Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Spine and Pain; Tamaqua

St. Luke's is proud of the skills, experience and compassion of its employees. The employees of St. Luke's are our most valuable asset! Individually and together, our employees are dedicated to satisfying the mission of our organization which is an unwavering commitment to excellence as we care for the sick and injured; educate physicians, nurses and other health care providers; and improve access to care in the communities we serve, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay for health care.

The Advanced Practitioner (Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant) is responsible for providing health‑care services to patients under the supervision of, and/or in collaboration with, the attending physician. These services include, but are not limited to, medical evaluation, treatment, counseling, and referrals; diagnostic evaluations; therapeutic remediation; surgical assistance; and pharmaceutical prescription. As with any other health‑care professional, the Advanced Practitioner is charged with being a patient advocate and will participate in patient satisfaction, quality, and performance improvement initiatives.

St. Luke’s Spine & Pain Associates were honored to receive the Purdue Partners Against Pain Award, which salutes those who have made great strides in the field of pain research, managing or improving quality of life for people living with acute or chronic pain. The Advanced Practitioner is part of a collaborative provider team including 15 physicians and 9 APs. The Advanced Practitioner will develop and manage ongoing treatment plans and oversee medication management for established pain‑management patients, work autonomously with own patients, and assess and recommend patients for additional or alternative procedures such as physical therapy or interventional pain procedures.

• Competent in the assessment, treatment, counseling, and education of the patient and their families, providing medical services
• Competency in evaluating patients and performing physical examinations, including obtaining, studying, and updating medical histories
• Demonstrates ability to determine abnormal conditions by administering or ordering diagnostic tests such as radiologic and laboratory studies and then accurately interpreting test results
• Evaluates, develops, and implements appropriate patient management and treatment plans based on assessment of needs
• Coordinates and communicates patient care effectively with other health‑care professionals and institutions to meet patient’s health‑care needs
• Provides high‑quality health care based on best practice and/or evidence‑based medicine
• Performs therapeutic and diagnostic procedures as appropriate and aligned with granted clinical privileges
• Performs virtual care services, described as live and interactive clinical assessments, diagnosis, and treatment of patients via St. Luke’s virtual care platform, assisting in care coordination and/or escalation of care as appropriate
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies. Maintains required continuing medical education
• Participates in the research, development, implementation, and tracking of clinical management guidelines
• Participates in the teaching of multidisciplinary students (nursing, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, physician assistant, medical, etc.) and physician residents & fellows, ensuring a positive educational environment
• Participates in AP student clinical rotation preceptorship, when assigned
• Demonstrates performance improvement in clinical care/outcomes, customer/service improvement, operational system/process, and safety
• Competent in utilizing the electronic medical record, remains current with medical record documentation, and provides documentation that is optimal for billing provided professional services
• Demonstrates financial responsibility and accountability through the effective and efficient use of resources in daily procedures, processes, and practices
• Performs routine health maintenance activities for new and established patients
• Coor…