Locum Cardiothoracic Surgery PA needed in Tacoma, Washington!

Cardiothoracic Surgery APP

Seeking two Cardiothoracic Surgery Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) to start ASAP pending credentialing. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), inpatient position supporting a high-volume cardiothoracic surgery service. Coverage is needed due to staff retirement.

Schedule & Call

• Weekday schedule generally 0700–1500, with variable end times based on case volume

• 3–4 weekday call days per week

• 1:4 weekend call rotation

• Call includes 24-hour pager coverage

• On-call weekdays may be 10–12+ hours

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

• Evening, night, and weekend surgeries required

Clinical Responsibilities

• Pre- and post-operative patient evaluation and management (inpatient and outpatient)

• OR first assist

• ICU and step-down unit management

• Daily rounds and weekend rounds

• Discharge summaries

• Emergent bedside procedures (e.g., chest tube and arterial line insertions)

• Walk-in or urgent clinic visits when surgeons are unavailable

• Clinic wound checks as needed

Procedures & Case Mix

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

• All valve surgeries, including minimally invasive valves

• Aortic and aortic arch reconstruction

• Robotic-assisted thoracic surgeries (required)

• VATS and DaVinci robotic thoracic procedures

• Thoracic and foregut procedures

• Endoscopic vein harvest

• Open radial artery harvest

Team & Volume

• 5 permanent surgeons (3 cardiac, 2 thoracic)

• 4 mid-level providers (3 PAs, 1 NP, plus 1 in training)

• Weekly case volume:

  • 6–8 cardiac cases

  • 9–12 thoracic cases

• Average 20 adult patients per day

Training & Expectations

• Limited willingness to train locum providers

• Providers with limited thoracic experience may be restricted to cardiac cases or floor coverage

• Training consideration only for locums intending to transition to permanent employment

Technology & Support

• EMR: Epic

• Support staff: RN

Credentialing

• Estimated timeframe: 90 days

• Credentialing application must be returned within 10 days of kickoff

• No additional facility credentialing required

Requirements

• Board Certified

• Minimum 3 years of CV/CT surgery experience

• WA medical license highly preferred (IMLC considered)

• ACLS, BLS, DEA certifications

• Clean malpractice history

Dealbreaker

• Inability to perform robotic-assisted thoracic surgeries (approximately 90% of thoracic cases)