At Houston Methodist, the Advanced Practice Provider - Primary Care position is responsible for maintaining and promoting the health of the patient requiring primary care, while practicing medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. This position will provide diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative care to primary care patients. This position may conduct physicals, order tests and therapy, prescribe medications, and refer to specialists when appropriate. This position works in an outpatient primary care setting and may perform independently under the indirect supervision of a license physician or as part of a treatment team. The Advanced Practice Provider - Primary Care position may be either a license Nurse Practitioner or licensed Physician Assistant. NP positions effect direct patient care according to the Board of Nursing in the State of Texas and Houston Methodist policies and procedures. PA positions effect direct patient care according to the Board of Physician Assistants in the State of Texas and Houston Methodist policies and procedures.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Demonstrates leadership as a clinical resource, interprofessional consultant, and patient/family advocate. Identifies staff development opportunities for professional growth of colleagues, provides coaching to meet identified goals.

• Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment. Acts as a role model and coaches staff in effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication.

• Communicates organizational information and aspects of administrative and clinical practice in a respectful and positive manner when interacting with staff. Advocates for a balanced workload, promotes positive behaviors, and peer-to-peer accountability, improvement of department score for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Coordinates appropriate, timely patient care under physician supervisor, for a defined patient population(s), focusing on identified expected unit/optimal outcomes, individualized to the patient. Prioritizes care based on the patient's needs, abilities and preferences

• Collaborates with interprofessional team members to manage/coordinate patient care.

• Responds and is available timely to patient questions/issues that arise as triaged by clinical staff. Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Functions as a quality care provider, coordinating, maintaining, and promoting the health of the patient. Performs functions under physician supervision, such as diagnosis, use of prescriptive authority, and treatment according to practice guidelines, protocols, and/or standing orders to ensure patient safety.

• Conducts health assessments (initial, ongoing, discharge, as appropriate), identifies normal/abnormal health characteristics, reviews medications and test reports to develop a plan of care, initiate appropriate interventions, and evaluates care outcomes on defined patient population(s).

• Assists the interprofessional health care team in the development and implementation of protocols to ensure patient safety. Integrates and contributes to professional practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols and leads improvements in patient safety related processes.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Implements department strategies to achieve financial targets and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care, optimizing clinic workflow efficiency, and other areas according to department specifications.

• Performs accurate documentation in medical records, including diagnosis and CPT coding.

• Projects awareness and understanding of resource allocation based on patient needs and staff experience, knowledge, and skills.

• Contributes to department plans for resource utilization and capital needs to meet department financial target.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes quality health care through integration of current research into practice and participation in research/evidence-based activities. Leads and identifies opportunities for practice changes and performance improvement.

• Provides education of information/knowledge in professional activities such as research, presentations, and publications. Expands individual clinical knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Serves as clinical resource.

• Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• For PA: Bachelor of Physician Assistant Studies from accredited Physician Assistant program by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)

• For NP: Master of Science in Nursing

WORK EXPERIENCE

• For PA: One year of advanced practice clinical experience

• For NP: Two years of advanced practice clinical experience

• Two years of advanced practice clinical experience in primary care, family medicine, or outpatient internal medicine preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• PA - Physician Assistant - State Licensure -- For PA: Licensed and credentialed by the Texas Board of Physician Assistants AND
• PA-C - Physician Assistant-Certified (NCCPA) -- For PA
• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure -- For NP within 60 days OR
• RN-Temp - Registered Nurse - Temporary State Licensure -- For NP within 60 days AND
• APRN - Advanced Practice Registered Nurse - Texas Board of Nursing -- For NP AND
• Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification -- For NP: Certified by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as a Nurse Practitioner, based on applicable patient population, i.e. FNP, AGNP, NNP, PMHNP, WHNP OR
• AANP - Credentialed member, American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) -- For NP: Certified by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as a Nurse Practitioner, based on applicable patient population, i.e. FNP, AGNP, NNP, PMHNP, WHNP AND
• AP - Prescriptive Authority - Texas Board of Nursing AND
• DEA - Narcotics License (DEA) within 6 months AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Use of critical thinking skills and clinical judgement to work autonomously as defined by the Board of Physician Assistants

• Accepts accountability for outcomes in healthcare

• Uses therapeutic communication to establish a relationship with patients, families, and interprofessional team to collaborate on the plan of care

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skill as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components

• Ability to exercise judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team and patients and their families

• Demonstrates proficient time management skills

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) Yes

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

With locations throughout the Greater Houston area, Houston Methodist Primary Care Group (HMPCG) is dedicated to providing quality patient care for the entire family. HMPCG is proud to be a part of Houston Methodist and its family of hospitals, ensuring efficient access to specialty and hospital services whenever the need arises.  As members of the Greater Houston community, HMPCG is committed to the well-being of its patients, providing the right care at the right time in convenient locations throughout the Houston area.