APC - Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Overview

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is Houston's premier multispecialty group practice, founded in 1949 by Dr. Mavis Kelsey in Houston's renowned Texas Medical Center. More than 500 physicians and allied health professionals practice at 30 locations in the Greater Houston area.  Kelsey-Seybold offers quality medical care in 55 medical specialties. The organization operates the largest freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center in the state of Texas and offers state-of-the-art Varian TrueBeam and Varian Edge radiation therapy technology at a nationally accredited Cancer Center. An accredited Sleep Center, comprehensive laboratory services, advanced imaging and diagnostics, 19 onsite Kelsey pharmacies and one specialty pharmacy, and MyKelseyOnline, a secure web portal, are part of its comprehensive offerings.  Kelsey-Seybold partners with major insurers to offer value-based commercial health plans. KelseyCare Advantage, a Medicare Advantage plan offered to Houston-area beneficiaries and affiliated with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, has achieved the coveted 5-out-of-5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for six consecutive years.  

Kelsey-Seybold has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as the nation’s first accredited Accountable Care Organization and a Level 3 (highest) Patient-Centered Medical Home. Kelsey-Seybold has many physicians in the Greater Houston area certified for excellence in diabetes and heart and stroke care by the NCQA. In addition to these recognitions, Kelsey-Seybold is home to a nationally accredited Breast Diagnostic Center, and Endoscopy Center.

Responsibilities

The Physician Assistant in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery will work in a variety of settings that encompass cosmetic surgery, wound and burn management and reconstruction of soft tissue deformities that result from congenital, traumatic, oncologic and chronic disease. This specialty involves a broad patient population from infancy to geriatrics. Clinical responsibilities will include patient management in the clinic, hospital wards and the operating room. The PA acts to extend the reach of the attending physician to more effectively and efficiently provide optimum care to the Kelsey-Seybold patient population.

General Responsibilities & Office Duties:

• Performs specific duties delineated by their primary attending surgeon
• Attends at least one plastic surgical CME offering per year
• Must maintain clinical privileges at the hospitals of the attending plastic surgeons within the group
• Performs clinic encounters independent of the surgeon
• Participates in communication with the plastic surgery nurses, coordinators and medical assistants in coordinating patient care, scheduling and follow-up protocols.
• Assists in the preoperative assessment and preparation of the necessary paperwork and orders for scheduled cases.
• Performs wound checks, suture removal, drain removal and tissue expansions
• Cares for patients with complex wounds and coordinates treatment with our wound care service
• Performs minor surgical procedures without in-room supervision including wound debridement, wound repair, injectable therapy, chemical peels, dermabrasion, tattooing and laser skin care
• Performs clinic and hospital consultations in the surgeon’s absence
• Participates in a call pool shared with the other plastic surgery attendings and physician assistants that will include weekend hospital rounds and calls.
• Covers the responsibilities of other plastic surgery physician assistants when they are off duty

Operating Room Duties & Responsibilities:

• Performs first assistant duties
• Obtains/maintains fundamental knowledge of anatomy prior to each case
• Obtains/maintains fundamental knowledge of the surgical technique for each case
• Contributes intelligent input into the surgical procedure
• Prepares and ensures availability of inventory and all necessary plastic surgical supplies, medications, and prostheses for each case
• Is present at the beginning of each case to direct and assist the operating room staff with patient positioning and preparation prior to the case in addition to dressing and securing a safe transfer of the patient to the post anesthesia care unit at the completion of the case

Hospital Duties & Responsibilities:

• Follows patients and writes progress notes independently of the attending surgeon
• Writes orders to guide the management of patients in the Recovery Room, ICU and wards
• Maintains clear communication with the attending surgeon and any consultants regarding patient status, both pre and post discharge.
• Dictates discharge summaries

Rotations include:

• The individual will work at the Main Campus and Medical Center hospitals, however there will be the expectation for rotations away from the Medical Center.
•  There is a call schedule that is a rotation between all of the plastic surgery providers to cover weekend rounding – Once per month
•  Main campus and Spring with the rotations to outlying surgical facilities.

Qualifications

• Has the ability to facilitate and incorporate the full breadth of PA training into the practice – from basic primary-care assessments to advanced intra-operative skills
• Must be current in BCLS and ACLS and be comfortable with management of cardiac and respiratory emergencies.
• Has or is capable of obtaining excellent suturing skills
• Has experience or is capable of obtaining training in microsurgical techniques
• Understands reimbursement criteria and plastic surgery coding
• Ability to build rapport with patients
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Graduate from an ARC-PA accredited physician assistant program by start date
• License, Certification, RegistrationNCCPA certified at time of hire and maintained throughout career at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic
• Texas State Physician Assistant License issued by Physician Assistant Board under Medical Board of Texas by date of hire.