INFORMATION FOR SURGEONS

EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF THE SURGICAL PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

The greatest stumbling block to many surgeons in the hiring of a PA relates to utilization. Questions, such as "How can they bring money into the practice?" "Will my patients allow this non-physician to examine them?" "Will the PA be eligible for reimbursement?" , etc., all cloud the decision making mechanism.

The AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SURGICAL PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS would like to share a few guidelines that may help you begin the process of hiring a surgical physician assistant.

Reflect on your present life and the commitments that you are engaged in and calculate the hours. Then consider on the quality of life that you could have if you had someone that you could trust to manage the nuts and bolts of your practice.

*Office responsibilities - initiate this relationship by introducing this PA as your associate Mr/Mrs/Ms (name). This allows the patient to believe that you have placed a certain degree of confidence in this person. Explain that a physician assistant has been trained to perform 80% of the tasks normally performed by physicians. These tasks include:

• Preoperative exams.

• Post-op wound checks.

• Removal of sutures and staples, removal of drains.

• Pre and post-op teaching, pre-op consents.

*Hospital - alleviates the frustration of canceled, delayed or bumped cases. Your PA can become the person directly responsible for the following:

• Ordering labs and interpretation.
• Ordering radiological studies and reading their findings.
• Ordering EKG and reviewing the interpretation and deciding if this needs clearance before the 8:00am scheduled surgery.
• Ordering angiograms, CT scans and other special procedures.
• Making sure there is a pre-op clearance if needed.
• Ordering medications and other pre and post-op orders.

• 1st assistant in surgery - Part of this task is to make sure that the necessary equipment and supplies that will be needed are available. Maintaining up-to-date surgical skills with the help of CME and you personal ongoing training of your PA.

• Post-op - Write orders in the Recovery Room (allows you to see the family), visits patients on the floors and in the SICU, ordering the appropriate treatment and medications ad keeping up-to-date on the status of the patient. Removing IVs, drains, tubes central lines, catheters, etc.,

• Discharge planning - dictating discharge summaries, writing prescriptions, discharge teaching, follow-up appointments confirmed, etc.

If you are in group practice, your PA will be operating with all members of the team. After a period of time, this PA will become extremely proficient and will learn different techniques from the many surgeons on your team. This will make the PA a valuable resource for you in surgery. You can also send this individual to CME meetings to further their education and usefulness to you.

• Reimbursement issues - PAs are providers of Medicare (@ 85% of physician charge) and there is reimbursement for physician services provided by PAs in many insurance plans.

• Mediator between the surgeon and/or practice and the drug reps/instrument sales reps.

Please visit the Specialities section of this website to read about how a surgical PA might practice in your particular surgical practice. Our bi-monthly publication "Sutureline" is an inexpensive media to advertise for both experienced surgical PAs or new graduate PAs.

If you need any additional information, please contact our home office at 1-888-88AASPA or email Immediate Past President Gerald Simons, gtsimons@pop.med.cornell.edu.

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