Doctor's Assistant

at  Pulse Veterinary Specialists Emergency

POSITION SUMMARY

The Criticalist Doctor’s Assistant will provide enthusiastic, compassionate, and professional care for clients and patients at Pulse Veterinary Specialists & Emergency. They will report to the ER DVM Co-managers and work closely with our Critical Care Specialist. The position’s goal is to provide support and assistance to help balance the Critical Care Specialist’s workload through a variety of tasks.
The ideal candidate values maintaining a collegial working culture and prioritizes embracing the strategy, commitments, and goals of the organization to deliver high standards of medicine and exceptional patient care.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have:

Education and Experience

• Completion of Veterinary Medical Assistant program is considered an asset but not required.
• Previous Doctor Assistant or related experience is preferred (preferably in an ER or Critical Care setting).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comfortable working with all animals and with communicating with our patients’ owners.
• Exceptional customer service skills.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• General knowledge and understanding of the range of services the practice provides and the species it treats, as well as standard medical and business abbreviations.
• Proven active listening and problem-solving skills.
• Understands how to communicate difficult/sensitive information professionally.
• Strong time management and organizational skills including the abilities to plan, coordinate, multitask and prioritize.
• Genuine interest and initiative to help Pulse be the best practice it can be.
• Strong initiative and desire to be an integral key player in the growth and maturation of the Emergency and Critical Care teams.
• Intrinsic desire to grow personally and professionally.

Daily:

• Attends morning rounds to gain general knowledge of patients for the day.
• Checks messages and calls clients to update on patient status when requested by Doctors.
• Maintains practice software including client and patient record management.
• Openly and proactively communicates updates to DVMs, Lead Emergency RVT, Lead Specialty RVT, and other department team members. Prioritizes interdepartmental synergy by maintaining open lines of communication with other departments.
• Follows all SOPs to support smooth hospital operations.
• Follows all federal and provincial animal health laws and regulations regarding workplace health and safety.

• Adhere to the hospital’s health and safety policies.

  Procedural:

• Cross references and double checks charges for procedures, diagnostics, and hospitalization for inpatients and outpatients.

• Ensures all treatments marked off on Instinct have been performed (e.g. bloodwork, x-rays) and helps complete treatments as needed.
• Submits and runs laboratory tests.
• Record keeping: Sends referral letters, scans and/or faxes records, calls referral veterinarians for medical records, enters charges, documents client communications.
• Keeps a record of all radiographs the Doctors may have ordered and submits radiograph review requests when required.
• Maintains records of all outgoing bloodwork ordered by the Criticalists and creates lab request when applicable.
• Communicates with clients, Technicians, and Doctors on patient status, discharge information, and any other pertinent information.

Patient-Admittance/Discharge:

• Creates and presents financial estimates, enter charges, and give financial updates to clients.
• Transfers incoming patients to appropriate wards and ensures their comfort.
• Provides education and nutritional counseling to customers as required.
• Client communication: provides clients with daily updates, communicates lab results, reviews discharge instructions, creates and reviews overestimates with clients after discharge phone calls.
• Coordinates appointments and discharges with Criticalists.

Other duties may be assigned as required.