ADVANCED PRACTICE PROFESSIONAL - ORTHO

SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.

Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.

Provide orthopedic care to patients within the scope of training and experience.  Provide care in collaboration with visiting orthopedic surgeons, with fundamental responsibility for outpatient clinic and being first call for provider-to-provider consults with primary care providers across the consortium.  Occasional rotations to assist with surgery and inpatient rounding.  Monthly travel to provide outpatient field clinics at other locations is required.  Medical care provided is consistent with SEARHC policy and procedure, Medical Staff Bylaws, and nationally recognized medical standards of care.  

• Provide orthopedic consults and follow up for patients in the outpatient setting including diagnosis, treatment, coordination of care and referrals, working in a central location but with monthly travel for field clinics at remote locations.
• Collaborate with orthopedic surgeons to develop appropriate care plans and provide patient follow up.
• Perform procedures in clinic such as aspirations/injections, casting, suturing and dressing changes.
• Directs clinic staff as needed for effective patient care.
• Take first call (during clinic hours) from primary care providers across the consortium with questions regarding diagnosis, treatment and coordination of care for patients with orthopedic concerns. May provide occasional off-hours call coverage if surgeons are traveling.
• Serve as OR first assist for a variety of orthopedic surgeries including hip, knee and shoulder joint replacements and assist with admission, discharge and rounding for surgical patients.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of services in accordance with SEARHC policy.
• Provide optimal patient experience using strong listening and communication skills that build long term patient care relationships.
• Consults SEARHC physician as needed for patient care, and uses other access to specialists as needed (ie AristaMD, ANMC providers, etc).
• Actively participates in SEARHC quality patient care initiatives and quality assurance programs.
• Actively participates in provider and clinic meetings, and SEARHC medical staff functions.

Education/Experience: 

Minimum two years of experience in an orthopedic practice and able to appropriately assess and treat patients within scope of practice while consulting a collaborating physician when needed.

License/Certification

• State of Alaska Medical License as an NP or PA
• Board Certified in specialty by accrediting body
• Maintains active unrestricted DEA registration
• Maintains active SEARHC medical staff privileges
• BLS

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of orthopedic practices and principles
• Understanding of the relationship between primary and specialty care in a rural health setting
• Basic emergency care and protocol where appropriate
• Common disease processes and pharmacology
• Is aware of standards of care, EMTALA, HIPAA, health care risk management principles, medical ethics, and medical malpractice principles

Skills:

• Effective communication skill and ability to interact with staff and patients
• Capable of operating essential basic medical equipment
• Makes proper assessments based upon history, exam, lab, x-ray and other data
• Incorporates health promotion and health prevention activities into patient care
• Educates patients and family members about diagnoses, treatment plan alternatives, risks, options, and medications
• Provides high quality health care services including the performance of medical procedures appropriate to the outpatient setting and assistance with general orthopedic surgeries

Abilities:

• Promotes teamwork and collaboration and resolves conflict
• Ability to efficiently utilize the electronic medical record and other clinically required technology
• Carefully listens to patients and family members
• Express ideas clearly through oral and written communication skills, analyze complex situations efficiently and problem solve, and effectively implement clinical program strategies