Job Description

Join Tufts Medical Center as Chief Physician Assistant – Cardiac Surgery

$15,000 Sign-On Bonus Available!

Lead an exceptional surgical team. Shape the next generation of cardiac surgery PAs.

Tufts Medical Center is conducting a national search for an experienced and highly motivated cardiac surgery Physician Assistant to serve as Chief Physician Assistant – Cardiac Surgery, leading our operating room PA team and serving as Director of PA Education. We are seeking an accomplished PA with at least five years of cardiac surgery experience who is ready to take the next step into a highly visible clinical leadership and education role.

This position combines advanced surgical practice with meaningful responsibility for team leadership, clinical education, operational excellence, and professional development within our high-acuity academic cardiac surgery program. Working alongside nationally recognized cardiac surgeons, you will help deliver some of the most complex cardiac surgical care in New England while building a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Key leadership responsibilities include:

• Lead and develop the Cardiac Surgery OR PA team, with responsibility for staff education, mentorship, onboarding, professional development, performance, and building a high-performing clinical team.
• Direct PA staffing, scheduling, and operating room clinical operations across the Cardiac Surgery program, optimizing coverage, OR efficiency, workflow, and continuity of care within the surgical environment.
• Serve as Director of PA Education, developing and advancing clinical training, technical education, onboarding, mentorship, and ongoing professional development for the Cardiac Surgery OR PA team.
• Partner with Cardiac Surgery physician and administrative leadership to build and advance the program, establishing best practices, improving workflows and quality, and helping shape the long-term strategy and growth of the PA team.

In addition to these leadership and educational responsibilities, the Chief Physician Assistant will maintain an active clinical presence in the operating room, including serving as a surgical first assist in complex cardiac procedures. The program performs a broad range of procedures, including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repair and replacement, aortic surgery, cardiac tumor resections, mechanical circulatory support procedures, and heart transplantation. Clinical responsibilities may also include endoscopic and open conduit harvesting, including greater saphenous vein and radial artery procurement.

Clinical responsibilities are exclusively in the operating room, with no clinic or inpatient service coverage responsibilities. Leadership and educational responsibilities are focused specifically on the Cardiac Surgery OR PA team.

This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished cardiac surgery PA with significant OR experience to combine advanced surgical practice with meaningful leadership and educational responsibility—developing the next generation of cardiac surgery PAs while helping shape the continued growth and advancement of one of New England’s leading academic cardiac surgery programs.

Why Tufts Medicine?

• Leadership and career advancement opportunities
• Competitive salary and benefits
• Annual CME stipend plus dedicated CME days
• Practice at a leading academic medical center while helping shape the future of cardiac surgery care

Contact our team for more information @ mary.tallett@tuftsmedicine.org

Job Profile Summary

These roles focus on providing high-quality patient care and promoting wellness. APCs work collaboratively with physicians and other healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat a variety of acute and chronic conditions. In addition, this role focuses on care under the supervision of licensed physicians including conducting comprehensive patient assessments, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions, injuries, and illnesses, developing and implementing treatment plans in collaboration with supervising physicians, prescribing medications and performing procedures, educating patients and families on treatment options, health maintenance, and preventive care and adjusting treatment plans as necessary. A management role that supervises employees focusing on tactical, operational activities within a specified area, with the majority of time spent overseeing area of responsibility, planning, prioritizing and/or directing the responsibilities of employees. Goal achievement is typically accomplished through performance of direct and/or indirect reports. A role that supervises para-professional employees. Responsibilities that typically include: Setting day-to-day operational objectives for team, problems faced may be difficult but typically are not complex, and ensures policies, practices and procedures are understood and followed by direct reports, customers and stakeholders.

Job Overview

This position reports to the Division Chief and Vice-President of Ambulatory Services and is responsible for the direction of the Physician Assistants, including arrangement of schedules, staffing during vacations, direction of orientation programs, formulation of in-service training programs and staff development. Acts as a liaison between adult and pediatric patients and families and physicians. Performs the clinical responsibilities of a staff physician assistant. Provides continuity of care for adult and pediatric patients during the course of fulfilling the tasks of a staff physician assistant. Participates in committees and task forces as directed by the Division Chief.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree.
2. Successful completion of a Physician’s Assistant program.
3. Physician’s Assistant Certification within one (1) year of hire.
4. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
5. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
6. Five (5) year of Physician’s Assistant experience.
7. State and federal controlled substances registration.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree.
2. Two (2) years of Physician’s Assistant experience.
3. Bilingual.

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Orients and trains new physician assistants, coordinates schedules and vacation coverage.
2. Develops, refines and updates physician assistant job descriptions; develops behavioral objectives and performs initial evaluation of physician assistant students.
3. Prepares educational lectures on adult and pediatric topics for nursing and other ancillary personnel.
4. Serves on hospital committees as designated by the Division Chief; reviews and updates division protocols for adult and pediatric patient care for approval by the Division Chief.
5. Directs and supervises assigned personnel including performance evaluations, scheduling, orientation, and training. Makes recommendations on employee hires, transfers, promotions, salary changes, discipline, terminations, and similar actions. Addresses grievances and other personnel problems within position responsibilities. Provides effective direction, guidance, and leadership over the staff for effective teamwork and motivation.
6. Develops, recommends, and manages budgets for the areas managed. Coordinates the assignment of tasks for the efficient utilization of available resources.
7. Maintains credentialling and licensure for Physician Assistant staff.
8. Oversees schedules and approvals for payroll reporting, dues and membership for Physician Assistant staff.
9. Obtains a detailed medical history and performs a comprehensive physical examination on adult and pediatric patients.
10. Performs preoperative preparation of adult and pediatric patients and reinforces information presented by the attending physician to the patient and/or family as necessary. Coordinates necessary tests, consultations, and procedures as indicated or requested by the attending physician.
11. First or second assists on routine and complex adult and pediatric surgical procedures as necessary. Positions and preps patients, performs operative assistance as requested, transcribes operative notes and postoperative orders in accordance with service protocols, accompanies patients to recovery room or intensive care units.
12. Performs bedside diagnostic and therapeutic invasive procedures on adult and pediatric patients as indicated or directed by the attending surgeon, including but not limited to thoracentesis, tube thoracostomy, central venous lines, Swan-Ganz catheter insertion, wound debridement, and endotracheal intubation.
13. Performs basic and advanced cardiac life support procedures as necessary and directs these efforts until the arrival of a senior physician.
14. Prepares adult and pediatric patients for discharge, including patient and family discharge teaching, continuing care and rehabilitation arrangements, writing discharge prescriptions, and confirming primary care or referring physician follow-up.
15. Prescribes pre and postoperative medications for adult and pediatric patients in accordance with service policies and/or attending physician’s instructions.
16. Under the direction of the attending surgeon, executes a wide range of management plans for adult and pediatric patients.
17. Cares for adult and pediatric patients of the surgical services in the emergency department and outpatient clinics.
18. Dictates formal discharge summaries of adult and pediatric patients for the attending surgeon’s review and signature.
19. Participates in the education of students and residents assigned to the surgical services.
20. Maintains collaborative team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working group’s achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Possesses the ability to care for critically ill adult and pediatric patients with a broad range of medical problems.
2. Effective Interpersonal skills needed for interacting with physicians, staff, patients and their families, and so forth.
3. Excellent analytical skills needed for evaluating patients and coordinating treatment plans.
4. Possesses the maturity, self-confidence, and ability to follow complex patient management plans as directed by the attending surgeon.
5. Possesses the ability to supervise and coordinate the activities of several physician assistants.
6. Possesses a high level of verbal and written communication skills in order to develop and implement educational programs, evaluate staff, and treat patients.

At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day.

The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals.

Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth—one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it.

Pay Range:

$149,760.00 - $224,640.00

based on full-time equivalent