Description
A healthcare anchor in the county, Van Diest Medical Center is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital newly constructed in 2010 with a new Family Health Clinic attached and constructed in 2016, all in one location. The hospital has a management affiliation agreement with MercyOne in Des Moines, Iowa. Three additional clinics complete the Van Diest Medical Center healthcare network; all four clinics achieving Rural Health Clinic Accreditation in 2017.
The Physician Assistant (PA) will work collaboratively with the General Orthopedic Surgeon to provide high-quality care in a rural Critical Access Hospital setting. This role includes assisting in surgical procedures, managing pre- and post-operative care, conducting outpatient clinic visits, and supporting inpatient rounding. The PA will work closely with nursing staff, rehabilitation services, and other clinical departments to ensure continuity of care. This position does not supervise other staff.
Clinical Support – Conduct comprehensive patient evaluations, order and interpret diagnostic studies, perform joint injections, wound care, and other office-based procedures under established protocols.
Surgical Assistance - Serve as first assist in orthopedic surgical procedures; support pre-operative preparation and post-operative care.
Inpatient & Emergency Coverage – Participate in hospital rounds, manage post-surgical inpatients, and assist in emergency consultations as needed.
Collaboration & Education – Communicate effectively with multidisciplinary teams to optimize patient outcomes; educate patients and families on treatment plans and recovery expectations.
Participate in quality improvement initiatives and contribute to orthopedic service development within the CAH environment.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Come work with an award winning team! Thanks to the readers of The Daily Freeman-Journal, VDMC was named Best Place to Work in both 2023 and 2024. Van Diest Medical Center has also been recognized as a 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®. This marks the second year for VDMC’s inclusion on the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals. VDMC is one of only 12 hospitals in the state of Iowa to achieve this designation. Nationwide, there are 1,366 critical access hospitals. Additionally, Van Diest Medical Center (VDMC) has also been named a 2024 and 2025 Top Workplaces INDUSTRY winner. Top Workplaces Industry awards celebrate organizations that have built people-first workplace cultures within their sector. The award marks them as an employer of choice for those seeking employment in the industry. Details about how Van Diest Medical Center builds a great workplace culture are available at: https://topworkplaces.com/company/van-diest-medical-center/.
Requirements
Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program
Current Iowa PA license and NCCPA certification
BLS and ACLS certification required
Minimum 1 year of orthopedic or surgical experience preferred
Strong clinical judgment and ability to work independently
Excellent communication and teamwork skills
Must be able to meet the physical requirements as outlined in the Job Requirements document.
This position requires successful completion of a Physical Capacity Profile screening.
Contact Information
