Physician Assistant

Position Summary

Responsible for:

• Providing comprehensive direct primary and urgent care to an ethnically and socially diverse patient population, mostly indigent, in accordance with protocols, policies and procedures; and ensuring quality of care and services.
• Managing specific clinic programs or initiatives from inception through implementation, as assigned

Essential Functions

Patient Services: Ensures that patients/clients receive quality, timely, professional care services in accordance with Clinics mission and values.

• Provides primary care services to Clinic patients including:

• Conducting physical examinations
• Ordering and interpreting the results of laboratory, x-ray and other tests;
• Determining and implementing courses of treatment,
• Providing and monitoring the results of treatment; and adjusting as needed

• Provides health education and instruction in the areas of health/sickness, personal hygiene, nutrition, sexual behaviors, and medication usage as applicable.
• Proactively assists the patient and family through all facets of accessing care at the Clinic and elsewhere, serving as a resource to resolve patient and family concerns.
• Participates in the improving the quality of care including participation in peer review, setting clinical standards for medical support staff, and monitoring quality of medical services to patients.
• Meets and consults with other staff providers on an on-going, regular basis to discuss clinical concerns and opportunities for care improvement. Additionally, consults with supervising physician or physician on duty as necessary and refer patients to appropriate resources.
• Participates in team meetings and provides input on general operational issues to improve the quality of health care delivery including the Clinics Best Practices team to create and monitor protocols/guidelines for patient care and uniformity of forms.
• Participates in the development and implementation of new Clinic programs; may assume leadership for new health care initiatives and projects.
• Identifies training needs of staff and collaborates others to develop and implement appropriate training programs and opportunities to ensure a skilled and knowledgeable staff.

Compliance: Ensures services provided comply with regulatory agency requirements, contractual obligations and funding sources.

• Performs/supervises functions, duties and services in compliance with regulatory agencies, contractual obligations and funding sources such as CHDP, EWC, Medi-Cal, FPACT, and Title X.
• Monitors and ensures compliance with clinical evidence-based guidelines for adult and pediatric health care.
• Participates in the review, revision and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure medical practices are in full compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Oversees the maintenance of records/documents in accordance with clinic policies and procedures, contractual obligations, regulations and funding sources.
• Monitors strict adherence to universal precautions as established by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, DHS/OA and clinic standards.

Communications and Problem-Solving: Ensures effective, professional communications within and outside of the Clinic setting and effectively resolves problems relating to the provision of medical services at the Clinic site:

• Creates and maintains effective interpersonal relationships with all employees; keeps employees informed of changes which may affect the work environment.

Communicates effectively with all levels throughout the clinic and the specific site by consistently utilizing and facilitating effective strategies to encourage collaborative problem solving and decision-making.

• Troubleshoots difficult problems or situations and takes independent action to resolve them.
• Through teamwork and accountability exhibits behaviors and attitudes of courtesy and respect for all staff at the Clinic in accordance with its mission and values.
• Establishes and maintains effective and positive working relationships with representatives of outside agencies, government entities, vendors, as well as other clinicians, volunteers and staff; represents the clinic site when appropriate.
• Ensures patient/client confidentiality; demonstrates complete discretion when discussing patient information.

Fiscal Management: Monitors expenses associated with services delivered to provide patients with cost-effective medicine:

• Practice cost-effective medicine by monitoring appropriate use of practitioner laboratory and prescription utilization in line with Clinic preferred laboratory and drug formulary.
• Completes documentation for clinic sessions in a timely manner ensuring accuracy and completeness to ensure the Clinic can collect funds for the services.

Other:

• Maintains working knowledge of medical and related skills through reading, participation in seminars and other educational opportunities and personal contacts/professional memberships in the field; ensures timely completion of continuing education required to maintain licensure.
• Participates as a member of the sites clinical team; promotes the clinics goals and philosophies to staff; participates in committees; and actively cooperates with others in support of the clinics goals.

Secondary Duties:

• As a senior professional, the incumbent may be expected to assume responsibility for projects, outside of daily responsibilities.
• Performs related duties as required.

Physical Activity: Performs all or some of the following tasks during the workday: reading, writing/typing, speaking, listening, sitting, standing, walking and driving.

When performing patient care:

• May occasionally lift/carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Will perform duties requiring a full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients,
• Will utilize manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination.
• Will experience frequent exposure to potentially infectious agents, communicable diseases, toxic substances, medicinal preparation and other conditions common to a physician’s office.
• Will need normal/corrected vision and hearing to within normal range.
• May work under stressful conditions and/or work irregular hours.

Position Requirements: These are general guidelines based on the minimum experience normally considered essential to the satisfactory performance of this job. Individual abilities may result in some deviation from these guidelines.

To perform effectively in this position, the incumbent must have:

• Physician Assistant with Family Medicine or Pediatric training.
• A valid license to practice medicine as a Physician Assistant in the State of California, with no pending or previous disciplinary action from any state licensing entity
• Current BCLS certificate
• Competency in general adult ambulatory care, family planning, adolescent, and womens health.
• Understanding of current medical, educational and psychosocial intervention procedures
• Ability to perform clinical duties within established guidelines in a organized, efficient manner
• Ability to relate and communicate well to all cultural and ethnic groups in the community, including fluency in written and spoken English. Bi-lingual skills in written and spoken Spanish are preferred.
• Working knowledge of direct outpatient care and management methods and practices in a community clinic setting. Prior experience in a similar setting is preferred.
• Basic knowledge of local, state and federal regulations relating to care of patients in a clinic setting; and prior experience with county, state and federal programs such as CHDP, FPACT, EWC, Medi-Cal and Title X is preferred.
• Knowledge of common safety hazards and precautions sufficient to maintain a safe work environment
• Skill in identifying problems and recommending solutions in a clear, concise and proactive manner, including recognition and resolution of costly errors
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with staff members, patients and other clinicians and work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to complete and maintain records in accordance with procedures utilizing an electronic health record system
• The flexibility to deal effectively with changes in work schedules and sites
• General computer skills in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, etc.) and patient medical record system.
• Current California drivers license and State-required insurance when using personal vehicle on clinic business and a driving record acceptable to the organization and/or its insurance carrier.
• Willingness to commit to the philosophy and goals of The Saban Free Clinic.