed history, focused spine/neurologic examination, and documentation in the EMR/spine program system.
• Ensure that conservative care is properly initiated, documented, and followed (PT, medications, injections, education) according to agreed clinical pathways.
• Identify red flags and urgent situations and escalate promptly to supervising surgeon or appropriate service.
• Participate in multidisciplinary discussions for complex or revision spine cases as needed.

Collaborative Care Coordination (Internal Focus)

• Act as a clinical resource for non-clinical care coordinators, helping to translate clinical plans into clear, actionable tasks (scheduling imaging, PT, pain management visits, surgical consults).
• Review patient flow through the spine program: referral → conservative care → imaging → interventions → surgery when indicated.
• Help ensure that key clinical data fields, outcome measures, and conservative-treatment documentation are complete and accurate in the spine program database.
• Support communication with referring providers by preparing/overseeing concise clinical summaries and updates.

Quality, Pathway Development, and Program Building

• Assist in developing and refining standardized spine care pathways (conservative management, pre-op optimization, post-op follow-up schedules).
• Participate in basic outcomes tracking (pain/function scales, complication tracking, re-operation rates) and quality improvement initiatives within the spine program.
• Provide feedback on workflow, forms, and documentation templates to improve efficiency and clarity for future providers and coordinators.
• Help train future advanced practice providers, medical assistants, and care coordinators in the program’s processes as the team grows.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program.
• Current NCCPA certification.
• Current or eligible state PA license in good standing.
• Experience in spine surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, or related surgical specialty strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in perioperative care, hospital rounding, and ambulatory clinic preferred.
• BLS and ACLS certification (or obtained within a defined time frame after hire).

Skills & Attributes

• Strong interest in spine care, including both conservative and surgical management.
• Comfort working in the OR, hospital, and office environments.
• Excellent clinical documentation skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively with surgeons, non-physician providers, coordinators, and referring clinicians.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple patients and tasks across the care continuum.
• Clear, professional communication with patients, families, and referring providers.
• Openness to building new processes and participating in a growing, data-driven spine program.

Work Conditions

• Time split between OR, hospital rounds, and outpatient clinic; mix may evolve as the program grows.
• Some early-morning, evening, or occasional weekend responsibilities may be required depending on surgical schedule and hospital needs.
• Travel between office locations and hospital/ASC sites within the region as needed.

Pay: $95,000.00 – $140,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person