Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners:
Why Join CEP America?

• CEP America offers long-term, satisfying work opportunities for PAs and NPs

  CEP America has long recognized that physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) significantly enhance the quality of care delivered at hospital emergency department and ambulatory care sites. In fact, the very first PA hired by CEP America in 1985 is still working at a CEP America client site today.
  
  Our PAs and NPs enjoy the networking advantages and resources of a large, nationwide group while practicing at local sites that largely function autonomously. CEP America providers interact and share proven solutions with colleagues from similar practice situations and, at the same time, are integral members of the local community and hospital team.
  
  Our PA/NP program is structured as an employee model—PAs and NPs are employees of the Partnership. By law, only physicians can be Partners in CEP America. Our goal is to make each PA and NP feel a part of the physician partnership as well as provide stable and challenging career opportunities.

• CEP America offers a variety of roles for PAs and NPs in clinical practice

  CEP America utilizes PAs and NPs in many different settings, including the Main ED, Fast Track, Rapid Medical Evaluation© (RME) areas, and in Ambulatory/Urgent Care settings. Our goal is to allow PAs and NPs to function at an optimal level that ensures the best in patient care.

• CEP America provides a generous benefits package for PAs and NPs

  PAs and NPs at CEP America sites are eligible to participate in a generous benefits package and enjoy the collegial partnership of a medical group. Benefits include excellent compensation, health insurance, 401(k) with employer match, a paid time-off accrual system, a long-term disability plan, paid malpractice insurance, a dependent care plan, bonus/profit distribution, and leadership opportunities.
  
  We recently expanded our medical insurance options by adding a high-deductible PPO, coupled with a healthcare savings account (HSA) partially funded by CEP America.

• CEP America offers professional expense reimbursement benefits for PAs and NPs.

  CEP America offers reimbursement for CME courses to regular full-time employees with six months of full time service. The reimbursement maximum is $1,200 in the calendar year for tuition, meals, lodging, and travel expenses associated with CME courses. Professional reimbursement benefits also cover medical staff dues and ACLS/BCLS/PALS certifications and DEA license fee for sites that require these credentials.

• CEP America involves PAs and NPs in the Partnership

  CEP America's leadership is committed to having PAs and NPs take part in many Partnership activities. For instance, PAs and NPs are currently included in Partnership Wellness initiatives, and Medical Directors are encouraged to involve PAs and NPs in monthly site staff meetings. CEP America also invites PAs and NPs to our annual Partnership Meeting and Regional Meetings. At these events, CEP America sponsors a special track for PA and NP providers, featuring guest speakers, workshops, and roundtable discussions. In addition, PAs and NPs are included in physician group lectures to promote a better understanding of the organization, and are given the opportunity to complete CME courses.

• CEP America offers PAs and NPs leadership opportunities within the Partnership

  CEP America has created PA and NP Lead, Regional Lead, and Liaison roles to ensure proper representation within the group.

• Lead PA/NP:

  CEP America hosts quarterly conference calls with the Lead from each site to exchange information. A small group of particularly active Leads meets periodically as a Lead Advisory Group to discuss further PA/NP program enhancements with the Vice President of Operations and the staff of our management services organization, MedAmerica. To further build the PA/NP infrastructure and instill a sense of belonging to the organization, CEP America also provides a Lead PA/NP Academy to teach leadership skills, and an M.D.-PA/NP relationship program to promote ED team building.

• Regional Lead PA/NP:

  The Regional Lead position was created in the fall of 2006. The Regional Leads are involved in the Lead Advisory Group, new site start-ups, and regional initiatives.

• PA/NP Liaison:

  Cyndy Flores, PA-C, is our current PA/NP Liaison, a position she has held since 2000. She has been a practicing physician assistant since 1990 and has spent most of that time as a CEP America provider. The Liaison position was introduced as an advisory role to increase communication and recommend changes to enhance the PA/NP program, but the role has evolved along with the PA/NP program. The Liaison works with the PA/NPs, Medical Directors, Regional Directors, MedAmerica, and MedAmerica Mutual.

• CEP America provides communication resources for PAs and NPs

  The Gauzette, a quarterly newsletter, was created to help keep PAs and NPs informed of policy updates, meeting summaries, site recognition, and provider recognition stories. In addition, PAs and NPs have 24/7 access to a password-protected section of the CEP America website containing best practices, provider directories, scheduling information, and other proprietary tools.