Benefited Part Time Advanced Practice Provider

General Statement

The Advanced Practice Provider BPT, under general supervision, provides intermediate level professional work in augmenting the primary health care physician in providing health maintenance check-ups, making diagnoses, and dispensing medical treatment. Employee will function in a variety of clinic settings including child health, family planning, maternal health, and sexually transmitted infection clinics.

Public Health is responsible for preparedness activities in the event of a natural disaster, disease outbreak, and other threats to the health of the public. Employees in this classification participate in preparedness response activities which may include mass vaccination clinics, sheltering, dispensing medications from the Strategic National Stockpile, and/or other needed response activities as directed.

Essential Functions

Provides well care and treatment of a variety of recurring and non-recurring medical conditions of children.

Obtains thorough family and medical history of children, from birth through 21 years of age.

Performs physical examinations and requests/performs appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Makes referrals to and reviews consultations from secondary and tertiary care providers.

Records and codes patient encounters in electronic medical records.

Obtains thorough family and medical history of patients requesting family planning services.

Advises patients on issues relative to sexual activity and contraceptive choices using established medical protocols; advises contraception methods including condoms, prescribes oral contraceptives and Depo-Provera; inserts and/or removes subdermal contraceptives and intrauterine devices.

Counsels patients on sexually transmitted infections and provides appropriate testing and/or treatment.

Provides prenatal care, counseling, and education to low-risk maternal health patients, using established OB protocols.

Obtains initial and interval history; performs physical examination; performs interval assessments of patients.

Requests, performs, and reviews appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Screens patients for high-risk conditions and makes appropriate referrals to High-Risk Maternity Clinic and/or tertiary care center for care.

Provides consultation and continued assessment of patient referred by expanded role rostered nurses (ERRNs), when requested.

Refers patients to social worker and nutritionist as needed.

Works very closely with OB/GYN consultant and/or attending clinic physician, as well as the Maternal Health Supervisor and lead nurses.

Performs colposcopic examinations and procedures for patients with abnormal Pap smears.

Removes cervical polyps.

Performs cryosurgery in the treatment of abnormal tissue of the cervix.

Obtains appropriate history; performs appropriate physical assessments related to presenting problem, performs/requests appropriate diagnostic procedures, establishes diagnosis, and provides appropriate treatment, and follow-up.

Serves as clinical preceptor for ERRN and physician assistant (PA) students and participates in in-services for nursing staff.

Functions independently in a variety of clinic settings including child health, family planning, maternal health (routine and high-risk) and sexually transmitted infection clinics.

Provides ongoing consultation to fellow medical providers, registered nurses and/or expanded role nurses in the previously listed clinics in addition to the following areas: triage, communicable disease, contraceptive, refugee, immunization, and Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP).

Remains current in medical practice across all clinical areas.

Collaborates with fellow medical providers in coordination of patient medical care across clinics.

Remains flexible to daily changes in clinic demands.

Assists the Medical Director in developing clinical practice guidelines.

Participates in provider meetings.

Generates independent work on projects that improve clinic effectiveness and efficiency.

Assists Clinic Leads in development/implementation of their management of clinic operations.

Participates in clinical committees (such as Quality Assurance, etc.).

Reviews and implements internal and external audit recommendations.

Maintains relationships with local medical community.

Follows mandated guidelines of care set by state and federal funding sources (such as, insurers, grants, etc.).

Participates in education and drills for public heath emergencies.

Participates in public health emergencies as an agent of Union County Division of Public Health as directed by emergency officials.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Graduation from a Physician Assistant program approved by the NC Board of Medical Examiners and "approved to practice medical acts" based on education and experience by the Board of Medical Examiners; or graduation from an accredited Surgeon's Assistant Program of at least 24 months duration and "approved to practice medical acts" based on education and experience by the Board of Medical Examiners; or licensed as a Registered Nurse by the Board of Nursing, graduation from a Nurse Practitioner program approved by the NC Joint Subcommittee of the Board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners, and "approved to practice medical acts" based on education and experience by the Joint Subcommittee. Is required to maintain continuing education as required by the State Licensing Agency, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Licenses or Certifications:

Licensed to practice as a Physician Assistant in North Carolina; or

Licensed to practice as a Nurse Practitioner in North Carolina; or

Licensed to practice as a Certified Nurse Midwife in North Carolina.

Must have a current DEA Certification.

Special Requirements:

In order to perform work in this role, within (30) thirty days of employment you must provide immunization records, provide proof of immunity, or receive/start the required vaccination series, as applicable, along with complying with any necessary screenings, as required by the Union County Division of Public Health and its Healthcare Personnel Immunization and Tuberculosis Screening Policy, in accordance with applicable law.

Supplemental Information

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be physically able to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions including computers, stethoscope, hemostat, IV pump, telephones, etc. Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work. Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires the need to be sensitive to change and responsive to changing goals, priorities, and needs.