Our Surgical Physician Assistant provides health care services to patients under the direction of a board certified/eligible physician. In this role, you will work directly and, in close corporation with orthopedics sports medicine/acute acute injury/total joint and arthritis management physicians. This role will have an element of clinic work and surgical first assist assignments. You will assist in diagnosing musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, neck and back pain related illnesses, order and interpret diagnostic tests and exams, develop, and manage treatment plans, and prescribe medications as needed, and offer advice on preventative health care. You may serve as a principal healthcare provider where you will incorporate both independent decision-making abilities and collaboration with physicians to provide expert care to the patients.

The person filling this position is viewed by the team as a vital member of SMOG (Santa Monica Orthopedic Group), which is made up of 16 highly trained orthopedic and sports medicine physicians and 12 Physician Assistants who provide comprehensive orthopedic care, you may be called on to assist physicians for surgical first assist in Operating Room (OR) and Clinic coverage. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Will provide assistance with triaging patients in the group's walk-in clinic.
• This role is mostly clinic based with very little first assist in the OR (possibly once a week or few days a month).
• Under the direction of the Supervising Physician, conduct patient assessments, order or directly provide treatments, and provide patient education and support.
• Promotes and maintains patient health by providing medical services under the supervision of the Supervising Physician.
• Assess patient health by interviewing patients: performs comprehensive physical examination; compiles patient medical data, including health history and results of physical examination.
• Work under protocol to develop an effective, safe and patient-centered treatment plan.
• Provide timely and complete clinical documentation in the EHR following patient visits or telephone calls.
• Maintain ongoing communication with the supervising physician regarding assigned patients and provide timely notification of changes in patient status.
• Attend case conferences, clinical rounds, and other types of meetings which address patient management and care coordination as required.
• Maintain ongoing communication with other members of the entire care team through written documentation, telephone or in-person conversation.
• Partner with the patient to develop contracts of care as needed and provide encouragement and motivational support to promote adherence to treatment plans.
• Ensure timely access of patient appointments.
• Perform other duties as determined collaboratively by the Supervising Physicians that are within the scope of practice of a physician assistant and the health care institution's policies.
• Provide coverage to other providers within the group whose PA or NP is away from the office.
• PA will participate in group's weekend call rotation coverage - coverage is one (1) weekend every six (6) weeks, Friday 5pm through Monday 8am (additional compensation will be provided).
• Monday to Thursday after hours O/R coverage rotation - one night/week, every 2-3 weeks.
• Hospital coverage will be at Marina Del Rey Hospital and St. John's Santa Monica Hospital plus our Surgery Center of the Pacific outpatient surgical center. 
• Will be on staff at one of our Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

Clinic hours will vary depending on assignment between 7am to 6pm, Monday through Friday