HURON VALLEY-SINAI HOSPITAL
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
HOUSE PHYSICIAN SCOPE OF PRACTICE
(JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES/BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS)
GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The House Surgeon provide preoperative, urgent, emergent, and routine care to any surgical patient in the operating
room suite, general medical floors, and pediatrics, Critical Care Unit and in the Emergency Department in the absence of,
and in conjunction with, the patient’s attending physician.
PRINCIPLE JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES/BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS:
In addition to expectations common to all house physicians at HVSH:
1.
Is available for any surgical patient in the hospital and expected to respond to any urgent, emergent, or routine
surgical case. Communicates patient’s progress to attending physician(s).
2.
House surgeon will handle all routine orders such as laboratory and radiology tests on pre and postoperative patients as deemed appropriate or as directed by the attending physician.
3.
House surgeon is expected to contact the attending physician in all cases that require the immediate
attention of the attending surgeon, i.e. bleeding, fulminant infections, and any life-threatening condition.
4.
If requested by the attending physician, the house surgeon will evaluate patient(s) before surgery, change
dressings, remove drains, remove chest tubes, place central IV lines, etc. These requests should be written as
patient orders in the appropriate manner, i.e. “Chest tube to be discontinued by house physician.”
5.
House surgeon shall write the history and physical exam on any surgical patient admitted through the
Emergency Department and who will have surgery within 24 hours.
6.
House surgeon is available to assist any surgeon in the operating room on request. This will be assigned by the
OR scheduling office. The house surgeon may not refuse to assist on any surgical procedure needing a physician
assistant regardless of the availability of a technical surgical assistant fee.
7.
House physicians will respond immediately to calls from an attending physician, nursing unit, or any
department requesting assistance. Whenever patient care is involved, either routine or acute care, the problem
shall be resolved on the patient’s behalf as quickly and efficiently as possible. This may involve bedside
assessment, communication with attending or consulting physicians and nursing staff, writing patient orders, etc.
Should the House Physician have reason to question the appropriateness of a request, that question may be
directed to the lead house physician or the medical chief of the service, but only after a direct and timely
response to facilitate the patient’s comfort and care.
8.
House physicians will arrive on duty in a timely manner. Leave duty only after reporting significant patient
information to the on-coming house physician. At no time will the house physician leave the hospital
premises until another physician has arrived to provide services in his/her area.
9.
House Physicians shall document all patient visits, assessments, examinations, interventions, etc, with, at
minimum, a progress note entry.
10.
House physicians may evaluate short stay patient(s) prior to discharge, if requested, by attending
physicians, although the actual discharge should appropriately be written (or verbal order given) by the
attending physician.
11.
House physicians will serve as a resource to the Emergency Department physicians.
12.
House physicians will pronounce the death of any patient on his/her service, request autopsy, assist with
organ/tissue requests, and communicate with staff and family as required in the circumstances.
13.
House physicians will comply with and implement the Continuous Improvement philosophy as well as all
hospital, health, human relations, safety, personnel and departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY - HOUSE PHYSICIAN SCOPE OF PRACTICE
PRINCIPLE JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES/BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS - Continued
Page 2
14.
House physicians will carry a hospital-provided beeper and be available for pages at all times. If
extenuating circumstances arise and a house physician is not available to respond, the house physician
has made arrangement to have his/her pages answered.
15.
House physicians will wear their photo ID badges at all time while on the hospital premises.
ACTIVE STAFF ACTING AS HOUSE PHYSICIANS:
In addition to the above, ACTIVE staff performing house physician duties;
16.
Shall NOT bill the insurance company or the patient for evaluating the patient in the hospital.
17.
Shall NOT assign patients seen in the Emergency Room to themselves. Call schedule will be utilized.
18.
Shall NOT schedule or perform surgery during house physician coverage.
MINIMUM CRITERIA NEEDED FOR SURGERY HOUSE PHYSICIAN:
Minimum level of training:
1.
Graduate of an accredited college of medicine or osteopathy.
2.
Fully licensed to practice medicine in State of Michigan (limited licenses are not acceptable).
3.
Meet any other licensure and accreditation requirements.
4.
Successfully completed or in the process of completing an accredited residency program in Surgery.
Skills and abilities:
1.
Interpersonal skills to communicate and coordinate effectively with attending physicians, nursing staff, ancillary
and professional support personnel, patients, families and outside agencies, as required.
2.
Clinical expertise to care for seriously ill patients with a variety of conditions falling within all Department of
Surgery specialties.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
Medical:
House Physician Coordinator, and/or
Chief of Department of Surgery, or his designee
Administrative: Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, Regional Vice President, Oakland Region
I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE HOUSE PHYSICIAN SCOPE OF PRACTICE AND WILL COMPLY WITH
ALL PRINCIPLE JOB DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS. I ALSO ATTEST THAT I
MEET THE MINIMUM CRITERIA, AS OUTLINED, FOR HOUSE PHYSICIAN STATUS. I ALSO UNDERSTAND
THAT MY CONTRACT ARRANGEMENT MAY BE TERMINATED AT ANY TIME DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE
HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION, WITHOUT RIGHT TO APPEAL, IF I FAIL TO MEET THE RESPONSIBILITIES
AND EXPECTATIONS DEFINED IN THE SCOPE OF PRACTICE AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
________________________________________________
Signature (Practitioner)
________________________
Date
________________________________________________
Name (Please Print)
Signature, Department Chief
Date
Signature, Specialist-in-Chief
Date
Joint Conference Committee Approval:
HVH House Physician SOP/Surgery (JCC: 11.22.11 revised)
Date