Clinical Oncology Access Physician Assistant (36 hrs/week)

Overview

Job Profile Summary
The Clinical Oncology Access PA coordinates inpatient access for the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). In collaboration with the Medical Director, Director of Oncology Access, nursing leadership, and Chief PAs, this role directs and manages patient flow for oncology patients admitted or transferred to DFCI. The PA facilitates timely and appropriate team and bed assignments for patients originating from outpatient clinics, outside facilities, the emergency department, internal transfers, and direct admissions. Shifts are 12 hours.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Generates a daily bed plan strategy based on predicted needs and available beds; performs extensive chart review to ensure appropriate team and bed selection based on patient acuity, diagnosis, and resource availability.
• Continuously reassesses incoming patients and anticipated oncology discharges throughout the day; updates the plan accordingly
• Leads daily interdisciplinary huddles with nursing, care coordination, and oncology service line leadership to confirm discharges and identify/resolve barriers; escalates issues to appropriate departments as needed.
• Collaborates with nursing leadership to distribute acuity across oncology pods to optimize nursing and patient care resources.
• Facilitates communication between inpatient and outpatient teams to ensure safe, timely transitions of care for urgent and emergent admissions and transfers.
• Coordinates with bed planning, transfer center, and care management to improve throughput, bed utilization, and patient experience.
• Communicates with ambulatory practices and outside hospitals to coordinate direct admissions and interfacility transfers.
• Creates a detailed overnight plan and provide clear handoff to BWH bed planners; ensures continuity across shift changes.
• Participates in quality-improvement initiatives focused on communication, transitions, admission workflows, and throughput; contributes to pathway adherence and process refinement.
• Maintains accurate documentation and tracking of admission flow, team assignments, and barriers; supports data collection for operational metrics.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong systems-thinking and critical thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize complex clinical and operational information for real-time decision-making.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills to lead interdisciplinary discussions and coordinate across teams and institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage bed capacity, predict needs, and balance acuity across units.
• Proficiency with electronic health records and hospital operations tools; ability to perform detailed chart reviews efficiently.

• Leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills with a focus on patient safety, throughput, and experience.

Minimum Job Qualifications:

Master's Degree, AAPA/NCCPA-accredited Physician Assistant Studies program, 1 Year of professional clinical Physician Assistant experience. Oncology experience preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Required:

• Current Massachusetts PA license
• NCCPA certified
• Completion of 100 hours of CME per national and state regulations every two years.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Patient Contact:

None

Special Working Conditions:

Remote; 12-hour shifts. Eastern Time operations: nights/weekends/holidays may be required based on program needs.
Remote work requirements:
• Secure, private workspace compliant with HIPAA (no printing PHI).
• Reliable high-speed internet; ability to use computer, VPN, softphone, and collaboration tools.
• Comfortable with prolonged screen time, rapid multitasking, and high-volume phone/virtual communication.
• Must work from within the United States; Massachusetts PA license required. Residence in New England or an employer-approved state may be required per HR policy.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).