Physician Assistant (PA-C)

Join Rural Health, Inc. – Make a Difference in Southern Illinois

Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) headquartered in Anna, Illinois. Established in 1978 and providing quality healthcare services since July 1979, RHI is dedicated to delivering comprehensive, compassionate, and affordable care to the communities we serve.

Located approximately 20 miles south of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Anna is surrounded by the scenic Shawnee National Forest and numerous state parks, offering an exceptional quality of life for outdoor enthusiasts and families alike.

As a private, nonprofit organization, RHI provides high-quality medical, dental, OB-GYN, and behavioral health services to patients of all ages. We believe healthcare should be accessible to everyone, with no income, age, or residency requirements for care. Our team of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, dentists, nurses, behavioral health professionals, and support staff is committed to treating every patient with respect, dignity, and compassion.

Today, RHI proudly serves patients at five convenient locations throughout Southern Illinois:

Anna
Dongola
Goreville
Metropolis
Vienna

If you're looking to practice meaningful medicine in a welcoming community alongside an exceptional healthcare team, we'd love to hear from you.

Position Summary

Rural Health, Inc. is seeking a compassionate, motivated, and patient-centered Physician Assistant (PA-C) to join our Family Medicine team. This position provides comprehensive primary care services to patients across the lifespan—from infancy through older adulthood—in a collaborative, team-based environment.

The ideal candidate is committed to improving community health, enjoys building long-term patient relationships, and thrives in a fast-paced primary care setting.

Education & Licensure

Master's Degree from an accredited Physician Assistant program
Current NCCPA Board Certification
Active Illinois Physician Assistant license
Current Illinois Controlled Substance License
Current DEA registration
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

Experience

Minimum of two (2) years of Family Medicine experience preferred
Experience using Electronic Medical Records (EMR), preferably Athenahealth or similar systems
Telehealth experience is a plus
Experience providing primary care services to diverse patient populations, including pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients
Knowledge of medical terminology, physiology principles, diagnostic evaluation methods, and medication administration practices aligned with clinic standards.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Passion for providing comprehensive, family-oriented primary care
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Strong clinical judgment and problem-solving abilities
Commitment to patient-centered, compassionate care
Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary healthcare team
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Proficiency with computers and electronic health record systems
Commitment to the mission and values of Rural Health, Inc.
Knowledge of HIPAA regulations and patient confidentiality requirements

Essential Responsibilities:

Perform comprehensive patient assessments, including medical histories, physical examinations, and documentation in the electronic medical record.
Diagnose and treat acute illnesses, chronic diseases, and preventive healthcare needs.
Order, perform, and interpret laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging, and other diagnostic studies.
Prescribe medications and manage ongoing treatment plans in accordance with state and federal regulations.
Provide preventive care, health education, nutrition counseling, disease prevention, and lifestyle coaching.
Participate in chronic disease management and patient education initiatives.
Collaborate closely with physicians, nurse practitioners, nursing staff, behavioral health providers, and other healthcare professionals to ensure coordinated, high-quality patient care.
Refer patients to specialists or supervising physicians when medically appropriate.
Maintain accurate, timely, and complete documentation in the electronic medical record, including appropriate coding and billing documentation.
Support organizational quality improvement initiatives and clinical performance measures.
Maintain compliance with HIPAA regulations and all applicable federal and state healthcare standards.

Benefits

Rural Health, Inc. offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
Voluntary supplemental insurance (Accident, Critical Illness, and more)
Health Savings Account (HSA)
403(b) retirement plan
Paid holidays
Paid vacation
Paid sick leave
Professional license renewal
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Eligibility for state and federal student loan repayment programs

Join Our Team

At Rural Health, Inc., you'll have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with your patients while making a lasting impact on the health of rural communities. If you're passionate about providing high-quality primary care in a supportive and collaborative environment, we encourage you to apply.

Join Rural Health, Inc., one of Southern Illinois’ Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 100 dedicated staff, who believe in our mission of providing quality services to all patients in need of health care while being committed to the overall health and well-being of the underserved.

Rural Health, Inc. is looking for a caring, dedicated dentist for a FQHC located in beautiful Southern Illinois. The ideal candidate would be located in Goreville, IL one of our two Dental Clinics within a five community health center organization. The candidate must have a current State of Illinois License, and a minimum of one-year experience in General Dentistry. Rural Health offers a great benefit pkg. consisting of affordable health, dental, and vision plans. The Goreville Clinic is located 15 miles South of Marion, IL and home of beautiful Ferne Clyffe State Park. Goreville is also a short drive to Shawnee Community College, John A Logan College and Southern Illinois University. Apply today and join our team of caring and dedicated professionals.

Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) is located in beautiful southern Illinois. RHI is located about 20 miles south of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, IL. The area is surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest and several state parks. RHI is a FQHC and has been in business since 1978. RHI has five clinical sites in southern Illinois. Services include family medicine, OB-GYN, behavioral health, and dental. Our CEO has been with us 15 years, and our Chief Medical Officer has 32 years of family practice experience with us. If you want to live in a small community, make a difference in someone's life, and work with excellent colleagues, this is the place! Please call us at 618-833-4471, 1011 to discuss our physician vacancy.

RURAL HEALTH, INC.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

PHYSICIAN

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Physician works as part of the medical provider team providing primary care services to the Rural Health patients. These services are typical of those experienced in a primary care residency program. Additional services include available opportunities to participate in the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program for opiate addiction, the Hepatitis C treatment program, and Nexplanon placement certification.

The primary care physician will also have the opportunity to serve as a collaborating physician for Physician Assistants (PA) and Nurse Practitioners (NP). They may also serve as a mentor for P.A. and medical students from the Southern Illinois University PA and Medical Schools.

Hospital duties and privileges are "Refer and Follow" only. There are no hospital in-patient requirements. The on-call requirement consists of phone call coverage only through an answering service. This will be on average 2 days per month and can be taken from wherever cell service is available.

POSITION STATUS:

Full time, FLSA Exempt

QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduate of an accredited medical school with a degree of Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy.

Completion of an approved residency program in his/her specialty field, i.e. Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, or Obstetrics/Gynecology

Board Certified or board eligible in his/her specialty field.

Licensed to practice medicine in the State of Illinois.

The ability to relate with warmth and effectiveness to the patients, staff and other health care providers of Rural Health, Inc.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides primary medical care by caring for all patients in accordance with the physician’s medical specialty.

2. Develops a plan of care for each patient, including: complete medical history, physician examination, diagnosis, appropriate treatment and/or

referral, and hospitalization arrangements when necessary. Uses all available resources for the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

3. Stresses the importance of preventive health care measures.

4. Confers with consulting physicians, nurse, patients, and patient’s families concerning treatment and care of patients.

5. Refers those cases which require specialist services, but maintains responsibility, assuring that continuity of care is provided.

6. Participates in the development and implementation of a regularly up-dated quality assurance plan for the organization.

7. Attends medical staff meetings in accordance with the standards set by the Chief Medical Officer and participates in Rural Health, Inc’s QM

program, and Peer Review Process.

8. Completes, in a timely fashion, components of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) deemed as their responsibility.

9. Participates in the “on-call” process and assumes all responsibilities of the “on-call” provider according to the “on-call” schedule

including after hour coverage and document in patients record accordingly.

10. Maintain patient and business confidentiality.

11. This position requires compliance with Health Center’s compliance standards, including its Standards of Conduct, Compliance Program, HIPAA, and policies

and procedures.

12. Performs other necessary duties as required by Rural Health, Inc to meet the goal of providing quality health care services.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

The Staff Physician reports to, is supervised by and evaluated by the Chief Medical Office (CMO). The Staff Physician may be required to supervise a PA or NP and to serve as the acting CMO during the CMO’s absence.

EVALUATION:

The evaluation of work performance will be ongoing, and will be carried out by the CMO. It will include the specific duties and responsibilities of this position description plus employee attitude and general working behavior. Formal evaluation will normally be performed annually, but may be initiated at other times by the Staff Physician or the CMO.

SALARY:

The salary for this position is negotiated between the individual and the Chief Executive Officer using the approved salary scale of RHI as a basis.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME):

The Staff Physician will participate in CME activities to maintain licensure and will provide Rural Health, Inc with documentation of CME participation.

REVIEW/REVISION DATE:

May 2016

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

February 2021

April 2021

Physician Assistant

Contact Information