Certified Anesthesia Assistant

Where You’ll Work

Mercy Hospital is an 82 bed, acute care hospital located in the scenic southwestern Colorado town of Durango. It is the only hospital in Colorado to be rated by Medicare with five stars for overall hospital quality. It is recognized for excellence in orthopedic and spine surgery and for outstanding patient experience and patient safety. Mercy has also received ten consecutive 'A' grades for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group. Our providers use state-of-the-art technology in an environment designed to promote wellbeing and healing of body, mind, and spirit. Among the many specialty services available at Mercy are emergency care (Level III trauma designation), surgical care, cardiac care (including interventional), Orthopedic and Spine Centers of Excellence, a Family Birthing Center, home care, hospice care and more. Durango offers an exceptional quality of life with small town charm, excellent schools, and year-round, world-class outdoor recreation opportunities including snow sports, river sports, hiking, biking, camping and more.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) with our physician-centric organization, you will join a dedicated team delivering top-quality, accessible anesthesia care within the community's hospital setting. We are committed to supporting our CAAs so you can focus entirely on patient well-being during surgical and procedural interventions. Our comprehensive resources are designed to streamline administrative tasks and enhance your practice within this dynamic inpatient environment.

In your practice, you will engage in a flexible work schedule, typically involving dedicated inpatient shifts (e.g., call rotation models, block scheduling, or similar). You will be responsible for providing comprehensive anesthesia care under the medical direction of an anesthesiologist, including pre-anesthetic evaluations, formulating and executing anesthesia plans, vigilant intraoperative management, and post-anesthetic care unit (PACU) oversight. This role demands strong clinical acumen for managing a diverse range of patient populations and surgical complexities, from routine procedures to critical emergencies. You will collaborate closely with anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, hospitalists, and other healthcare professionals to ensure seamless patient transitions and optimal perioperative outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you will be a board-certified CAA committed to upholding the highest standards of medical ethics and customary practice. You will possess exceptional clinical skills in all aspects of anesthesia and a passion for providing compassionate, high-value care to patients undergoing surgical and diagnostic procedures.

Comprehensive Perioperative Anesthesia Care - Be responsible for all aspects of anesthetic care, ensuring patient safety and comfort throughout the surgical and procedural journey, working collaboratively within the Anesthesia Care Team model. Pre-Anesthetic Assessment & Planning - Conduct thorough pre-anesthetic patient evaluations, optimize patient conditions, and collaborate with the Anesthesiologist to formulate individualized anesthesia plans.

Intraoperative Anesthesia Management - Administer and manage all types of anesthesia (general, regional, local, MAC), continuously monitor physiological parameters, and respond effectively to emergent situations under the supervision of an anesthesiologist.

Post-Anesthetic Care - Oversee patient recovery in the PACU, manage pain, and address post-anesthetic complications.

Collaboration and Communication - Actively participate in the surgical team, communicating effectively with Anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, and other specialists, and providing pertinent updates to patients and families as appropriate. Documentation and Quality Improvement - Accurately document all anesthetic care for patient record and billing purposes, and contribute to continuous quality improvement initiatives within the department.

Education and Mentorship - Support the teaching of anesthesia students and other healthcare trainees as needed.

We are offering a competitive base salary guaranteed for up to three years, a generous CME allowance, sign-on bonus, relocation assistance (for those that meet the eligibility requirements), student loan assistance, rural stipend, productivity and quality bonuses. Additionally, a Mentorship Program is available for professional growth and development.

Job Requirements

Required

• Graduate of an accredited Anesthesiologist Assistant educational program required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Current, unrestricted Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) license in the state of Colorado required.
• Current certification by the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) required.
• Current BLS and ACLS from the American Heart Association required.
• PALS and/or ATLS may be required depending on practice setting or specific credentialing requirements.

Physical Requirements: Medium Work - (Exert up to 50lbs force occasionally, and/or up to 20lbs frequently, and/or up to 10lbs constantly)