Physician Assistant - Plastic Surgery

The Plastic Surgery department specializes in providing comprehensive care for cancer patients while also spearheading advanced research to drive innovation in reconstructive surgery. The department is staffed by 32 skilled surgeons who perform more than 4,000 surgeries, including over 1,000 micro-reconstructive surgeries, each year. In addition to surgeries, they provide consultations and outpatient evaluations to address post-treatment needs. Our faculty members are actively involved in 55% of operating room cases that require collaboration across multiple teams.

The Physician Assistant position performs the increasingly independent and complex tasks of a routine and standardized nature, which would otherwise be performed by a physician. The incumbent in this position will provide advanced patient care in relation to the patient’s prescribed diagnosis, treatment, age group, development, and other identified needs. This position provides quality direct and/or indirect patient care clinically, administratively and/or academically. The incumbent in this position will provide direct plastic surgery services to patients within the education, training, and patient care parameters of the Department of Plastic Surgery. The duties of this position are carried out in accordance with policies established by the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff and consistent with the Texas State Board of Physician Assistants and Medical Examiners, and existing state laws.

Our department empowers Physician Assistants (PAs) to practice at the top of their license, ensuring they play a critical role in patient care. This position offers significant involvement in the operating room, serving as a first assistant for donor site closures and contributing to the microsurgical aspects of cases. Beyond the OR, PAs provide continuity of care, following patients from the outpatient setting through surgery and into inpatient recovery.

We pride ourselves on having a large, cohesive team of PAs who are highly collaborative and supportive of one another. Their expertise and teamwork are integral to our clinical care model, making them essential partners in delivering exceptional outcomes for our patients.

The Physician Assistants will work across the full continuum of care, including outpatient, operating room (OR). They will primarily be based in outpatient clinics and will provide first assistant support in the OR. Experience in plastic surgery and oncology is a plus.

Traveling to Houston Area Locations (HALs) is required.

The ideal candidate will have prior experience in plastic surgery or surgical practice. 

Salary Range: Minimum $117,500.00 - Midpoint $146,500.00 - Maximum $176,500.00 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. First and Second Surgical Assist

• Performs first- and second-assist duties in the operating room daily, or as needed, as directed by the physician.
• Demonstrates manual dexterity in the use of all instruments and equipment.
• First and second assist duties would include, but is not limited to, the use of a scalpel, needle-driver, forceps, and bovie cautery. able to tie suture with acceptable knot-tying techniques, both with hands, and with instruments. performs retraction, cutting suture, direct hemostasis, placing drains, and multi-level skin and donor site closures. 
• Performs harvest of complex flaps, full and split thickness grafts, and placement of complex wound dressings.

2. Perioperative Patient Management

• Assesses patient before surgery and completes the H&P update in a consistently timely manner.
• Communicates and assists OR staff (Anesthesia, CRNA, Anesthesia Assistants, Nurse circulator, Scrub technician, Perioperative Nursing Assistants (PNA)).
• Ensure all necessary supplies, equipment, and medications are available. Assists in properly positioning the patient on the OR bed.
• Writes postoperative orders, and transitions with the patient to the PACU/ICU.
• Give reports to PACU/ICU staff.
• Communicate with family members if assigned to do so.
• Performs post-operative checks on patients as assigned by attending.

3. Inpatient Care

• Makes daily rounds with or without faculty on in-patients, before clinic, conference, or OR duties, by walking from office to inpatient rooms.
•  Performs a variety of inpatient patient care activities included but not limited to wound care and dressing changes, removal of drain and sutures, etc.
• Communicates, in a timely fashion, all physical findings and other pertinent information regarding the patient to attending and associated medical staff.
• Notifies other health care professionals (e.g. speech pathology or radiology) regarding required interventions, and complete in-patient consultations as indicated.
• Facilitates communication between patient/family members and physician/interdisciplinary team; assists with patients’ problems, questions, concerns and provides support.
• Assists with discharge planning for inpatients and helps to anticipate family needs regarding adequate post-discharge care.
• Assists with arranging home health care, and other post-discharge allied health needs.
• Arranges follow-up care in the Plastic Surgery clinic by discussing with patient and completing electronic CSR.
• Responsible for inpatient consultants when attending physician is unavailable.
• Completes and authenticates discharge summaries within 24 hours of discharge according to Medical Records standards.

4. Outpatient Care

• Performs assessment of the following patients in clinic: Consults, second opinions, preoperative and postoperative follow-ups.
• Obtains histories and physical of patients for preoperative history and physical exams or primary medical evaluations which are performed according to institutional standards set by Medical Records.
• Ensures that data is complete, accurate, current, and reflects clinical physiology/pathophysiology.
• Ensure that data collected is communicated to attending physicians and associated medical staff in a complete, concise and organized fashion.