Physician Assistant - Department of Psychiatry

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Psychiatry is seeking a Physician Assistant to perform direct patient care including psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and medication management services with physician supervision in the outpatient clinic as well as the emergency room.  The Physician Assistant will help in educating healthcare students, residents, and fellows as they rotate through the respective departments and divisions as well as with research endeavors as appropriate. 

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics—recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States—is Iowa’s only comprehensive academic medical center and a regional referral center. Each day more than 12,000 employees, students and volunteers work together to provide safe, quality health care and excellent service for our patients. 

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities
•    Assures clinical competency and expertise in area of Psychiatry. Follows universal precautions.
•    Function independently and/or as a member of an interdisciplinary team to plan, deliver and evaluate health care for a defined patient population.
•    Aids in evaluation of adult psychiatry outpatients, including changes in course of illness and response to treatment.
•    Able to evaluate and treat pediatric patients in the emergency room setting if the need arises.
•    Will provide emergency evaluation/consultation for patients in the emergency room and/or the Crisis Stabilization Unit
•    Work with the APP team to provide coverage for services outside of 8-5 business hours if needed.  
•    Assists in evaluation of medication side effects.
•    Provides anticipatory guidance and counseling to patients/families.
•    Collaborates with nursing staff/nursing psychiatry administration to monitor and evaluate the quality of patient care.
•    Documents patient assessment and plan of care in the medical record and generates appropriate health reports for outgoing correspondence.
•    Promotes health maintenance that spans the continuum of health from outpatient to inpatient settings and back to the home care arena.
•    Maintains awareness of health facilities, agencies, and resources to facilitate the appropriate referral of patients.
•    Maintains effective working relationships with faculty, staff, residents, students, and the public.
•    Serves in a consultative and resource capacity to other divisions, the department, and the community as needed.
•    Serves in a consultative resource capacity by providing expert knowledge, and role models behaviors skills that impact clinical practice and patient outcomes.
•    Participates in the development, utilization, and evaluation of resources to meet patient/family educational needs.
•    Provides education and serves as a resource for nursing staff in area of clinical expertise.
•    Provides education to external agencies, community, and other health professionals.
•    Provides leadership to incorporate research findings into practice.
•    Participates in development and implementation of divisional and departmental quality assessment/improvement/research programs and processes.
•    Assumes responsibility for administrative activities and special projects as delegated by the Medical Directors.
•    Contributes toward the achievement of divisional and departmental goals as delegated.
•    Professional Responsibilities
•    Participates in activities that enhance clinical expertise.

Supervision
Receives supervision and direction from APP Lead in Psychiatry and daily supervision is received from faculty assigned to the clinic each day. Receives clinical supervision through collaborative practice agreement.  May exercise functional supervision over support staff.

Percent of Time: 75 - 100%
Staff Type: Allied Health Professional