Summary

The Pre-op Anesthesia Physician Assistant is responsible for the comprehensive medical evaluation and optimization of Veterans scheduled for elective and urgent surgical procedures. This role involves high-level clinical decision-making to reduce surgical cancellations - improve patient outcomes - and ensure compliance with VHA national anesthesia standards and Buffalo VA local policies.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• Key Responsibilities & Clinical Duties 1
• Pre-Anesthesia Risk Assessment Conduct comprehensive history and physical examinations (H&Ps) focusing on cardiovascular - pulmonary - and metabolic stability
• Assign ASA Physical Status Classifications and determine the necessity of further specialty clearances (e.g. - Cardiology - Pulmonology)
• Review and interpret diagnostic tests including EKGs - chest X-rays - and laboratory results
• Clinical Reporting: Document all findings in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) using standardized Pre-Op templates to ensure data is available for the Anesthesia attending on the day of surgery
• 2
• Patient Optimization & Education Manage perioperative medication protocols (e.g. - anticoagulation bridging - diabetic medication adjustment)
• Educate Veterans and families on surgical expectations - NPO (fasting) requirements - and post-operative pain management strategies
• Identify high-risk \"frailty\" factors and coordinate with social work or nutrition services as needed
• 3
• Administrative & Collaborative Leadership Serve as the primary liaison between Surgery - Anesthesia - and Primary Care to close the loop on medical optimization
• Assist in managing the \"Pre-Op Tracker\" to ensure all clinical requirements are met 24-48 hours prior to the procedure
• Support the Thursday Morning Anesthesia Team Meeting by identifying systemic bottlenecks in the pre-op workflow
• 4
• Technical Skills & Systems Proficiency CPRS/VistA: Advanced proficiency in navigating patient records - entering orders - and managing clinical alerts
• DSS (Decision Support System): Understanding of how pre-op encounters map to clinical workload and productivity reporting
• Microsoft Excel: Ability to utilize departmental tracking tools for surgical volume and optimization metrics
• Other Duties as Assigned Pay: Competitive salary - regular salary increases - potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Full-time - 8:00 AM to 4:30PM Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.