Physician Assistant – Palliative Care

Maine Medical Center, a MaineHealth member, is seeking an experienced  Physician Assistant  to join our Palliative Care team.

The goal of palliative care is to maximize quality of life and align the individual's medical care with what matters most to them. The Palliative Care APP is an integral member of the Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Team of physicians, APPs, nurses, social workers, and chaplains who deliver patient- and family-centered care to individuals of all ages living with serious illness. The Palliative Care PA will care for patients primarily in the inpatient setting at Maine Medical Center – Portland, with potential coverage in the ambulatory clinic in Scarborough, ME.

Responsibilities :

• Provides inpatient specialty palliative care consultation services in collaboration with the Palliative Care interdisciplinary team through expert assessment and treatment of complex symptoms, assisting with complex decision making, and providing psychosocial support.
• Collaborates successfully as a member of the Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Team, taking responsibility for quality and continuity of care of assigned patients.
• Embodies and serves as an ambassador for the philosophy of evidence-based care provision following NCP guidelines.
• Within the Palliative Care interdisciplinary team framework, collaborates with the patient’s primary care teams to facilitate identification of patient and family goals of care and access to appropriate support post discharge (e.g., home health, hospice, rehabilitation).
• Completes timely and accurate documentation of all activities in the EPIC EMR system.
• Participates in education of non-palliative care providers and promotes culture transformation to reinforce primary palliative care education to enhance compassion and support for patients within the health system.
• Respects patient confidentiality, privacy, and dignity.
• Provides services in a timely and courteous manner with care and respect for the patient’s individual needs.
• Participates in all practice group assignments and meetings.
• Helps educate medical students, residents, nurses, APP colleagues and other hospital staff about Palliative Care principles and practices.

Required Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) :