Physician Assistant II Weight Management Endocrinology

GENERAL SUMMARY:       

Exciting opportunity to join our established and growing Medical Weight Management program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital with a focus on health equity and high-quality patient care. 

Schedule: Hybrid schedule with on site and remote days

The Center for Weight Management and Wellness (CWMW) physician assistant (PA) will be an integral part of the interdisciplinary team approach for overall care and evaluation of patients seeking care at the Center for Weight Management and Wellness medical weight management program.  Under direction of the supervising physician(s), the PA will be involved in all aspects of patient care.  Responsibilities will include evaluation of new and return weight management patients primarily in the outpatient setting, including their long-term follow-up. The PA will be responsible for triaging patient issues/concerns via telephone/EPIC messaging system. The PA will support interim/between-visit patient needs, including supporting the process of patients obtaining prescription medications, confirming referrals for diagnostic or therapeutic interventions have been scheduled, conducts/participates in group visits or any other aspect of follow-up essential for the care of CWMW patients. The PA may be engaged in seeing patients at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital campus and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital campus, with the possibility of additional Brigham Health locations as the service is in an active expansion phase.  

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

In this role, the PA II sees ambulatory patients independently. The PA II is expected to have eight (8) four (4) hour clinic sessions per week. While the PA can expect a relatively predictable daytime (four days at 10 hours per day) work schedule planned whenever possible, scheduling variations may occur in order to cover clinical needs as they become apparent to the department/division/clinic.  The PA may be asked to take call, pick up additional shifts, work variable hours, and/or provide backup coverage as needed.

Usual responsibilities include the following:

1. Provides direct care, counseling, and teaching to patients seeking weight management in the ambulatory setting
2. Consistently provides high quality and timely electronic documentation of all patient interactions
3. Performs complete histories and physical examinations
4. Evaluates CWMW patients for undiagnosed medical conditions/co-morbidities related to their obesity or affecting their participation in weight management treatment options.
5. Orders, interprets, and evaluates laboratory and diagnostic tests
6. Evaluates CWMW patients to establish candidacy for a broad range of weight management interventions – including medical nutritional management, lifestyle interventions, prescription medications, endoluminal procedures, bariatric surgery, investigational options under study in our institution, and others.
7. Diagnoses and treats any complications of their weight management intervention(s) in conjunction with attending physician.
8. Develops plans of care and follow-up based on the outcomes of diagnostic, laboratory, and physical examination findings
9. Evaluates for and initiates consults with specialists on an as-need basis.
10. Triages patient calls/questions related to their CWMW care.
11. Orders medications and writes prescriptions according to organizational and regulatory policies and procedures
12. Coordinates follow-up care, such as prescriptions, medication prior authorizations, referrals, and paperwork when needed.
13. Provide accurate billing charges for services provided.
14. Practices cost effective medicine in an efficient manner, maximizing available resources
15. Discusses patient data with other physicians and interdisciplinary team members
16. Demonstrates expert clinical judgment skills to function in an independent role
17. Demonstrates the highest level of professionalism and respect in addressing patients (and their families) struggling with obesity and weight-related health issues
18. Participate as an active member of the CWMW team.  This will include identifying areas in need of improvement and collaborating with other members to achieve a solution.
19. Additional duties and responsibilities as required by the department/division

At the heart of Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic area, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a U.S. News & World Report top ranked hospital, offers physician assistants (PA) a robust and supportive community to practice. PAs will join a dedicated team that benefits from established PA leadership with a PA Services department which offers opportunities for dedicated PA onboarding and orientation, continuing medical education, simulation-based training opportunities, health and wellness events, and peer mentoring. The success of the PA program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital centers around exceptional patient care, dedication to teaching and education, participation in research, and opportunities for professional growth and development. Whether you are interested in clinical medicine, research, education, administration, or innovation, you will find opportunities to reach your goals at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As part of the Mass General Brigham Healthcare System, PAs will have access to world class health insurance, tuition reimbursement, competitive retirement options, CME benefits, access to affiliated childcare, exclusive discounts and rewards, and more in the Boston area and beyond, and opportunities to work collaboratively with other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.  

The physician assistant II (PA) is a licensed provider who has acquired a broad range of knowledge and advanced clinical skills and must have at least two years of experience practicing as a PA. The PA is responsible for the assessment and management of various populations of patients, medical and/or surgical, including diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, development of appropriate plans of care and ongoing evaluation.  The physician assistant works under the supervision of an attending physician and reports directly to the department administrator or chief physician assistant.  The PA II position entails those responsibilities defined by the department/division that will become part of the performance evaluation process.

The PA II will perform in accordance with all state and federal regulations and institutional policies including but not limited to the BWH PA Scope of Practice, Prescriptive Practice Guidelines, approved clinical privileges, and BWH PA policy.

Primary Work Environment(s): check all that apply

     Ambulatory/Inpatient/Research

Non-Clinical Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates professional collaborative and consultative relationships with other providers
• Follows all prescriptive practices and monitoring requirements
• Participates in departmental and organizational committees and programs as appropriate and attends all required meetings, in-services, and professional trainings
• Maintains superior interpersonal and communication skills as a member of the healthcare team in order to collaborate effectively with patients, families, staff, and community health workers
• Remains actively involved in continuing education with a commitment to self and departmental growth
• Adheres to all established safety policies, procedures, and precautions; identifies potential or actual unsafe situations in the environment. Takes appropriate action and files safety reports as needed for system improvement
• Demonstrates understanding of procedures, policies, and documentation required to ensure compliance with hospital standards of care
• Successfully attends and completes the BWH PA onboarding program within six months of employment
• Additional duties and responsibilities as required by the department/division

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PA II:      

• Precepts PA students and participates in student education on an ongoing basis
• Independently orients, onboards, and/or trains new hire PAs within the department/division
• Participates in PA Services and/or hospital committee/council work as appropriate
• Participates in ongoing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives within the department/division
• Assumes responsibility for actively engaging in the ongoing professional development and clinical education opportunities, both within and outside of the department/division

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work settings will include ambulatory clinics, but could at some point include treatment rooms, inpatient areas, intensive care units, operating rooms, and/or procedural areas.  There may be loud noises, noxious odors, and temperature extremes.  A large portion of the workday may be spent either standing or walking and the position may require heavy lifting of equipment and patients. 

The PA may be exposed to radiation, potentially infectious bodily fluids, and sharp instruments such as needles and scalpels.  Knowledge of Universal Precautions and proper use of surgical sharp instruments may be required.  The consequences of contamination from bodily fluids or from being stuck with a sharp instrument include the possibility of physical harm to the employee or others.  BWH is a fast paced, dynamic environment with a very large and complex patient volume; exposure to stress in the workplace is expected.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:  

The Physician Assistant II does not have any supervisory responsibility.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:  

The Physician Assistant II does not have any fiscal responsibility.