Per Diem APP/Physician Assistant-NICU-Northern Duchess and Vassar

Connecticut Children's Medical Center; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, CT seeks a Physician Assistant to join our pediatric care team. You will evaluate patients from neonates to young adults, develop differential diagnoses, and collaborate with physicians and the inter-professional team to plan and coordinate care.

This role emphasizes medical knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, patient history synthesis, and clear communication with families.

Qualifications

• Clinical knowledge to support care decisions.
• Diagnostic reasoning and differential diagnosis development.
• Effective communication with patients and families.
• Team collaboration and interdisciplinary care.

Responsibilities

• Clinical knowledge: apply an intermediate level of medical knowledge to common scenarios.
• Diagnostic evaluation: recommend broad evaluation based on prioritized differential diagnoses.
• Patient History: gather, filter, prioritize, and synthesize patient history to develop a differential diagnosis.
• Patient care: organize and prioritize care and develop an interdisciplinary management plan.
• Procedures: perform core procedures with increasing competency.
• Interpersonal and communication: establish culturally competent, compassionate communication with patients and families.
• System-based practice: navigate care coordination among disciplines and assist families.

Skills

Medical knowledge

Communication skills

Organization

Education

Physician Assistant program (ARC-PA accredited)

Job description

Connecticut Children's is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy that spans more than 100 years, Connecticut Children's offers personalized medical care in more than 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations that are closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families and team members.

At Connecticut Children's, treating children isn't just our job - it's our passion. As a leading children's health system experiencing steady growth, we're excited to expand our team with exceptional team members who share our vision of transforming children's health and well-being as one team.

Job Description

Completes thorough evaluations of pediatric patients (from neonates to adolescents and young adults) with increasing independence. Recommends broad evaluation based on prioritized focused differential
diagnosis. Interprets clinical significance of diagnostic study results. Collaborates care with the supervising physician and inter-professional team. Develops an interdisciplinary management plan for common and typical diagnoses. Continues to develop competencies in core procedures.

Responsibilities

Medical knowledge

• Clinical knowledge. With increasing independence, applies an intermediate-level of medical knowledge to common and typical scenarios, incorporating some literature to support care.

• Diagnostic Evaluation. Recommends broad evaluation based on prioritized focused differential diagnosis. Interprets clinical significance of diagnostic study results.

Patient History. Gathers, filters, prioritizes, and synthesizes patient history to develop a differential diagnosis in real-time for uncomplicated or typical presentations.

Patient care

• Clinical reasoning. Organizes clinical facts (e.g., history, exam, tests, consultations, etc.) to compare and contrast diagnoses being considered, resulting in a prioritized differential diagnosis.

• Organize and prioritize patient care. Organizes and prioritizes the simultaneous care of multiple patients with efficiency.

• Patient management. Develops an interdisciplinary management plan for common and typical diagnoses.

Procedures as defined by clinical department. Applies increasing competency in array of core procedures. Please reference the "APP Procedures Listing" for those relevant to the Medical Specialty.

Interpersonal and Communication

• Patient and family centered communication. Establishes a culturally competent and therapeutic relationship with patients/families. Communicates with sensitivity and compassion. Elicits patient/family values and incorporates awareness of these in communications with patient/family and in patient care. Acknowledges uncertainty and conflict and escalates to more experienced APPs, etc., as appropriate.

• Interpersonal and team communication. Formulates specific questions for consultation with supervising physician and tailors communication strategies as appropriate to promote collaborative practice. Uses bi-directional communication within the inter-professional team.

• Communication within Health Care System. Concisely documents updated, prioritized, diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning in the patient record. Aligns type of communication with message to be delivered (e.g., direct and indirect) based on urgency and complexity.

Practice-based learning and improvement

• Evidence-based and informed practice. Critically analyzes data and evidence (from literature), integrated with patient preference, and applies to the care of patients.

• Reflective practice and commitment to personal growth. Proactively seeks feedback. Designs and implements a learning plan, incorporating feedback and performance data.

Professionalism

• Performs responsibilities in a thorough and timely manner, maintaining composure in increasingly complex or stressful situations. Proactively seeks guidance in new or especially difficult circumstances.

• Constructively highlights to lead/manager concerns that impact the cohesiveness and well-being of the team. Proactively presents viable solutions for discussion.

System-based practice

• Sys tem navigation for patient centered care-coordination of care. Coordinates inter-professional patient-centered care among different disciplines and specialties actively assisting families in navigating the health care system.

• Population and community health. Uses local and regional resources to effectively meet the needs and reduce health disparities of a patient population and community.

• Organizational View. Increasingly aware of one's role and impact on the broader patient care team as it relates to patient care, systems and processes.

Qualifications

Minimum education (degree/type of degree).

• Physician Assistant. Graduation from a physician assistant program accredited, at the time of graduation, by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Minimum experience (minimum years & type of experience): At least 2 years of APP experience.

License and/or Certification

Required:

At time of hire and maintenance at time of appointment or privilege approval:

• Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. (NCCPA). Current State of Connecticut Physician Assistant licensure.

Additionally:

• Depending on privileges for role, Basic Life Support (BLS) and/or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification may be required.

• Depending on privileges for role, federal DEA and CT controlled substance registration may be required.

• Certain specialties may require additional certifications.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Medical knowledge and procedures:

  • Medical knowledge sufficient to navigate barriers, begin identifying outliers, and adapt plan of care for common and typical scenarios with increasing independence.
  • Competent in performing core procedures of the department, while increasing in efficiency and their application.

• Communication:

  • Exemplary written and verbal communication skills with the ability to modify communication strategy/method for the audience and circumstance.
  • Highly organized in the presentation of essential information.
  • Ability to tactfully and proactively address concerns and propose solutions.