Pittsburgh Critical Care Associates is a private practice intensivist group that provides
intensivist services to UPMC Altoona.
Pittsburgh Critical Care Associates (PCCA) provides intensivist and APP coverage 24-hours a day, 365-days a year in the 14-bed MICU, 12-bed SICU, 8-bed CVICU and 7-bed neuroICU.
UPMC Altoona, a regional referral center for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is a 380-bed Level 2 Trauma Center with stroke services offering comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care for patients with severe neurological injuries.
PCCA supports the refined multidisciplinary MD/APP intensivist team model of care.
Model
Intensivist team (Intensivist physician and APP) coverage is provided 24-hours a day.
PCCA provides coverage in the 14-bed MICU, 12-bed SICU, 8-bed CVICU and neuroICU.
Physician intensivist coverage is provided in house seven (7) days a week.
The neuroICU team is supported by the established PCCA intensivist physicians who are
present in house.
Schedule
Three physician intensivists cover day shifts. Each physician is dedicated to
the medical ICU or the non-trauma surgical ICU, with the third assisting
with MICU overflow and the neuroICU.
The ICU daytime intensivists work seven straight days
starting at 7am. The intensivists finish each day at 5:00 pm or
10:00 pm. The MICU and SICU intensivists rotate staying
until 10:00 pm.
Intensivists rotate back up pager call after 10 pm for
SICU, MICU and CICU but the APP will take first call
pages from the ICU nurses from 10 pm to 7am.
Long Day When the intensivist works from 7am to 10 pm and
covers evenings, this is equal to two shifts per day.
Short Day When the intensivist works from 7am to 5 pm this
one shift per day.
Alternating long day (7am to 10pm)
and short day (7am to 5pm) shifts.
Rotate back up pager call after 10pm.
The APP will take first call pages from
ICU nurses from 10pm to 7am.
*In 7 days, intensivists work 10 to 11 shifts.
*Alternate short and long days, every other day.
Facilities
UPMC Altoona is a 380-bed Level 2 Trauma Center and is currently an accredited stroke center.
Surgical services include trauma, neurosurgery, open heart (Center for Cardiac Care),
orthopedic, and all basic surgical specialties. The Emergency Department sees
approximately 40,900 patients annually.
UPMC Altoona has the largest service area in the state—serving over 20 counties in
West-Central Pennsylvania, it is centrally located between Danville, Hershey, Johnstown, and
State College. Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center (2.5 hours east) and UPMC
Presbyterian (2 hours west) are the closest comprehensive stroke centers.
Location
UPMC Altoona is 40 minutes from State College in
Pennsylvania, 2 hours from Harrisburg and 2 hours from
Pittsburgh. This city is the tenth most populous in the
state and situated in the Allegheny Mountains at the
base of Brush Mountain in Pleasant Valley. Each day,
60-80 trains pass through the city, some traveling
along the famous Horseshoe Curve. The city is also
home to Penn State Altoona. The downtown area is
located in the heart of the emerging I-99
Innovation Corridor. Interstate 99 provides access
to the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the south and
Interstate 80 to the north; and U.S. Route 22, which
provides east-west service and direct access to
Pittsburgh and Harrisburg (each roughly 2 hours
away). The Altoona-Blair County Airport provides
commercial air service, offering daily flights to
Washington Dulles International Airport.
Compensation
The intensivist will be an employee of Pittsburgh Critical
Care Associates, Inc a private physician group. Full time
intensivists receive a comprehensive benefits package
including malpractice, family health insurance per month
allowance, employer-contributed retirement fund (pension
plan), employee directed 401k plan, and CME.
