Position Overview

Understanding the Role

Good Shepherd Health Care System is adding an experienced Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant to grow its ENT service line in Hermiston, Oregon. This is a newly created outpatient role built to expand local access to ear, nose, and throat care and to support the recruitment of additional ENT surgeons.

The APP evaluates and manages common ENT conditions, completes diagnostic workups, starts conservative treatment, and identifies which patients need surgical evaluation. The role gives the ENT surgeon a dependable clinical partner who handles the outpatient workup, so surgical time stays focused on the operating room.

Why This Role Exists

Good Shepherd currently has one ENT physician nearing retirement, and ENT surgeons are difficult to recruit to the region. Bringing on an experienced APP keeps more patients local, shortens the path from evaluation to surgery, and gives visiting or incoming surgeons a clinic partner who manages the front end of care.

Hermiston sits in an agricultural region with a high volume of allergy-related complaints, many of which are currently referred out of the area. An APP who can manage this population, and help stand up allergy services, addresses a known community gap.

Practice Snapshot

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and treat common outpatient ENT conditions
• Complete initial workups and build treatment plans
• Manage chronic sinus disease and related ENT complaints
• Order imaging and diagnostic testing
• Determine when a patient needs physician or surgical evaluation
• Coordinate care with the ENT surgeon
• Provide pre-operative and post-operative follow-up
• Support growth of the ENT service line and local specialty access

Allergy Opportunity

Allergy experience is preferred but not required. Because the surrounding agricultural area drives significant allergy volume, an APP with allergy testing or treatment experience can help establish and grow allergy services within the clinic. This is an area of clear community need and a chance to shape a new service from the start.

Qualifications

Required

• Licensed Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
• At least 3 years of clinical experience
• Strong independent clinical judgment, with the ability to recognize when surgical referral is appropriate

Preferred

• ENT experience
• Allergy testing or treatment experience
• Epic experience