Job Description:

The Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington has a unique opportunity for a part-time Advanced Practice Provider to join the Weight Loss Management Center as a Teaching Associate. This is a 60% clinical FTE position with an expected start date of April 1, 2022, or soon thereafter.

Teaching Associates hold annual appointments that align with a 12-month service period (July 1-June 30) and may be reappointed to subsequent annual terms. Faculty with 12-month service periods are paid for 11 months of service over a 12-month period (July-June), meaning the equivalent of one month is available for paid time off.

The Department of Family Medicine is committed to promoting health equity and creating an inclusive culture by maintaining a diverse faculty and values each individual’s unique contributions. Priority will be given to candidates with experience who have demonstrated a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The Department of Family Medicine is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from minority candidates.

The Weight Loss Management Center Advanced Practice Provider (APP) will be a member of the Interdisciplinary Weight Loss Center team that includes attending physicians, residents, fellows and nursing staff providing services to patients and families. The successful applicant will be responsible for providing services independently and collaboratively with appropriate privileges, including initial and ongoing assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patient’s medical and psychosocial status.

Standards of Practice and Performance:

1. Provides timely patient and family assessment for Weight Loss Center patients
2. Participates in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of interventions
3. Collaborates with the attending MD, PCP and other providers to ensure coordination and continuity of care across settings and over time
4. Attends appropriate clinical meetings to serve as a resource for staff and providers
5. Facilitates collaboration with all members of the team to ensure continuity of care
6. Provides patient and/or family with health education, counseling and referrals to other health professionals and community resources as appropriate
7. Participates as a key member of the interdisciplinary team through the development of collaborative and innovative practices and evaluation of patient care outcomes
8. Evaluates quality outcomes through participation in the development of quality indicators including patient satisfaction, timely appointments and other measures of quality and performance

Service APP Duties:

1. 1. Maintains excellent interpersonal skills to execute the UWMC Best Practice Model:
      1. Establishes a therapeutic relationship by imparting a commitment to care for the patient and family throughout the care experience during acute illness or surgical intervention and beyond
      2. Connects with the patient and family by eliciting the patient/family perspective and validating the value of that perspective using strong empathic listening skills
      3. Communicates a sense of caring and openness
   2. Provides clinical support in all the domains of outpatient management:
      1. Patient/family/provider communication about disease and treatment and how it relates to patient values, priorities, and goals across the spectrum of care
      2. Participates with other members of the team in coverage for extended clinic hours and weekends as needed
   3. Collaborates with the primary team, other members of the service, and nursing to:
      1. Make individualized recommendations for patient care
      2. Contribute to the plan of care and communicate the plan to the care team, patients, and families
      3. Promote a collaborative approach to decision making through interdisciplinary collaborative practice
   4. Educates UW School of Medicine students, School of Nursing APP students and UWMC staff on all aspects of the care of Weight Loss Center patients
   5. Assists in program development, develops innovative policies, protocols, and procedures using an evidence-based approach to improve quality, safety and value of Weight Loss Center services
      1. Participates with colleagues throughout UW Medicine and the community on service protocol development
      2. Participates with UWMC colleagues on program development for specific populations.

Duties specific to the Weight Loss Management Center include:

• Conducts pre- and post-operative assessments specific to the physical and psychosocial conditions and needs of patients as they relate to their candidacy for bariatric surgery
• Conducts assessments specific to the needs of patients in relation to weight loss management
• Coordinates and monitors patient care in conjunction with social workers, dietitians and attending physicians
• Assesses and develops early intervention strategies to prevent post-operative complications
• Responds to patients' healthcare needs as they relate to weight loss medication management, preparation for or recovery from bariatric surgery, providing triage, urgent care and interventions as necessary/appropriate
• Follows post-operative bariatric surgery patients, including at least one contact/office visit per year for the life of the patient
• Provides follow up appointments and support in conjunction with weight loss management providers