Thoracic Surgery APP - Academic Health System, North Carolina

Explore a stimulating opportunity with AHWFB’s Thoracic Surgery Department as we eagerly welcome a skilled Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant to join our dynamic surgical team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

What We Have to Offer:

• CME Reimbursement: Receive up to $2,500 and 5 additional PTO days/year for Continuing Medical Education.
• Generous PTO: Accrual starts at 25 days/year, to be used for vacations, sickness, holidays, and personal matters.
• Relocation Assistance: Enjoy $7,500 in relocation assistance, paid within the first 30 days of employment.
• Career Growth & Stability: Experience a rewarding career with ample opportunities for advancement and stability, supported by a consistently high patient volume.
• A Rich Quality of Life: Indulge in a vibrant lifestyle within North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region, boasting an abundance of walking and biking trails, nationally acclaimed golf courses, active arts communities, tantalizing Southern cuisine, and an array of artisan craft breweries and wineries.

Where You’ll Work: 

Join the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Thoracic Surgery Team within the Heart and Vascular Center, where a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach combines cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and vascular surgery to deliver exceptional patient care. As an esteemed academic medical center affiliated with Wake Forest School of Medicine, we lead the way in groundbreaking research and offer unparalleled expertise in managing complex heart and vascular diseases. Recognized nationally for our advanced cardiac care and transplant program, as well as our accreditations from the Society of Chest Pain Centers and The Joint Commission, we stand at the forefront of quality care and innovation. With the highest recognition for quality cardiac surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, joining our team means contributing to a legacy of excellence and patient-centered care in the heart and vascular field.

What You’ll Do: 

Our APPs serve as an integral part of the Thoracic Surgery team, dedicated to enhancing surgical patient outcomes. As an NP/PA, you will collaborate closely with attending surgeons, fellow surgery APPs, and adept surgery nurses and staff in both the OR and ambulatory clinic settings. This position offers exciting prospects for engagement in educational and scholarly initiatives, fostering an enriching academic clinical environment. While collaboration with other providers is emphasized, we also encourage and support autonomy in your role. The schedule typically runs from Monday to Friday, with the added responsibility of rotating overnight weekday call alongside two other experienced thoracic APPs.

Responsibilities include:

1. Assist in preoperative patient evaluation, including conducting physical examinations, reviewing medical histories, and ordering diagnostic tests.
2. Participate in creating comprehensive treatment plans in collaboration with the supervising thoracic surgeon, considering patient-specific needs and preferences.
3. Provide patient education and counseling regarding surgical procedures, postoperative care, and potential complications, ensuring informed decision-making and compliance with treatment plans.
4. Assist during thoracic surgical procedures by providing intraoperative support, including wound management, tissue handling, and suturing under the supervision of the attending surgeon.
5. Monitor and manage postoperative patients, including assessing surgical site healing, managing pain, and addressing any postoperative complications, ensuring optimal recovery and patient well-being.
6. Using medical decision-making skills to determine appropriate patient care plan.
7. Collaborates with medical team when needed for effective team-based care.
8. Order and interpret laboratory studies and diagnostic procedures.  Explains the necessity, preparation, nature and anticipated effects of scheduled diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to the patient.
9. Procedural skills per department or practice guidelines
10. Opportunity to participate in basic science and clinical research projects
11. Potential for and encouraged to precept students and/or medical learners
12. Uphold AHWFB missions, values, and cultural commitment. 
13. Performs other related duties incidental to the work described herein.

The clinician functions under the regulatory mandate from their respective licensing organization (North Carolina Medical Board or North Carolina Board of Nursing) with departmental specific credentialing from the institution.

Physician Assistant (PA) Requirements:

• Graduation from an accredited Physician Assistant Program; Master's Degree preferred
• Current North Carolina Medical Board Medical License, Certified by NCCPA
• Prior surgical experience strongly preferred
• Current BLS and ACLS certification required

 Nurse Practitioner (NP) Requirements:

• Graduation from accredited Nurse Practitioner Master's Program, Master’s degree or higher required
• Current North Carolina Board of Nursing Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner license
• Board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by AANP or ANCC
• Prior surgical experience strongly preferred
• Current BLS and ACLS certification required

A city of 230,000 people located in the beautiful Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, Winston-Salem enjoys a moderate climate with all four seasons and residents enjoy a cost of living 31% below the national average. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Parkway are a 1-2 hour drive to the north and west, and North Carolina's beaches are close enough to enjoy during long weekends.

Winston-Salem is a region on an upward trajectory that still maintains its Southern roots and small town feel. Although the city is traditionally Southern in its friendliness, it has an international feel. The metro area celebrates its diversity during an array of festivals and through a variety of cuisines. You'll find a multitude of restaurants serving everything from traditional North Carolina barbecue to Indian curries and Greek pastries, a thriving community of microbreweries and 42 wineries in the area.

As home to the first Arts Council in the United States, Winston-Salem paved the way for public-private support of the Arts, and created the model for Arts Councils nationwide. Our numerous galleries, performing arts groups, theaters, collectives and collections continue to attract and appeal to arts lovers worldwide.

For more information on Winston-Salem, please visit: www.visitwinstonsalem.com, www.winstonsalem.com and www.co.forsyth.nc.us.