Physician or Clinical Assistant (PCAM-24-003)

The Portage District General Hospital (PDGH) is an 88-bed regional Centre located in the community of Portage la Prairie serving an area with a population of over 50 000 people with a high percentage being First Nations. The Emergency (ER) Department sees on average approximately 26 000 visits per year with 40% triaged at CTAS level 1-3. The ER is staffed by a compliment of CCFP-EMs, Family Practice Anesthesiologists, and rural General Practitioners. The ER also has a full-time Physician Assistant (PA) who plays a key role in the day-to-day operations within the department. The PDGH is one of the only health sites in rural Manitoba to have a higher acuity Special Care Unit (SCU) which functions as an intermediate ICU for the province. It currently has twelve (12) Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Independent Practitioners who are always eager to train additional staff interested in obtaining these skills.

In addition to a robust acute medicine program, there are two operating theatres and a two-room ambulatory care clinic that provides space for the surgical program. The surgical program is currently home to two (2) full-time General Surgeons and two (2) ENT Surgeons.  The Operating Room (OR) is routinely open for pediatric dental cases as well as cataract surgeries. The anesthetic component to surgery is provided by seven (7) General Practice Anesthetists who provide 24/7 epidural service for obstetric patients. An important component of the OR program is Surgical Assistants. This responsibility is currently split between Family Physicians and one (1) full-time Physician Assistant.

The Physician/Clinical Assistant is positioned mainly on the medical ward as well as dialysis. The primary focus is on the acute care medical wards. The PA/CI.A is responsible for comprehensive care to in-patients, which includes initial assessments (history and physical), developing and implementing treatment plans, providing chronic disease management and follow-up as appropriate. It is important that productive, cooperative working relationships are established between the PA/CI.A and the attending physicians, other primary health care providers, nursing staff, support staff, itinerant consultants, health facility administrators, community leaders, and most importantly, the patients and their families. There are no on-call expectations in this position.

Dialysis Unit:

Assists with daily unit rounds for chronic dialysis patients with Physician supervision
Manages complex wounds with supervision of General Surgeons as well as wound care nurses
Medical Wards:

Integration with the Family Medicine Residency Program – Portage la Prairie and involvement in the Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) which cares for the higher acuity complex patients within the hospital
Assists with daily unit rounds with physician supervision
Participates in routine attendance on discharge rounds with medical staff to facilitate and expedite discharge planning
Performs common medical procedures such as thoracentesis, paracentesis, etc.

Full Time 1.0 Permanent
Application Deadline: May 2, 2024 @ 16:00 hrs

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