The Advanced Practice Provider position is based in the Jessie Norma Jim Health Center in the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) area. The position provides primary care, walk-in urgent care, emergency services and consultation. The Advanced Practice Provider provides the various categories of care as noted above, making independent clinical decisions with consultation and collaboration with physicians from Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital (MEH) and/or Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC).
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Provides primary health care, urgent care, and emergency services. Clinic hours are generally Monday-Friday, with on-call duties shared with the other providers in the community. Services to be provided are listed below; percentage of time for services varies:
- Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic health problems, minor illnesses and preventative care in adult and pediatric patients.
- Primary care for trauma patients, including suturing and casting.
- Emergency care, including starting IVS, establishing adequate airways, and managing trauma life support.
- Perform simple CLIA waived laboratory tests and interpret laboratory test data.
- Provide health maintenance examinations and disease education to patients.
- Utilizes Cerner, VacTrak, State Tobacco database, and other client based tracking system or clinical databases to track, monitor and assure the appropriate and timely follow-up of clients.
- Utilizes best practice model to identify, incorporate or develop best practices for panel management. Collaborates with other teams to share and establish best practice for clinic and division.
- Completes patient and related documentation in accordance with EHR/Meaningful Use standards and protocols and in compliance with SEARHC EHR policies.
- Ensures timely and effective follow-up utilizing other electronic medical systems to coordinate care on behalf of their patients, including but not limited to the MEH and ANMC.
- Ensure operations in accordance with guidelines, requirements such as Joint Commission, OSHA and CLIA
Required Skills
- Knowledge of medical care and treatment for ill or injured patients of all ages. The ability to evaluate patients and establish a diagnosis followed by the appropriate treatment. Competence in keeping problem oriented patient records. Knowledge of frequently used and special drugs, including normal dosage, administration, action, and adverse reaction.
- Ability to provide specialized practitioner services such as suturing, casting, x-ray interpretation of chest and extremities. Ability to provide family planning services, including pelvic examinations, treatment of STDs, prescription of family planning services. Ability to perform basic physical assessments, including consultation skills.
- Ability to provide comprehensive preventive and therapeutic health care based on professional knowledge, clinic guidelines, standing orders, and specific health backgrounds of patients. Knowledge of child and adolescent growth and perform cross-cultural counseling regarding health problems.
- Supervisory Controls - Assignments evolve from the flow of work and the practitioner provides care, without detailed instructions, including assessment and treatment of minor illnesses and initial management of emergencies. At independent sites, the practitioner functions as an independent provider with remote supervision by telephone.
- Guidelines - Work is performed under the guidelines that identify broadly the scope of illness which can be independently treated from those which need to be referred. But the practitioner must use judgment to determine which patient conditions meet the above criteria.
- Complexity - The work covers a range of clinical services from assessment through counseling, treating minor illnesses, chronic disease, and providing initial management of emergencies. At independent sites, it requires independent decision making due to the lack of immediate supervision.
- Scope and Effect - The purpose of the work is to deliver health and nursing care to individuals, families, schools, and, in summation, to a community. The work affects the physical well-being of persons in the community.
- Personal Contacts - Primary contacts are with patients and require professional judgment and the exercise of courtesy and confidentiality. Professional contact with ANMC staff and visiting specialists occurs on a sporadic basis.
- Purpose of Contacts - Contact with patients is to provide medical care appropriate to the health problems encountered. Contact with the ANMC medical staff for consultation on specific patients.
- Work Environment - The work is performed at the various A/PIA medical facilities, which have adequate room, lighting, and ventilation. The practitioner will deal with uncomfortable and injured patients on a daily basis. Exposure to communicable diseases is common.
- Other Significant Factors - The Mid-level Practitioner will have the opportunity to rotate to several regional Community Health Aide (CHA) clinics in the region to provide temporary health care services while the CHA(s) is/are in training or on annual leave. On-site supervision and teaching CHAs on a daily basis in clinics where CHAs are based.
- Must have the ability to maintain mental alertness, attention to detail, and a high degree of accuracy is required.
- Must be able to follow oral and written instructions and follow through on all tasks.
- Maintain confidentiality in regard to client, staff and program matters.
- Abide by the APIA Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual as established by the Board of Directors.
- Perform other reasonable related duties as assigned or required by supervisor.
- Maintain a desktop procedure manual for your position, updating as needed.
- Must demonstrate maturity, dependability, judgment and empathy in performance of assigned duties.
- Must be neat in personal appearance and attire. Must be punctual.
- Must have the ability to establish and maintain a professional business relationship with co-workers, clients, and outside agencies.
- Must contribute to a positive work environment.
- Will demonstrate support and awareness of the Health Department goals, operating principles, core values, and the APIA Mission Statement (all documents attached)
- Will comply with federal laws and regulations as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. (HIPAA compliance form for signature attached).
Required Experience
Graduate of an accredited Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant program. Requires a registration/license to practice in the State of Alaska. Credentialing process to practice required. Knowledge of related accreditation and certification requirements. Two years’ experience ( or and equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.