Neurosurgery Physician Assistant Inpatient
About the job
- A bachelor's degree is required.
- Successful completion of a Physician Assistant program is required.
- Physician Assistant licensure is required within the first three months following receipt of a complete application for medical staff membership and privilege.
- Physician Assistant certification is required.
- Basic Life Support certification is required.
- The role requires lifting and turning patients weighing 30–35 pounds, prolonged standing and walking, and occasional twisting, bending, reaching, pushing or pulling, sitting, kneeling, and squatting.
- The role involves exposure to infectious disease, possible carcinogenic chemicals, and blood-borne pathogens.
- The role requires manual dexterity for fine hand manipulations during procedures and computer keyboard use.
- The role requires the ability to see computer screens and reports and accurately assist in procedures, and to hear instructions from physicians.
- The role requires assessing patients of all age groups and providing appropriate care.
- The role requires interpersonal skills for interacting with physicians, staff, patients, and families.
- The role requires analytical skills to evaluate patients and coordinate treatment plans.
- The role requires maturity, self-confidence, and the ability to follow complex patient management plans as directed by the attending physician.
- Assist Department physician staff in providing medical services to patients within legal limitations.
- Perform complete, detailed, and accurate initial evaluations, including obtaining medical histories.
- Review patient records and develop comprehensive medical status reports.
- Order laboratory, radiological, and diagnostic studies appropriate to the patient's complaint, age, race, gender, and physical condition.
- Coordinate treatment plans, monitor progress, and refer patients to appropriate sources for care under the supervising physician's direction.
- Implement the philosophy, objectives, policies, and procedures of Nursing Service, and work cooperatively with the department and other services to support quality health care.
- Manage a broad spectrum of patients and perform a wide range of clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures.
- In collaboration with the healthcare team, assess patient health by obtaining thorough medical histories and performing physical examinations and laboratory and diagnostic studies; diagnose health and developmental problems and care for patients with acute and chronic diseases.
- Assess patients' and families' psychosocial and educational needs, readiness to learn, and barriers to learning during admission.
- Examine patients and records, distinguish normal from abnormal findings, identify early signs of serious physical or emotional problems, and consult physicians about patient evaluations and conditions.
- Develop individualized, comprehensive plans of care using established standards, knowledge of disease entities, human growth and development, and patients' emotional, social, and spiritual needs, in accordance with hospital standards.
- Communicate professionally with patients and families, practitioners, physicians, and coworkers.
- Set priorities and modify patient care in response to changing situations; consult the physician regarding patient encounters and, when appropriate, triage and refer primary care patients presenting with new symptoms.
- Order appropriate laboratory and radiological tests based on assessed needs.
- Maintain required records, reports, and statistics, including accurate patient records, charts, and administrative documentation.
- Prescribe appropriately, including selecting agents and determining volume and refills.
- Promote preventive medicine through patient education and counseling, and provide and document patient and family teaching.
- Communicate patient needs to other clinical personnel involved in care and contribute to care plans.
- Collaborate with physicians to manage patient care cost-effectively, use system resources and nursing interventions appropriately, and complete assigned work effectively and on time.
- May orient and train new Physician Assistants, coordinate staff schedules, assist with performance evaluations, and provide guidance on effective team building.
- May participate in rounds with residents, complete daily patient-management assignments, assist with patient care and disposition, and handle medical emergencies during regular working hours on the inpatient service.
- State and federal controlled-substances registration.
About the company
Tufts Medicine is an integrated health system in Massachusetts that combines academic medical centers, community hospitals, a large home care network, and a clinically integrated physician network to deliver coordinated care. It includes Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General, MelroseWakefield, home health services, and a broad physician network, enabling care across settings. The system coordinates hospitals, doctors, and home care under one strategy to manage the patient journey, reduce fragmentation, and control costs while maintaining quality. Its goal is to deliver high-quality care at the lowest possible cost, expand access, and transform how people engage with healthcare.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Burlington, Massachusetts
Founded
2014
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Nic Nguyen joined September 23, 2026 to integrate employed and community physicians.
- Tufts won a $44 million NIH grant on September 15, 2026, its largest ever.
- The Malden behavioral health hospital and new cardiac surgery leadership expand near-term growth channels.
What critics are saying
- Tufts Medicine posted a $79.5 million operating loss through June 30, 2026.
- Leadership churn hit August 2026, with Dandorph and DeVoe exiting during the turnaround.
- Persistent losses can force more layoffs, asset sales, and a broken-up system by 2027.
What makes Tufts Medicine unique
- Tufts Medicine combines Tufts Medical Center’s academic brand with a 2021 clinically integrated network.
- Its heart transplant, trauma, and 100-plus specialties give New England employers referral breadth.
- The system can translate research into care, exemplified by its 25-language NIH ACP trial.
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Benefits
401(k) Company Match
403(b) Retirement Plan
Tuition Reimbursement
Company News
Tufts Medicine names Nic Nguyen, MD as the physician enterprise's inaugural Chief Clinical Officer + Chief Integration Officer. September 23, 2026 Appointment will enhance patient access to primary and specialty care through a community-based, integrated care delivery model Tufts Medicine today announced the appointment of Nic Nguyen, MD, as Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Integration Officer. As one of the most respected primary care physicians and clinical leaders in Massachusetts, Dr. Nguyen will support an important element of Tufts Medicine's vision to build the primary care enterprise in a coordinated, and patient-centered care delivery system across the continuum that empowers people. Dr. Nguyen started at Tufts Medicine in late August. In this inaugural role, Dr. Nguyen is the physician executive responsible for leading Tufts Medicine's employed community primary care teams, and in alignment with community-based primary and specialty care leaders, advancing a more integrated, systemwide ambulatory care strategy across Tufts Medicine. Dr. Nguyen will work closely with Tufts Medicine's senior executive team and the Tufts Medicine Integrated Network to drive growth, overall integration, care team experience and sustainability, clinical excellence and value-based care, while promoting the introduction and advancement of academic initiatives into the community. "As we work to strengthen integration between our private and employed physicians and advance our ambulatory strategy across Tufts Medicine, I am confident that Dr. Nguyen's breadth of experience in both academic and community-based settings will accelerate our ability to better reach and serve patients," said Dr. Erika Werner, Chief Physician Executive at Tufts Medicine, President of the Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine. "We are honored to have Dr. Nguyen join our organization and enhance access to preventative and specialized care in the communities where our patients live." Dr. Nguyen joins Tufts Medicine from Beth Israel Lahey Health, where he served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of the Medical Group. With demonstrated expertise in aligning clinical operations throughout complex health systems, Dr. Nguyen is also known for fostering physician and advanced practice clinician engagement and trust. Dr. Nguyen earned his Medical Degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Cambridge Health Alliance-Tufts Family Medicine and the Linde Fellowship in Primary Care Leadership Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "Joining Tufts Medicine feels like a homecoming for me. It's where my academic journey began and where I started my clinical career, so I'm honored to return at such an important moment for the system," said Dr. Nguyen, who is also Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine, Family Medicine. "Together with Tufts Medicine's exceptional community-based clinicians and teams, I look forward to building an ambulatory care delivery model that advances operational and clinical excellence, expands patient access, and meets the evolving needs of patients now and in the future."
Tufts Medicine co-leads $44 million NIH grant to transform advance care planning with social work-driven, video-assisted model. September 15, 2026 Grant is the largest single-project NIH grant in Tufts Medical Center history Tufts Medicine Tufts Medical Center has been awarded a $44 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to test a fundamentally new model of advance care planning (ACP) that begins conversations about end-of-life care earlier to give patients and caregivers more time to communicate their preferences for future medical care. These conversations will be led by social workers and nurses using video decision-support tools available in 25 languages. This grant is the largest single-project NIH grant in Tufts Medical Center history. The multi-site study - ACP Educator Video Program to Promote Goal-Concordant Care in Older Patients and those with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Advancing Ethical Goals In Society (AEGIS) - is co-led by Michael Paasche-Orlow, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of Research and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of the Center for Health Literacy Research + Practice at Tufts Medicine. The clinical trial will be conducted across two partner health systems - Northwell Health (28 hospitals) and Dartmouth Health (nine hospitals), the nation's most rural health system - enabling researchers to test the model at scale and to evaluate a specific hypothesis about its effectiveness with rural participants. A study of this scale is needed to meaningfully advance research in this area. While previous studies have largely focused on documenting patient preferences, the AEGIS Trial is distinguished by its primary outcome: whether patients actually receive care at the end of their life that is concordant with their goals. The trial is also designed to extend the benefits of advance care planning to communities that have historically experienced lower rates of such planning, including patients in rural areas and those with language barriers. By focusing on both the receipt of goal-concordant care and the inclusion of communities often underrepresented in prior research, the AEGIS Trial aims to improve care for the patients who stand to benefit most. "Advance care planning has traditionally been treated as an end-of-life crisis conversation, happening too late and too rushed for patients to truly reflect on what matters most to them," said Dr. Paasche-Orlow. "This model starts that conversation much earlier and puts social workers - who are trained to have meaningful, sustained conversations about goals and values - at the center of the process. The video tools, available in 25 languages, are designed to overcome health-literacy and language barriers so that every patient, regardless of background, can make an informed, meaningful choice alongside their family." How the model works. The intervention reimagines ACP as a longitudinal intervention rather than a one-time event: * Timing: ACP conversations begin approximately two years before death, transforming a last-minute decision into an ongoing dialogue. * Social work-driven: Specially trained social workers lead the conversations, reflecting evidence that patient-centered discussions of goals and values are a core social-work competency. * Video decision support: Patients and their families watch a suite of short video decision-support tools together with the social worker, then discuss the topics. The videos, produced in collaboration with ACP Decisions, cover a range of scenarios - including goals of care, palliative care, hospice and limitation of life-sustaining interventions - and are designed to make complex medical decisions visually clear and accessible. * Multiple languages: The video library is available in 25 languages, addressing the health-literacy and limited-English-proficiency barriers that have historically left many patients behind in end-of-life planning. The model builds on two decades of research by Dr. Paasche-Orlow and collaborators on video-assisted ACP, including randomized trials in nursing homes, oncology, heart failure and a variety of hospital and community settings. "Nearly all the data that has been collected on advanced care planning has been focused on urban areas, when one in five patients live in rural areas across the country," said principal investigator Angelo E. Volandes, MD, MPH, Chief Research Officer at Dartmouth Health and Senior Associate Dean of Clinical and Translational Research at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. "By studying the impact of innovative, end-of-life planning across such a wide patient population - in both rural and urban areas - this study has the potential to impact how we deliver care to all communities across the country. By empowering patients, families and care teams, this study aims to help close the wide gap between the way patients want to live their lives in their final years and how care has actually been delivered." "Being able to follow people longitudinally is very exciting," said co-investigator Edith Burns, MD, Professor of Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Health and Director of Research for the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. "In the past, advance care planning has often been a one-time conversation, but things change over time. This study has potential to improve communication across the entire healthcare system, educate primary care clinicians and teams and address the fragmentation that creates communication challenges along the way." The study - ACP Educator Video Program to Promote Goal-Concordant Care in Older Patients and those with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Advancing Ethical Goals In Society (AEGIS) - is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award (Project) Number 1U19AG090271-01A1. About advance care planning. Advance care planning is the process by which patients reflect on and communicate their preferences for future medical care in the event they become unable to speak for themselves. Despite its importance, studies show that the majority of older adults and patients with serious illness have never communicated their preferences to clinicians or completed ACP documents. Disparities in ACP are especially pronounced among patients in rural areas and those with limited health literacy and limited English proficiency.
Tufts Medicine CEO, CFO step down amid financial struggles. Phil Okala, Tufts' chief operating officer, will replace Mike Dandorph as chief executive; Greg Kruse, a strategic VP, will take over budget planning. Published Aug. 6, 2026 Jill Hughes Dive brief: * Two of Tufts Medicine's top executives are stepping down as the beleaguered health system embarks on a financial turnaround. * CEO Mike Dandorph is leaving after more than six years at Tufts, effective at the end of September. He'll be replaced by Phil Okala, Tufts' current chief operating officer, according to a memo from Tufts' board chair shared with Healthcare Dive. * Andrew Devoe, Tufts' chief financial officer, is also stepping down after two years in the role. Greg Kruse, the current vice president of strategic operations and analytics intelligence, will take over budget planning and oversee some financial services operations while Tufts begins a national search for Devoe's replacement. Dive insight: Dandorph was named Tufts' CEO in January 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was first ramping up. His leadership was central to advancing access to care and furthering Tufts' research, despite "unprecedented financial challenges and policy changes shaping the industry," Phil Lembo, the chair of Tufts' board of trustees, wrote in his Tuesday memo. Dandorph will remain in the position through the 2026 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. At that time, Okala, who has held several leadership posts at Tufts and other healthcare organizations over his career, will assume the role. "Our focus remains unchanged: serving our patients and communities, supporting our people, strengthening our financial position and continuing to advance Tufts Medicine's mission to empower people to live their best lives," Okala said. Dandorph described the change as in the best interest and at the right time for Tufts. The system, which operates four hospitals in eastern Massachusetts, has faced financial struggles amid worker shortages and post-pandemic revenue dips. In 2024, Tufts Medicine laid off 174 employees, or about 1% of its workforce, citing high labor costs and capacity challenges. It also laid off 70 administrative workers in 2023 and sold its laboratory outreach testing business to Labcorp, dissolving 600 more roles. Tufts' actions appear to be bearing fruit. The system reported a $51.6 million net loss in its 2025 fiscal year, improving on its loss of $214 million the year prior, according to financial documents. "While important work remains ahead, we have generated significant momentum and are entering the next phase of our financial turnaround with greater focus, discipline and purpose," Lembo said.
Header utility. May 7, 2026 Distinguished cardiac surgeon brings national leadership in complex valve and structural heart surgery to advance growth, innovation and multidisciplinary cardiovascular care across Tufts Medicine Tufts Medicine announced today that Dr. Panayotis (Panos) Vardas, has been named Division Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC), with an academic appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Vardas, an internationally recognized cardiac surgeon, will advance the clinical, academic and research mission of the Division of Cardiac Surgery and contribute to the growth of cardiovascular services across Tufts Medicine. Dr. Vardas will also promote patient-centered, multidisciplinary, collaborative, high-quality cardiac surgical care and ensure equitable access to advanced cardiothoracic surgical services across Tufts Medicine. "Dr. Vardas joins us at an exciting time for cardiovascular services at Tufts Medical Center and across Tufts Medicine," said Erika Werner, MD, Chief Physician Executive of Tufts Medicine, President of the Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization, and a Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. "His proven track record in advancing surgical excellence and building high-performing programs, combined with his dedication to education and research, will be instrumental in strengthening our cardiac surgery program and expanding access to innovative cardiac care for the communities we serve." Dr. Vardas practices the full spectrum of adult cardiac surgery with a specialized clinical focus on complex valve disease and structural heart interventions. His clinical expertise emphasizes durable valve repair, percutaneous and transcatheter valve interventions, arrhythmia surgery, surgical coronary revascularization and complex reoperative cardiac surgery. In addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. Vardas brings a strong academic profile and a commitment to innovation. He has been actively involved in clinical trials, outcomes research and guideline development, with a focus on valve disease, arrhythmia surgery and advanced surgical and transcatheter technologies. His scholarly work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, and he has served in leadership roles within several professional societies, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society and the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association. Dr. Vardas joins Tufts MC from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he served as a Tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical Director of the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Units and Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency and Fellowship. He has received multiple national honors, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons President's Award, and was recently inducted into the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, one of the most prestigious professional societies in the field, in recognition of his contributions to cardiothoracic surgical education and research. "Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine are nationally renowned for excellence in cardiovascular care and a unique opportunity for growth," said Dr. Vardas. "I'm honored to join this outstanding team and look forward to working collaboratively to build a leading cardiac surgery program focused on innovation, multidisciplinary care and exceptional patient outcomes. Dr. Vardas earned his Medical Degree from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" School of Medicine. He completed general surgery training at the University of Washington, followed by an integrated thoracic surgery residency at Indiana University School of Medicine, and an advanced fellowship in complex valve reconstructive and arrhythmia surgery at Northwestern University. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.
Persistent inequity in survival after atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF or Afib, is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. In fact, one in three individuals can expect to be diagnosed by the condition, which increases the risk of serious complications such as heart failure and stroke. Despite significant advances in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, a new Danish study from Aalborg University shows that social inequities in survival have remained virtually unchanged over the past 20 years. The article has just been published in the internationally recognized journal The Lancet Public Health in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and Boston University. The study is based on nationwide Danish registry data from more than 380,000 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation between 2000 and 2022 and documents inequities in income, education, and social relationships still have a major impact on life expectancy after diagnosis. Individuals diagnosed with AF who have a low income live on average 2.5 years shorter than those with high income. Low educational level results in a loss of 1.8 years of life, while living alone costs about 1.6 years. "Advances in the management and treatment of atrial fibrillation have improved survival for everyone but have not closed the gap between social groups. This is clearly a problem in a tax-funded universal healthcare system with formally equal access to treatment for all - especially when we know how much prevention can actually matter," says the study's lead author, Nicklas Vinter, MD, PhD, and postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Center for Health Services Research at Aalborg University. He also points out that the global incidence of atrial fibrillation is rising, making the results relevant far beyond Denmark's borders. This is clearly a problem in a tax-funded universal healthcare system with formally equal access to treatment for all - especially when Adsl Aau know how much prevention can actually matter. Social and structural barriers must be addressed. According to Nicklas Vinter, the causes of inequity are not only linked to medical treatment but also to social and behavioral factors. For some patients, treatment guidelines can be difficult to understand and translate into concrete action, and many lack a social network that can provide practical support in everyday life. Therefore, the researchers behind the study propose a new tool, FAIR-PRO-AF, which can help decision-makers and researchers across sectors systematically reduce inequity and create continuous improvements. The tool is designed as a circular work cycle: first, the social factors associated with survival are mapped. Next, the barriers that hinder equity in access, quality, and effectiveness of treatment are identified. In the third step, concrete initiatives are prioritized and implemented, and finally, the effect is evaluated before the cycle moves on to the next round. "The social and structural barriers that limit patients' access to knowledge, resources, and support must be addressed if we want to improve prognoses for all. This requires a broader effort where the healthcare system collaborates with social and political actors," says Nicklas Vinter. Facts: Atrial fibrillation * Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. * Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include shortness of breath, palpitations, and chest pain. * The condition is associated with increased mortality - on average, a patient with atrial fibrillation loses about two years of expected lifespan compared to individuals without the diagnosis. * In Denmark, more than 170,000 people live with the condition, * Each year, more than 20,000 Danes receive the new diagnosis. Read the scientific article: Temporal trends in associations between social drivers and life-years lost in newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in Denmark, 2000 - 22: a nationwide cohort study Published in The Lancet Public Health, December 2025. Authors: Nicklas Vinter, Søren Paaske Johnsen, Gregory Yoke Hong Lip, Ludovic Trinquart, Lars Frost and Emelia J. Benjamin.