Chief PA Cardiothoracic Svcs at Westchester Medical Center – Valhalla, New York

Chief PA Cardiothoracic Svcs

Distinguishing Features of the Class: Under general supervision, this position provides coordination and oversight of a team of allied health professionals and clinical support staff for cardiovascular services in order to support the delivery of high quality patient care services. Administrative responsibilities include scheduling of days worked and leave days, monitoring of appropriate staffing levels, attendance at various meetings, liaising with the Office of Academic Affairs for credentialing, and participation in addressing compliance issues and clinical reviews for regulatory agencies. In addition, the Chief Physician Assistant will manage a caseload of cardiovascular patients under the supervision of a physician. Supervision is exercised over a number of professional and support staff. Does related work as required.

Examples of Work: (Illustrative Only)

Participates with physicians and administrators in the development of long and short range plans for cardiovascular services;

Develops and implements policies, practices and standards of practice, including the maintenance of standards for departmental medical records, to ensure compliance with Medical Center procedures and external regulatory requirements;

Develops and implements orientation, competency assessment, evaluation and staff development programs for physician assistants in compliance with internal standards and all regulatory and accreditation requirements;

Acts as a liaison to the Office of Academic Affairs for staff credentialing and regulatory compliance issues and for clinical reviews in preparation for accreditation, QCRM and New York State CAC audits;

Collaborates with designated physicians to adhere to quarterly chart auditing requirements, maintain the standards of the department’s medical records, and enforce the By Laws, Rules and Regulations of the Medical Staff for Cardiovascular Services;

Ensures appropriate levels of staff coverage for clinical delivery areas, including on call scheduling;

Provides direct patient care for a caseload of cardiovascular patients throughout the interoperative phases of treatment in collaboration with a designated physician;

Provides patient and family consultation and follow up in collaboration with designated physicians;

Provides leadership for decision making and problem resolution within multidisciplinary groups, including physicians, to improve patient care;

Evaluates and recommends new practices, techniques and equipment based on current specialty trends;

Maintains related databases and prepares management and compliance reports as requested;

Initiates and participates in, monitors and evaluates quality improvement activities in assigned areas and in support of other related departments;

Promotes and provides quality customer service, and proactively identifies and resolves customer issues and implements policies, practices and standards for assigned areas that comply with Medical Center policies and accreditation and regulatory requirements;

Monitors and evaluates quality improvement activities for assigned areas and collaborates with other departments for quality improvement initiatives;

Prepares department’s operating and capital budget in conjunction with senior leadership and assists with monitoring department’s budgets and expense;

Oversees the management of the human resources functions for the department staff and ensures appropriate levels of staff recruitment, performance, training and development for department staff;

Collaborates with information systems staff to maintain current systems and plans for existing system upgrades to enhance productivity and efficiency of the operating system;

Promotes and provides quality customer service and proactively identifies and resolves customer issues;

Ensures all protocols, policies and procedures are in compliance with the Medical Center’s policies and procedures, collective bargaining agreements, accreditation requirements, and New York State Department of Health and all other applicable regulatory bodies.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Attributes: Thorough knowledge of clinical and surgical practices and procedures in cardiovascular services; thorough knowledge of medical therapeutic practices; good knowledge of supervisory and administrative practices; skill in specialized cardiovascular medical care; ability to supervise, plan and evaluate the work of others; ability to make accurate medical diagnosis; ability to train staff; ability to work well with physicians and other health professionals; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to relate well to patients; sound professional judgment; manual dexterity; integrity; initiative; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.

Minimum Acceptable Training and Experience: Must possess a valid license and current registration, issued by the New York State Department of Education, as a physician assistant and five years of experience as a surgical physician assistant in a cardiothoracic setting at a large tertiary hospital or health care facility, including one year in a management or supervisory role.