Oregon Health and Sciences University - Critical Care

Pacific University - Rural Trauma and Hospital Care

PROGRAM HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION:

Started in 2005 by the Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Medicine, the Physician Assistant Critical Care Intensivist Program is designed to provide the highest level of care to those patients who require critical care services. The Physician Assistant is educated and trained to provide comprehensive critical care by Intensivists, Surgeons and other providers across a variety of multidisciplinary specialties.

The program follows the general guidelines set forth by the Society of Critical Care Medicine on training in critical care as well as its own established objectives and goals.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

One year (52 weeks). Our preferred time period coincides with the July-June medical academic year, but dates are flexible for qualified applicants coming directly from PA programs with graduation times incompatible with the medical academic year. *Note: Applicant should have current Oregon license or be in process of obtaining medical license prior to commencement of advanced training program.

PA fellows will have the opportunity to manage the care of complex surgical populations, including heart transplants, ventricular assist devices (VAD) intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) and kidney transplants, as well as learn and perform procedures such as: central lines, arterial lines, intubations, airway management, bronchoscopy, and thoracostomy.

Currently limited to 55 hours a week over a 4-week cycle. We are committed to permanent compliance with ACGME duty hour requirements

The program requires participation in weekly Anesthesia Grand Rounds, Critical Care Core Curriculum lectures and other lectures specific to ICU care. The Critical Care faculty arranges daily bedside teaching rounds with the cases presented by the house staff. Bedside rounds permit one-on-one patient focused care and learning, including procedural skills and topic oriented discussions.

Physician Assistants practice in accordance with all applicable JACHO, state, federal, and municipal regulations, and in accordance with preexisting OHSU policy. Their clinical activities are conducted under the active Oregon license of a physician approved by the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners to supervise Physician Assistants. PA supervision shall be conducted as mandated by the OBME.

It is our firm belief that night call is a vital component of critical care training. Fellows are expected to take night calls after an appropriate orientation period. Post-call days are off, and call is limited to no more than four overnight calls per month.

Daily evaluations by CC faculty during rounds, presentations, conference participation, procedures, patient, family & staff interactions. In addition, a formal end-of-year evaluation will be held.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• Graduate of an ARC-PA accredited PA program
• Have passed, or be eligible to take, the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE)
• Licensed to practice as a PA in Oregon (Prior to Start Date)
• Completion of all application requirements
• Cover Letter / Letter of Interest
• Resume/CV
• Transcripts
• Three letters of references, to include a letter from:
• PA program faculty member
• Physician or PA who supervised the applicant on clinical rotation or in actual practice
• Personal reference
• Personal interview

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Interest in critical care
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate
• Enthusiasm for working with and instruction of surgical, medical, and anesthesia residents, physician assistant and medical students
• Sound academic ability
• Strong work ethic
• Understanding of and ability to handle the rigors of post-graduate education
• Commitment and desire to advance the PA profession through professional leadership

PROGRAM START DATE

Anticipated start date is the last week of June or first week of July depending on academic year scheduling.

PROCESS AND TIMETABLE

Applications will be accepted starting January 1st of each year with application deadline being March 15th. Interviews will begin on March 1st and continue till April 7th. Selection process will be completed by April 15th. Class will start the last week of June or July 1st depending on academic calendar year

If a qualified and selected individual will not graduate Physician Assistant school prior to the above start date we will permit that individual to matriculate at the earliest time possible once they have graduated.

CREDENTIALS AWARDED

Certificate of Completion

SALARY

Stipend of $50,000 - $60,000 depending on experience.

• Professional expenses (CME): $2,400 per year (prorated for start date)
• Vacation: 176 hours per year
• Vacation in lieu of holidays worked
• Accrued Sick Leave (OHSU Policy)
• CME: 5 Days
• Flexible spending allowance: Approximately $6,500/year for medical and dental insurance, other insurance plans offered through the cafeteria plan.
• In addition, employee can sign up for dependent care and medical spending account to fund costs with pre-tax dollars.
• Pension benefits: $13,000 up to $17,402 per year (in addition to salary) contributed to pension plan. Vesting schedule varies based on plan selected by employee. Also additional voluntary retirement and deferred savings through Oregon Health & Science University (see Unclassified Employee Benefits Summary).

To Apply, Please send Cover Letter, CV and Three references To:

Amy Juve
Program Coordinator PA Fellowship
Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Medicine
Kohler Building
808 SW Campus Drive
Portland, OR 97239
juvea@ohsu.edu
P: 503-494-4205
F: 503-418-1389

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The residency is a 24-month continuous, on-site, residency program that combines didactic work and clinical rotations during each phase. The intense multispecialty program educates and trains residents to work in rural hospitals and urban trauma centers and augment the medical staff in the provision of acute surgical and hospital-based care for high acuity patients. The PA program partners with Legacy Health System to provide training for the residents at an urban based, American College of Surgeons (ACS)-approved, Level I Trauma Center.

INSTITUTIONAL/UNIVERSITY AFFILIATIONS

The majority of the residents’ clinical experience will be offered at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, one of four major hospitals in the Legacy Health System, and the only Level I Trauma Center in the Pacific Northwest verified by the ACS. Verification by the ACS demonstrates that Legacy Emanuel Hospital has met stringent criteria reflecting commitment, excellence, and assurance of high quality care for all trauma patients. See http://www.facs.org/trauma for more information. Legacy Health System has multiple resident and fellow training programs that offer a broad-based multidisciplinary experience for the PA residents with a patient base to offer adequate training opportunities without affecting the residents’ experiences.

Pacific University is a small liberal arts college located in the Willamette Valley, west of Portland, Oregon. The School of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies is one of five graduate health professions programs located in the College of Health Professions. The resident will be enrolled as a student at Pacific University and be entitled to all student services available to other graduate students. The school has been training entry-level PAs since 1999 and is known for its commitment to training them to practice in underserved communities.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

The program has two distinct components, didactic and clinical, which while running simultaneously have separate objectives and competencies. The first-year didactic courses are Fundamentals of Trauma I, II, and III, during which the residents will participate in daily rounds, attend formal lectures, and participate in conferences specific to each clinical rotation. In the second-year the resident will complete an online course in evidence-based medicine and two courses to prepare for and complete a graduate clinical project.

The clinical phases of the program offer six four-month rotations in the areas of trauma/critical care, inpatient medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, and rural hospital care at a sponsoring rural hospital. Residents are expected to complete the specific rotation objectives modeled after the six ACGME/AAPA competencies, skills relative to the clinical rotation, as well as a portfolio containing patient encounter data, selected readings, and a surgical self-evaluation tool, such as the Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program (SESAP).

At the conclusion of the program the resident will be capable of triage and stabilization of acutely injured patients in the emergency room, to assist surgeons of various subspecialties in the operating room, and to manage seriously ill patients in the ICU and ward settings.

CREDENTIAL AWARDED

At the conclusion of the program, the resident will received a Masters of Health Science from Pacific University.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Currently practicing PAs should:

• Be graduates of an ARC-PA-accredited PA program
• Have current NCCPA certification
• Have earned a bachelor’s degree
• Send two letters of reference
• Forward all prior college transcripts
• Be eligible for Oregon State PA licensure
• Submit a $100 application fee

Current PA students should:

• Have graduated from an ARC-PA-accredited program by the residency start date
• Be NCCPA board eligible
• Send two letters of reference (one must be from PA program director)
• Have earned a bachelor’s degree
• Forward all prior college transcripts
• Be eligible for Oregon State licensure
• Submit a $100 application fee

ADMISSION CALENDAR

Applications are accepted from April 1 through June 15. All admission requirements MUST be received by the program by June 15 to be considered for September admission. On-site interviews and final decisions by Admissions Committee by July 15.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Admission to the residency will be based upon the strength of the application and the personal interview. Specifically, the residents will be assessed on their professional experience, academic performance, understanding of program goals, as well as professionalism, motivation, and communication skills.

Residents will be required to obtain and keep in force an Oregon State license, be credentialed by Legacy Emanuel Hospital, and satisfy all employment requirements of the Northwest Surgical Group.

BENEFITS

The residents will be employed by the Northwest Surgical Group and will receive a stipend of $50,000 per year and a standard employee benefit package, as well as paid malpractice insurance.

TUITION

$5,180 per semester for the 08–09 fiscal year. Some direct tuition support may be available from the institution. Residents are eligible for financial aid through the Financial Aid office of Pacific University.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Contact the program at parthc@pacificu.edu; or Program Director Randy Randolph, PA-C, MPAS, at (503) 352-7272; or the program Web site at www.pacificu.edu/pa.