General Physician Assistant-ELM-12270-001

Under the direct supervision of the Acute Pain Service (APS) attending physician(s), the Physician Assistant provides diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative pain management services to inpatients at Elmhurst Hospital Center.

The PA is a core clinical member of the APS, managing the daily consult service, continuous peripheral nerve and epidural catheter infusions, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), and multimodal analgesia protocols across surgical and medical services. The PA works closely with the APS attending, pharmacy, nursing, and primary teams to deliver consistent, protocol-driven acute pain care and to support the Department's opioid-stewardship and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) initiatives.

Responsibilities

Consultative & Clinical Pain Management

• Respond promptly to inpatient consults for acute and complex pain management, including postoperative, trauma, and medically complex patients.

• Perform focused pain-related history and physical examinations; review relevant labs, imaging, and medication history.

• Formulate and present multimodal analgesia plans in collaboration with the APS attending; place and adjust orders within scope of practice.

• Round daily on all active APS patients (catheters, PCAs, complex consults) and communicate plans to primary teams and nursing.

• Triage and prioritize new consults and urgent pain issues throughout the shift, including recognition of complications requiring attending escalation.

• Evaluate pain perioperative pain patients upon arrival in the PACU.

Continuous Catheter & Infusion Management (Peripheral Nerve / Epidural)

• Coordinate placement logistics for peripheral nerve and epidural catheter infusions, including pharmacy orders, pump and tubing setup, and PACU sign-out per departmental workflow.

• Round on all indwelling catheters daily: renew medication orders, replace infusion bags, reprogram pumps, and document wasted volume with nursing per protocol.

• Confirm active intralipid orders and equipment availability on the patient's floor for the duration of the infusion.

• Coordinate catheter discontinuation with the primary team and nursing, including anticoagulation holds where applicable; ensure equipment is returned and cleaned per protocol.

• Maintain the shared Epidural/Peripheral Nerve Catheter patient list and ensure timely removal upon discontinuation.

PCA Management

• Review and adjust PCA orders for opioid-naive and opioid-tolerant patients using standardized APS parameters.

• Monitor PCA patients for efficacy, side effects, and safety per Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale (POSS) and departmental protocol.

• Support pharmacy and nursing with troubleshooting of PCA orders, pump programming, and formulary questions.

Procedural Support

• Assist the APS attending with PACU- and floor-based pain procedures (e. g., peripheral nerve blocks, catheter placements), including patient preparation, timeout, and post-procedure monitoring.

• Participate in procedural scheduling and coordination with PACU nursing and scheduling staff.

• Assist with outpatient pain management clinic and interventional procedures.

Documentation & Care Coordination

• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation using departmental Epic SmartPhrases and dot-phrase templates.

• Document wasted controlled-substance volume, complications, and sign-off communications per hospital and DEA requirements.

• Serve as a liaison between the APS, primary services, pharmacy, and nursing to ensure continuity of pain management care.

Program Development & Coverage

• Support ongoing development of APS clinical protocols, order sets, and quality/outcomes tracking.

• Assist in instruction of residents, students, and nursing staff rotating through or interfacing with the APS.

• Participate in departmental quality improvement activities related to consult volume, opioid utilization, and length of stay.

Miscellaneous Duties

• Dependent on departmental staffing needs, the appropriate candidate may be required to participate in other areas of care in Pain Management and within the Department of Anesthesiology. This may include, but is not limited to, outpatient pain management clinic, preoperative anesthesiology assessments, and management of post-operative patients in coordination with Anesthesiology Attendings.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program (Bachelor's or Master's level).

• Minimum one year of clinical experience; experience in acute pain management, anesthesiology, or another acute-care inpatient setting preferred.

• Current NYS PA License/Registration

• NCCPA Certification

• DEA Registration

• NPI Number

• ACLS/BLS Certification

• Infection Control Certificate

• Proficiency with Epic, including SmartPhrases, SmartLists, and Epic messaging;

MS Office Suite (intermediate).

• Relevant clinical competence in acute pain management; new PA graduates must demonstrate current knowledge of clinical process and its application.

• Ability to maintain effective interpersonal relationships and communicate clearly with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams.

• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, displaying effective communication and critical thinking under time pressure.

• Visual, physical, auditory, and cognitive ability to assess patient status, including acutely ill patients with a broad variety of diagnoses.

• Ability to walk, stand, and respond quickly across inpatient units, PACU, and procedural areas for extended periods.

• Proficient use of data entry, retrieval systems, and electronic medical record documentation.

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