Surgery - Thoracic Physician Assistant

ATC West Healthcare Services is seeking two experienced Cardiothoracic Surgery Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) to start as soon as possible, pending credentialing. This is a high-acuity inpatient role supporting a busy cardiothoracic surgery service with strong operative, ICU, and floor responsibilities. Candidates must be highly skilled, particularly in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery, as limited training is available.

• Start Date: ASAP (pending credentialing)

• Credentialing Timeline: Approximately 90 days

• Schedule:

  • Monday Friday with 3 4 call days per week

  • 1:4 weekend call rotation

  • Typical weekday hours: 7:00 AM 3:00 PM (variable; not shift-based)

  • Call days may extend + hours

  • Weekend call: typically 6 8+ hours per day, census dependent

  • Pager coverage for 24 hours on call days

• FTE: 1.0 per APP

• Inpatient cardiothoracic surgery coverage

• Assist with pre- and post-operative evaluation and management

• First assist in the OR for cardiac and thoracic cases, including:

  • Coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgeries

  • Aortic and aortic arch reconstruction

  • Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted thoracic surgeries

  • VATS and DaVinci robotic thoracic procedures

  • Thoracic and foregut procedures

• Perform procedures such as:

  • Endoscopic vein harvest

  • Open radial artery harvest

  • Chest tube and arterial line insertions

• Manage ICU and step-down patients

• Daily inpatient rounds, discharge summaries, and weekend rounding

• Participate in evening, night, and weekend surgeries

• Respond to emergent floor procedures as needed

• Provide walk-in/urgent clinic coverage and wound checks when surgeons are unavailable

• Team structure:

  • 5 permanent surgeons (3 cardiac, 2 thoracic)

  • 4 mid-levels (3 PAs, 1 NP, 1 in training)

  • Case volume: 6 8 cardiac cases/week; 9 12 thoracic cases/week

• EMR: Epic

• Support Staff: RNs

• Board Certified APP (PA or NP) required

• Minimum 3 years of cardiothoracic/cardiovascular surgery experience required

• Strong experience in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (dealbreaker; 90% of thoracic cases)

• Active Washington state license highly preferred (IMLC considered)

• ACLS, BLS, and DEA required

• Clean malpractice history required

• Ability to function independently in a high-volume inpatient and OR setting

• Willingness to work variable hours, nights, weekends, and call

• Locums training is limited; candidates with minimal thoracic experience will be restricted in scope unless transitioning to a permanent role