Team Rubicon International (TRI) is seeking volunteer Physician Assistants/Associates (PA) to support communities around the world prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. Duties may include providing medical care, including triage, treatment, and follow-up of patients; implementing protocols related to disease prevention and mitigation, such as universal precautions and basic hygiene standards; ensuring the quality and continuity of care for the affected population; collecting and documenting data in the patient medical record, and collecting and reporting data as appropriate to the in-country Ministry of Health and UN World Health Organization (WHO) i.e. during infectious disease outbreaks.
Applicants should excel in emergency medicine and have a strong understanding of primary care/family medicine in resource-limited environments. As a TR Medical Team member, you may be called upon to provide direct care to impacted communities immediately following rapid onset disasters, to decompress overwhelmed medical facilities during infectious disease outbreaks and other humanitarian crises, and to build disaster response capacity with host nation medical staff in non-disaster settings.
You must be a leader and a follower. You will be expected to represent TR with a diverse group of stakeholders, including affected community members, the WHO, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), fellow non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments and healthcare providers, and existing/potential donors. You will be expected to develop a commanding knowledge of TR operations and WHO-verified Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Type-1 Mobile capability.
As a TR Medical Provider, you will be expected to work in challenging, austere, and sometimes insecure environments. You must be physically capable and mentally resilient to navigate moderate long distances on foot, work without access to electricity, and at times procure potable water. Inherent to this position is the willingness to deploy on a deliberately planned humanitarian operation or in response to a natural or man-made disaster in potentially austere or hazardous environments on shorter notice.
The International TR Medical Team is a highly selective opportunity for those willing to take a bold step into the unknown to serve vulnerable communities across the globe.
PA DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide direct patient care as part of TR EMT Type-1 Mobile medical unit.
- Ensure accurate and timely daily reporting to TR International Field Leadership and TR Medical Leadership, as required. Carry out and supervise administrative procedures and documents (patient health records, forms, consumptions, statistics, registers, etc.).
- Ensure an appropriate written/oral handover, and report any problematic situations and cases that may arise. Always maintain Protected Health Information (PHI) and data.
- Know, promote, implement, and follow the universal hygiene standards/precautions, biohazard prevention and infection control, security rules and other protocols and procedures in the medical premises and ensuring high standards of hygiene of working environment.
- Apply medical knowledge and skills to diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases/injuries of patients presenting to the clinic. Carry out outpatient consultations, prescribing the necessary treatment, respecting TR protocols.
- Keep the patient and/or their family informed about the illness and provide appropriate explanations about the treatment to follow, ensuring understanding.
- Ensure accurate and timely patient records including consent, patient encounter forms, transfer forms and other documentation as required by protocol. Provide patient documentation of encounters. Participate in health education of the patient (and family) when necessary.
- Carry out surveillance, follow-up of patients (i.e. assessment of the evolution of their state of health and the identification of any emergency situation or security deterioration) while at our clinic, and assist in transfer processes as needed.
- Check and control the rational distribution of medicines and equipment under his/her responsibility and take care of the quality, disinfection and sterilization of the medical material. Assure general compliance with standing hygiene standards.
- Participate in the pharmacy and medical equipment load-out, control and maintenance as requested (quality and its functioning, storage conditions, follow-up of expired drugs inventories, stock takes of medicines and material at every team changeover ensuring no material is removed or taken without prior authorization, etc.).
- Know and ensure all TR medical protocols are followed and implemented, checking universal precautions are followed at all times and reducing bio-hazard risks and improving infection control. Ensure professional confidentiality is respected.
- Given the unique nature of the PA profession, your medical licensure will not be recognized in all countries. In these situations, you may be called upon to exercise knowledge and experience outside of clinical practice by serving as team lead, assistant team lead, medical unit leader, WASH expert, etc.
GENERAL TEAM DUTIES:
- Ensure accurate and timely daily reporting to TR International Field Leadership and TR Medical Leadership.
- Support planning of Rapid Onset Response and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programming.
- Represent TR to foreign/host governments, international organizations (e.g., WHO, UNOCHA), US Government (USG) Agencies, existing or potential donors, and media outlets.
- Be accountable for all TR equipment, including EMT formulary.
- Provide operational feedback that assists in development of standards, policies, and processes for response, recovery, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs.
- Ensure Duty of Care to the deploying team, including monitoring and adapting to changes in security situations, team heath, welfare, and morale.
- Ensure compliance of all activities in accordance with TR policies, including Safeguarding, and other relevant US Government and other donor rules and regulations as required.
- Be prepared to work with or under the leadership of local medical staff during disaster response and DRR program implementation.
- Effectively and ethically execute the protocols of Team Rubicon International and enhance our ability to respond rapidly to disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, and other humanitarian crises.
EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND
Required:
- Current unencumbered state licensure in the United States as a Physician Assistant/Associate
- Active DEA license
- BLS, ACLS
- Masters of Medical Science (MSc, MMSc) or equivalent
- Minimum of three years of experience in the ED, ICU/SICU, Field Medicine,or MedEvac, and at least 6 months of clinical practice within the last 2 years
Highly preferred:
- PALS, ATLS
- Professional experience in low- and middle-income countries or in disaster/humanitarian response.
- Proficiency in foreign languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese are highly desired.)
- Professional experience in infectious diseases, tropical diseases, public health, humanitarian response
Job Type:
- Volunteer
TR International Volunteer Requirements
- Ability to commit to a minimum 2-week international deployment obligation
- Able to engage in planning, debrief, and support meetings for mobilization and operations
- Must have a US or Canadian passport with six months validity from date of departure
- Meet WHO vaccination requirements, including COVID-19
- Cleared TR background check
- Ability to live in an environment with no electricity or running water, and without requirement of life enhancing devices (CPAP, etc.)
- Physically capable of operating in demanding environments and able to pass a 45 lbs. 3-mile pack test in under 1 hour.
DESIRED COMPETENCIES
- Adaptable: Ability to handle rapidly changing circumstances and parameters.
- Humble: Ability to move seamlessly from leader to follower–check your ego at the door.
- Resilient: Ability to tolerate stress, receive and respond to criticism, and function in a physically demanding environment.
- Flexible: Ability to provide care in a variety of environments, including ambulatory operations, mobile clinics, and resource-limited environments.
- Honest: Must be trusted to work in remote and often minimally supervised environments. Must be aware of one’s abilities and personal limits. Professional responsibility and accountability are paramount.
- Selfless: Team over self. Social and interpersonal skills that support rapport building with TR members, partner organizations, and institutional donors are vital.
- Knowledgeable: Must understand disasters and the humanitarian impacts, basic assessment of disaster situations, and emergency care in immediate post-disaster setting, as well as maintain the ability to assimilate and interpret important information during disasters. Must also possess the ability to understand local medical/health service needs quickly, including the need to support vulnerable populations such children, older persons, pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and people with mental and/or physical disabilities, etc.
- Empathetic: Ability to understand the impact of disasters on the health and wellbeing of 4populations, acknowledge the importance of population health maintenance, and the needs of affected populations and those with chronic medical problems in disaster-settings.
- Culturally Adept: International operations require individuals that are knowledgeable and understanding of cultures, customs or traditions that are unlike their own
Cultural Values:
- Mission First, Greyshirt Always: Anyone joining TR must understand that our mission to provide disaster response comes first
- Step into the Arena: TR needs leaders who aren’t afraid to dare to be great
- Everyone Has A Role Know It: Ability to successfully navigate a fast-paced, high-growth environment and solve problems in the face of ambiguity
- GSD: We are entrepreneurial, resourceful and determined no matter how chaotic the situation
- Change Your Socks: We take care of ourselves and each other so we are best equipped to serve those in greatest need
- Adults Only: Every team member is an adult until proven otherwise
- Your Mother’s A Donor: Every leader must be committed to fiduciary responsibility, transparency and financial stewardship