As Oregon’s only academic health center, OHSU integrates education, research, patient care, and community service to improve the well-being of Oregonians. The Department of Neurological Surgery delivers comprehensive care for patients with brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve conditions at OHSU and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Our surgeons combine deep expertise with advanced technology and a patient-centered approach.

The department is nationally recognized for pioneering innovations, including North America's first deep brain stimulation surgery and the world’s first neuronal stem cell transplants. We house leading neurosurgical training programs and advanced fellowships and contribute significant research on pain perception and cerebral blood flow.

The Department of Neurological Surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine is a safe, respectful and welcoming place for people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, genders, national origins, abilities, ages, colors, religions, and sexual orientations. We are committed to creating a respectful, inclusive, and equitable work environment. Diversity is a core value, and all members participate in ongoing education and initiatives to support equity and inclusion within OHSU and the communities we serve.

 

Position Summary:

The Department of Neurological Surgery employees over 20 advanced practice providers (APPs) that participate in all the mission areas with a primary focus on clinical care. This growing team provides service in both the inpatient and outpatient settings and contribute in a variety of ways to the care of and management of patients treated at OHSU hospital, ambulatory clinics, partner locations such as Legacy and Hillsboro Medical Center.

The purposes of the role are to (1) provide clinical management of patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, (2) assure a coordinated, effective, high quality, and efficient care process, (3) use an interdisciplinary team approach to the care of patients and (4) provide supervision and guidance to the inpatient and outpatient APP teams.

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is a practitioner certified through the Oregon State Board of Nursing (NP) and authorized to practice within the parameters described in Division 50 of the Oregon Nurse Practice Act (Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 678) or is a Physician Assistant licensed to practice by the Oregon Medical Board (PA). The APP is credentialed by the Credentials Committee and approved by the Professional Board of OHSU and other locations as required to practice in the hospital setting and to perform such procedures as authorized by the Credentials Committee and by the Professional Board. The APP is authorized to prescribe medications according to the state and federal guidelines and laws.

This faculty position specializes in caring for adult patients with neurological disorders and is primarily responsible for clinical care as well as other clinical operations within the Department of Neurological Surgery. The role involves independent patient care, procedural work, care coordination and administrative tasks, and educational contributions. The APP collaborates closely with faculty physicians, APP colleagues, and others in the interdisciplinary team to ensure the highest standards of patient care and service.

The APP will support OHSU’s missions including teaching, research, patient care, outreach, and public service.

 

Supervision and Reporting:

• Clinical Oversight: Department Chair or designee
  
• Administrative Supervision: Department Administrator
  

Leadership and Administration (0.50 FTE):

• Provide day to day management of personnel issues, solve problems, and escalate to leadership team as appropriate.
  
• Responsible for developing onboarding plan and oversight of new APPs.
  
• Provide day to day management of personnel issues and escalate to Medical Director (or designee) as appropriate.
  
• Manage scheduling issues for the APP team, including vacation, education and sick leave, assuring APP coverage is maximized
  
• Represent and coordinate representation of APPs on department and institutional work groups and committees.
  
• Work with hospital and management in value stream efforts toward meeting institutional targets of high quality, cost-efficient patient management.
  • in conjunction with APP team, identify areas of variability in management by various team members
  • work coordinately between APP and MD teams to identify consensus
  • communicate pathway changes timely and effectively
• Assist HR and management with recruitment efforts by reviewing CVs of all potential candidates, making initial contact and assessment, and working with medical leadership to determine hiring strategies.
  
• Assist department leadership in annual reviews of APP along with determination of annual goals
• Assist APPs in maintaining standards for continuing education including supervision of new employees, assisting with development of educational guidelines and ensuring all APPs are in compliance with standards and policies.

Clinical Care:

• Provide coverage across a wide range of APP duties, including 7-day/week inpatient coverage and ambulatory care during typical clinic business hours.
• Broad participation in clinical coverage. Provides comprehensive care for neurosurgery patients from admission to discharge. Rounding with faculty and develop/implement patient care plans and protocols. Ambulatory post-op, return, or new patient visits.
• Perform neurosurgical procedures according to protocol and competency training.
• Perform administrative patient care for patients and collaborate with teams members to prepare patients for next steps in their care. Respond promptly to patient/family inquiries (phone, MyChart), collaborating with team members such as nurses, APPs and physicians to resolve clinical concerns.
• Identify urgent clinical situations and respond autonomously and effectively, including providing situational resuscitation and emergency treatment.

Care Coordination & Communication:

• Coordinate with interdisciplinary teams, including outpatient staff and other APPs, to ensure streamlined, patient-centered care.
• Collaborate with surgeons, physicians, and external providers to optimize patient outcomes.
• Triage patient calls, messages, and requests and determine the appropriate plan of care for new or returning patients within the practice.
• Educate house staff and clinic medical teams on care plans and best practices to improve patient outcomes.

Patient and Family Education:

• Contribute to patient and family education, including development and presentation of educational materials. Provide condition-specific education and counseling to patients and families.
• Use available educational materials and resources to promote patient understanding and self-management.

Program Development, Teaching & Quality Improvement:

• Engage in continuous process improvement, adhering to OHSU policies, service standards, and regulatory guidelines.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, program development, and staff development activities.
• Teach neurosurgical principles, procedures, and patient care to medical students, house staff, nurses, and support staff.
• Contribute to hospital accreditation efforts and maintain knowledge of compliance standards.
• Actively support OHSU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Other duties as assigned.

Education & Licensure:

 

For Physician Associate (PA) Candidates:

• Current Oregon licensure through the Oregon Medical Board.
• Current active Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration and prescriptive authority. OHSU is a DEA fee-exempt institution.
  
• Current National Commission on Certification of Physician Associates (NCCPA) certification.

For Nurse Practitioner (NP) Candidates:

• Current Oregon licensure through the Oregon State Board of Nursing.
• Authorized practice within Division 50 of the Oregon Nurse Practice Act (ORS Chapter 678).
  
• Current active Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration and prescriptive authority. OHSU is a DEA fee-exempt institution.
  
• Acute Care NP certification may be required.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Deliver high-quality customer service to patients, families, faculty, staff, referring providers, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with department leaders to uphold service standards, policies, and regulations, ensuring patient care excellence.
• Exhibit strong interpersonal and communication skills, excelling in a dynamic, team-oriented environment.
• Demonstrate clinical experience with the ability to perform comprehensive history and physical examinations.
• Strong multi-tasking, prioritization, and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills.
• Proven ability to function effectively and problem-solve as a team member in a complex healthcare environment.
• Ability to manage complex patient care, prioritize tasks, and work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Clinical experience as an APP.

• Neurosurgical or surgical specialty experience.
• Skilled in conducting comprehensive history and physical examinations.
• Experience in an acute care hospital setting.
• Experience in leadership role(s) and effectively leading teams.

Primary location: OHSU Main Campus at Marquam Hill and Center for Health and Healing South Waterfront campuses.

Schedule:

The inpatient unit is a 7-day/week operation and the ambulatory clinic is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. APP schedules include four 10-hour days in a standard work week, plus weekend coverage on scheduled rotation, with occasional additional evening/weekend work as needed. Schedules and rotations are determined by department policy and protocols.

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.