Physician Assistant (SOM Pediatric Cardiology)

Physician Assistant (SOM Pediatric Cardiology)

The School of Medicine Pediatric Cardiology Unit is seeking a Physician Assistant (PA) to join the Blalock Taussig Thomas Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center, Division of Pediatric Cardiology. The PA will work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary health care team and would be responsible for providing comprehensive care to children with congenital and acquired heart disease in the acute care setting.

The Pediatric Cardiology Unit (PCU) is a designated space within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Children's Center to care for pediatric cardiology, cardiac catheterization, and cardiac surgery patients. The PCU team provides multidisciplinary care to neonates, infants, children, adolescents and young adults with cardiac intensive care step down and acute care needs. The PCU PA is expected to independently manage patients while working collaboratively with pediatric cardiology fellows and attending physicians.

As a birthplace of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, the Johns Hopkins Hospital has a rich history of surgical intervention and innovation for patients with congenital heart disease. The Heart Center has been rapidly expanding and evolving over the past few years, including the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. The PCU team works closely with cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac critical care, and cardiac anesthesia to provide a team-based approach to patient care in all locations of the Heart Center. Additionally, the PCU PA works closely with the physicians and other PAs in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and outpatient Pediatric Cardiology Clinic to support transitions in care throughout the hospital system. Thus, the ability to work collaboratively across a variety of disciplines and patient care spaces is integral to the PCU PA role.

As part of the PCU PA group, opportunities for professional development include, but are not limited to research, publication, quality improvement, multidisciplinary and/or interdepartmental collaborative efforts are available. Johns Hopkins University benefits incorporate funds to support annual conference attendance, continuing education, and more. Mentorship from senior Physician Assistants and faculty is foundational to our standing as an academic center focused on advancing the care of pediatric heart disease. The ability to work effectively with faculty and multi-disciplinary teams is particularly important.

Specific duties and responsibilities include conducting comprehensive and/or episodic health assessments, ordering appropriate lab, radiographic and other studies, performing tests and procedures, establishing a plan of care related to patient's identified problems, prescribing and regulating medications, recording patient visit/interaction, arranging referrals to appropriate specialties, triaging patient telephone calls, messages, and interactions appropriately, tracking patient compliance with treatment plan, utilizing time management to see patients in an efficient manner, maintaining consistent level of productivity, working collaboratively with the health team members to facilitate smooth operations of the unit, supervising activities of team members as appropriate, communicating significant information in an organized, logical, and concise manner to co-workers, providing constructive feedback as it relates to performance, adhering to the confidentiality policy, making recommendations to administrative leadership related to clinical and administrative operations, analyzing research findings and current trends in pediatric cardiac critical care, supporting the orientation of newly hired PAs, supporting the education of the interdisciplinary team, supporting quality and safety initiatives, and supporting the institution's Core Values.

Technical qualifications or specialized certifications include current CPR and PALS certification and completion of the JHH credentialing process. Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's Degree, Certification by the NCCPA or similar national certifying body, completion of a CAAHEP certified Physician Assistant program, and being licensed as a PA in the State of Maryland or other state where practicing. Preferred qualifications include at least 3 years of relevant PA experience within cardiac surgery, cardiac critical care, or pediatric cardiology.