The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery is organized into three sections: adult cardiac surgery, general thoracic surgery and pediatric cardiac surgery. Faculty members in each of these sections are experts in their field and specialize in the surgical treatment of advanced heart and lung disease. They work in conjunction with the OHSU Division of Vascular Surgery, as well as the Knight Cancer Institute, the Knight Cardiovascular Institute and Doernbecher Children¿s Hospital to provide comprehensive care. Active in research as well as education, the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery sponsors both a residency program and a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship program.

 

Provides cardiac inpatient and outpatient care and clinical support operations for the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Works in partnership with faculty physicians to provide excellent clinical care and customer services in furthering OHSU mission of excellence in education, research and scholarship, clinical practice and community service.

Clinic Responsibilities (95%)

• Inpatient Duties (50%)
  • Provide inpatient care and follow-up from admission through discharge.  This may include, but is not limited to: rounding on a daily basis with the faculty, developing and implementing clinical plans of care and/or protocols for inpatients on the cardiac surgery service with common conditions/diagnoses/procedures; educating the house staff and nursing staff on protocols, with the goal of enhancing quality of care, patient services, and decreasing length of inpatient stay; participating with hospital/unit staff in evaluating results of protocols and continually improving effectiveness of the same; working actively with hospital and unit staff to rapidly develop and implement discharge plans for inpatients on the service and to address length of stay issues; promoting and maintaining health of inpatients through the use of ancillary services, educational materials, and counseling of patients and families; providing house staff training/education in utilization of plans of care to improve patient services and outcomes of treatment; providing and/or participating in clinical in-service training and staff educational programs for the service. 
• Operating Room (30%)
  • Operating Room – Assistant Duties (20%)
    • Provide operating room and procedural assistance to cardiac surgeons as determined by the Division Head or his designee(s).  Includes assistance in performing endovascular aortic surgery, open aortic surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), open valve surgery, adult congenital surgery, EMCO cannulation and other such procedures.
  • Operating Room – First Assistant Duties (10%)
    • Provide billable First Assistant services for a variety of cardiac surgical procedures as determined by the Division Head or his designee(s).  Includes performing arterial graft harvest (open and endo) for CABG, vein graft harvest (open and endo) for CABG, intra-operative balloon pump placement, ultrasound use, percutaneous cannulation, and other such procedures.
  • Outpatient (10%)
    • Providing patient care in the outpatient setting for preoperative and postoperative care, wound care, unscheduled visits, and chronic follow-up as determined by the faculty.  This includes, but is not limited to: developing patient care plans with the faculty and house staff to ensure continuity of care and enhance quality of outpatient care.  Training and supervision of cardiac surgical team staff, house staff and medical students.  Promoting and maintaining health through the use of ancillary services, educational materials, and counseling of patients and families as outpatients; providing same day response to medical advice/prescription phone requests and coordinating patient services with outpatient patient care staff and other departmental advanced care providers.  Promoting a safe environment and adhering to policies and confidentiality to support the mission and goals of OHSU. Recognizing clinical emergencies or urgent situations and acting autonomously, efficiently, and effectively to provide situational resuscitation and/or treatment.  Assessing patients for outpatient clinic visits, determining medical necessity of visit and ensuring a course of action based on department and OHSU policies and/or in collaboration with the faculty.  Being resourceful in patient education materials for patients and families; consulting with the faculty to provide up-to-date condition-specific health care information for outpatients.  This includes prompt and professional communication, face-to-face customer contact skills, crisis management, use of available information technology, standard complaint processing, flexibility in coverage of internal service needs, and continuous application of process improvement methods and skills.
  • Call Coverage (5%)
    • Provide pager coverage on week nights Monday through Thursday, and OR call coverage on weekends which includes Saturday morning rounds, on a variable rotating basis.

General Responsibilities (5%)

• Guidance: Provide Cardiothoracic Surgery representation within OHSU regarding DNV standards and provide leadership within the division regarding compliance with DNV requirements and guidelines in the inpatient arena.
• Advocacy: Participate in quality initiatives within OHSU, and the Department of Surgery.
• Teaching: Participate in clinical in-services and staff educational programs, teach cardiac surgical and diagnostic treatments to medical students, house staff, nursing staff, and other Division support staff.

• Current active Oregon Board of Medical Examiners (licensed Physician Assistant) Registration
• Current active Drug Enforcement Agency Controlled Substance Registration
• Current Physician Assistant Certification
• Surgical clinical experience, ability to muti-task and prioritize, ability to work as a team member.

• Cardiac surgery experience or completion of a Cardiothoracic PA residency; or relevant cardiology or vascular surgery experience.
• Experience using ultrasound, endo harvesting, and providing comprehensive history & physical examinations.

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.