What are the responsibilities and job description for the Physician Assistant - Thoracic Head & Neck Medical Oncology position at MD Anderson Cancer Center?
The mission of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.
The Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology provides the highest quality of care to our patients and advances the treatment and prevention of aerodigestive cancers through innovative clinical and laboratory research.
KEY FUNCTIONS
Perform clinical patient care duties:
Attend clinics with physician.
Conduct preliminary assessments of physician’s new and follow-up clinic patients.
Dictate clinic progress notes on physician’s follow-up patients, dictate PMEs on new patients, and dictate consultation notes on his new consults.
Write admission notes and orders for physician’s patients admitted into the hospital.
Write outpatient orders, including those for chemotherapy, IV fluids, transfusions, growth factors, etc.
Assist with physician’s clinic-related paperwork.
Assist with physician’s miscellaneous clinic activities.
Screen patients’ telephone calls and refer to physician when appropriate.
Evaluate physician’s clinic and Emergency Center “drop-in” patients.
Assume responsibility for physician’s clinic patients (either scheduled or “drop-in”), even if staffed by another attending in physician’s absence.
Attend department meetings pertinent to patient care.
Assist physician with in-patient care when needed.
Work with another physician in physician’s absence, if directed by physician.
Perform other patient care related activities and various administrative duties pertaining to patient care and/or clinic operations as assigned by the Medical Director of clinic, the attending physician, or the MLP Manager.
Perform a variety of research related duties during non clinic hours, as directed by physician:
Screen patients for eligibility for clinical trials.
Obtain charts and x rays as needed for analysis of clinical trials.
Help prepare chemotherapy orders for clinical trials.
Perform other patient care related activities and various administrative duties pertaining to clinical trials as assigned by the Medical Director of the clinic, the attending physician, or the MLP Manager.
Assess patients for protocol eligibility, which includes teaching:
Evaluate patients and perform physical examinations.
Write information and clinic notes to and for the physician.
Review patients’ charts and verbally present patient history and physical examination to attending physician.
Assist research nurses in identifying patients who may benefit by protocol registration.
Explain protocol treatment options and plans to patients.
Perform other patient care related activities and various administrative duties pertaining to patient care and/or clinic operations as assigned by the Medical Director of the clinic, the attending physician, or the MLP Manager.
Maintain records:
File, sort, distribute, and copy all pertinent paperwork.
Be able to handle material of a technical and/or confidential nature.
Prepare reports and work out details of presentations.
Dictate letters to referring physicians by keying medical records dictation number and codes on telephone keypad and by speaking into a hand held telephone receiver.
Collect patient charts from Medical Records.
Perform other patient care related activities and various administrative duties pertaining to patient care and/or clinic operations as assigned by the Medical Director of clinic, the attending physician, or the MLP Manager.
Coordinate the services from different departments within the institution to complete potential projects:
Take the initiative in making decisions and taking action which will further the department’s goals.
Be able to assimilate pertinent information in order to compose written correspondence.
Display the ability to organize and disseminate information in a clearly understood manner.
Perform other patient care related activities and various administrative duties pertaining to patient care and/or clinic operations as assigned by the Medical Director of the clinic, the attending physician, or the MLP Manager.
EDUCATION
Required:
Master's degree from an accredited Physician Assistant (PA) program by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), except for Physician Assistants who graduated from a PA program prior to 2013.
EXPERIENCE
Preferred:
Prior experience as Physician Assistant.
Prior Oncology experience.
LICENSURE / CERTIFICATION
Required:
All of the following:
PA certification by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants.
Licensed by the Texas State Board of Physician Assistant Examiners.
MAY BE REQUIRED: Eligible to be granted limited prescriptive authority by the State of Texas.
Must meet the American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) , ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) or PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) if working in one of following department: Pediatrics - Patient Care (113100).
It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html
