Palliative Care - Clinical Pharmacist: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Where
MedStar Health
Washington, DC, United States
Description
MedStar Health is the largest healthcare employer in the DC/Baltimore region and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is the flagship academic center in the system.
Palliative care pharmacists enjoy a career ladder to connect compensation to professional development.
Each MedStar site has high-functioning interdisciplinary teams. We also have a health system-wide forum for our palliative care pharmacists to collaborate and connect across sites to support community and career development.
Why MedStar Health?
We are the largest healthcare provider in the region with a 10-hospital system that offers easy access to great health care in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. We know that our ability to treat others well begins with how we treat each other. We want our associates to feel valued, connected, and empowered.
About our Palliative Care Teams:
Our team consists of nearly 100 clinicians that work in interdisciplinary teams across 9 acute care hospitals, robust community-based program, and advance care planning program
Our interdisciplinary teams are comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, RNs, social workers, clinical pharmacists, chaplains, and administrative roles
Our System-Wide, Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Model
*Discipline-specific workgroups for system-wide connection and mentorship as well as representation with system leadership
*Interdisciplinary leadership team
*Weekly free CEU event for learning and connections
Requirements: prior hospital experience and additional PGY2 residency training in palliative care or a closely related field.
Job Summary
Provides palliative care for consulted patients and their families facing serious medical problems. Participates in comprehensive clinical evaluation and care of patients and their families. Provides expertise in medication use and monitoring, symptom management, and assessment of the risks and benefits of therapy and provision of continuity of care. Provides clinical education and mentorship to clinicians and trainees. Ensure compliance with practice standards and codes.
Minimum Qualifications
Education/Training: Pharm D degree from an accredited college of Pharmacy. Earned certification in a clinically relevant area from a recognized organization preferred (e.g, Board Certification by Board of Pharmacy Specialties, American Society of Pain Educators Certified Pain Educator (CPE), Diplomate of Academy of Integrative Pain Medicine (DAIPM)).
Experience: 2 years of post-graduate residency/fellowship training, or equivalent experience in the care of patients facing serious medical problems required (e.g., palliative, oncology, hospice, geriatrics).
License/Cert/Reg: Active Pharmacist license in good standing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, or any combination as required based on work location(s).
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Verbal and written communication skills. Basic computer skills preferred.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
1. Contributes to the achievement of established department goals and objectives and adheres to department policies, procedures, quality standards, and safety standards. Complies with governmental and accreditation regulations.
2. Functions as a core clinical team member of the palliative medicine interdisciplinary team.
3. Provides direct whole person patient care for palliative care patients including: Obtaining and documenting a thorough medication history and assessing the appropriateness of current medications. Reviewing medications for potential or actual drug related problems, including but not limited to drug-disease interactions and/or adverse drug events. Orders, interprets and evaluates appropriate imaging, diagnostics, and laboratory data, including but not limited to pharmacogenetic testing, as appropriate according to regulation and policy. Assessment of disease states, symptoms, and patient and family needs. Collaborates in determining and discussing appropriate patient centered goals of care. Prescribes and recommends appropriate use of medications to support goals of care as allowable according to regulation and intuitional policy. Monitors therapy relative to pain and other-symptom management. Provides education to patient and family regarding the use of both pharmacologic and non- pharmacologic interventions. Documents patient care activities in a manner consistent with the palliative team and hospital standards. Recognizes the need for collaboration with other disciplines and refer as appropriate (i.e. psychiatry/psychology, chronic pain anesthesia, acupuncture and integrative medicine) to relieve suffering.
4. Recommends and implements risk mitigation strategies and monitoring to optimize safe and effective use of medications.
5. Responsible for cross-training other team members in pharmacotherapeutic concepts related to palliative care and receiving cross-training from other disciplines.
6. Ensures that patients and caregivers understand and follow the directions relative to medication use.
7. Provides recommendations for appropriate use of nonstandard dosage forms and routes of administration.
8. Addresses financial aspects of medication use by considering formularies of hospital, hospice and patients’ prescription insurance.
9. Assists in ensuring safe use of high risk medications including dosing, administration and disposal.
10. Assists in development of protocols and clinical pathways to improve care for palliative patients.
11. Plays an active role in bridging the knowledge and best practices of pain and palliative care pharmacotherapy into clinical practice and research.
12. Engages in both didactic and experiential interprofessional palliative education.
13. Completes orientation with palliative services and pharmacy department and adhere to hospital policies, procedures, and quality/safety standards.
14. Serves as a spokesperson for the palliative care team and act as a liaison between appropriate departments (e.g., pharmacy, oncology, etc).
15. Represents the team locally, regionally and nationally by presenting platform and poster presentations.
16. Serves on committees and work groups (e.g. pain management, ethics).
17. Participates in multi-disciplinary quality and service improvement teams as appropriate. Participates in meetings and serves on committees and represents the department and hospital in community outreach efforts as appropriate.
18. Performs other duties as assigned.
Apply
Attn: Jessica L Schmidt
E-mail: [email protected]