Advanced Practice Provider - Emergency General Surgery

The Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston seeks a qualified Advanced Practice Provider (APP) to join the Emergency General Surgery (EGS) service. The APP will function as an integral member of a multidisciplinary surgical team providing high-acuity inpatient, consultative, and ambulatory care within a tertiary academic medical center.

This position includes evaluation and management of emergency general surgery patients, perioperative care, procedural support, coordination of care across services, and participation in a weekly outpatient clinic focused primarily on postoperative visits and selected new patient evaluations.

This role will work 10-hour days (4 per week) and some weekend days required, based on schedule. 

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:  

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees  
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year) 
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue! 
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service) 
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan! 

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as... 

• Free financial and legal counseling 
• Free mental health counseling services 
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs 
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc. 
• Resources for child and elder care 
• Plus many more! 

POSITION SUMMARY:

Provides patient care assistance in a clinic or hospital setting in one or more specialized areas under the direction of a primary care physician.

POSITION KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1.  Conducts complex, standardized patient care procedures that require experience and specialized training that would otherwise be performed by a physician but which do not constitute the practice of medicine.
2.   Coordinates, directs and implements patient's plan of care.
3.  Orders, conducts and interprets pertinent laboratory and diagnostic studies and procedures.
4.  Performs physical examinations and provides episodic care or problem-oriented care under the supervision of a physician.
5.  Orders appropriate laboratory tests and interprets the laboratory data such as blood and urine samples.
6.  Monitors the treatment program of the patient to inform the attending physician of pertinent medical information.
7.  Makes medical recommendations and/or referrals.
8.  Formulates, implements, and evaluates an outcome-based treatment plan.
9.  Maintains appropriate records detailing the patient's treatment plans and outcomes.
10.  Facilitates patient education relating to medical processes, medication, nutrition, and health promotion.
11.  Collaborates with patients, families, other clinicians, and referral services to assist in the patient's recovery.
12.  Other duties as assigned.

Ambulatory Clinical Responsibilities

• Participate in one weekly outpatient EGS clinic session.
• Evaluate and manage postoperative patients, including wound checks, drain management, staple/suture removal, complication assessment, and medication management.
• Evaluate selected new patients in collaboration with supervising faculty.
• Identify patients requiring escalation of care or operative intervention.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, billing compliance, and care coordination.

Procedural Responsibilities

• Perform bedside procedures within scope of practice and institutional privileging, including but not limited to:
  • Incision and drainage
  • Wound and drain management
• Maintain procedural competency in accordance with departmental and hospital standards.

Administrative & Quality Responsibilities

• Contribute to efforts to standardize care pathways for common EGS diagnoses across inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Support documentation accuracy to ensure appropriate coding and quality reporting.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and multidisciplinary meetings.
• Assist with OR coordination and patient throughput initiatives as needed.

CERTIFICATIONS/SKILLS: 

Nurse Practitioner:  Current Texas Licensure as a Registered Nurse Current Texas Licensure as an APRN-NP, and specialty certification as required by department Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified 
Physician Assistant:  Current Texas Licensure as a Physician Assistant Current Physician Assistant certification issued by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified Proficient in the use of medical and surgical instruments and equipment required by work. 

MINIMUM EDUCATION:

Nurse Practitioner:  Masters in Nursing as NP or master degree in Nursing with completion of a post-master Nurse Practitioner Certification Program. 
Physician Assistant:  Master's degree as Physician Assistant. A Bachelor's degree as a Physician Assistant with at least two years of professional experience in the role is acceptable based on terminal degree requirements at the time of graduation.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE: 
None

Preferred: 1–3 years of inpatient surgical, acute care surgery, trauma, surgical ICU, or emergency general surgery experience.