Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Corporate Experience
Certifications & Memberships
Timeline
Generic

Grace Higgins

Atlanta,GA

Summary

Highly-motivated physician assistant and critical thinker with proven abilities to make sound medical decisions, work well under pressure, and deliver compassionate patient care. Analytical and conscientious by nature, I am adept at problem-solving, communicating, and enjoy working as part of a healthcare team. Areas of interest include all aspects of internal medicine and sub-specialties including pulmonology, cardiology, and nephrology.

Overview

25
25
years of professional experience

Work History

Hybrid Acute Care Inpatient and Outpatient Physician Assistant

Piedmont Hospital
08.2018 - Current
  • Company Overview: Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division
  • Evaluates, diagnoses, and treats pulmonary diseases - including asthma, COPD, pneumonia, pleural effusions, pneumothorax, pulmonary emboli, anticoagulation management, all pulmonary infectious diseases including COVID-19, interstitial lung diseases, chronic cough, and allergies - in hospital inpatients and ambulatory outpatients
  • Interprets and orders diagnostics and labs including CXR, CT, CMP, CBC, bacterial and viral PCR assays, acute phase reactants, cardiac biomarkers, and rheumatologic serologies in order to direct treatment plans and guide decision making
  • Served as Advanced Practice Provider Lead for our newly-formed COVID-19 Recovery Clinic from July 2020 - May 2021, which encompassed evaluating and treating COVID-19 patients for ambulatory COVID-19 follow-ups, coordinating referral partnerships for non-pulmonary COVID-19 sequelae, communicating relevant data about our COVID-19 patient population trends to modify staffing during COVID surges, and reviewing evidence-based literature of COVID-19 trials and cohort studies to ensure we align our medical management with the best available evidence and practice guidelines
  • Represents pulmonary acute care team at interdisciplinary rounds with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and case managers to facilitate open communication between care team members and ensure coordination between all services in an effort to support optimal patient outcomes
  • Admits patients from ER to pulmonary service, manages treatment plans during hospital course, and manages hospital discharges
  • Performs sleep medicine risk evaluations with referrals for polysomnography and assessment of compliance with CPAP/BiPAP devices
  • Attends grand rounds including lung cancer staging, obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary rehabilitation, and palliative medicine
  • Annual participation in Mayo Clinic Pulmonary and Critical Care conference and Mayo APP Hospital Medicine Basics Course
  • Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division

Hybrid Acute Care Inpatient and Outpatient Physician Assistant

Piedmont Hospital
08.2018 - Current
  • Company Overview: Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division
  • Evaluates, diagnoses, and treats pulmonary diseases - including asthma, COPD, pneumonia, pleural effusions, pneumothorax, pulmonary emboli, anticoagulation management, all pulmonary infectious diseases including COVID-19, interstitial lung diseases, chronic cough, and allergies - in hospital inpatients and ambulatory outpatients
  • Interprets and orders diagnostics and labs including CXR, CT, CMP, CBC, bacterial and viral PCR assays, acute phase reactants, cardiac biomarkers, and rheumatologic serologies in order to direct treatment plans and guide decision making
  • Served as Advanced Practice Provider Lead for our newly-formed COVID-19 Recovery Clinic from July 2020 - May 2021, which encompassed evaluating and treating COVID-19 patients for ambulatory COVID-19 follow-ups, coordinating referral partnerships for non-pulmonary COVID-19 sequelae, communicating relevant data about our COVID-19 patient population trends to modify staffing during COVID surges, and reviewing evidence-based literature of COVID-19 trials and cohort studies to ensure we align our medical management with the best available evidence and practice guidelines
  • Represents pulmonary acute care team at interdisciplinary rounds with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and case managers to facilitate open communication between care team members and ensure coordination between all services in an effort to support optimal patient outcomes
  • Admits patients from ER to pulmonary service, manages treatment plans during hospital course, and manages hospital discharges
  • Performs sleep medicine risk evaluations with referrals for polysomnography and assessment of compliance with CPAP/BiPAP devices
  • Attends grand rounds including lung cancer staging, obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary rehabilitation, and palliative medicine
  • Annual participation in Mayo Clinic Pulmonary and Critical Care conference and Mayo APP Hospital Medicine Basics Course
  • Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Pulmonology

Piedmont Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Endocrinology

Atlanta Diabetes Associates
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - General Surgery

Piedmont Surgical Associates
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Internal Medicine - Inpatient Hospital Medicine

Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Women's Health

Ideal Gynecology
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Orthopedics

Sports Medicine South
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Emergency Medicine

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital ER
09.2017 - 12.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Internal Medicine - Outpatient

Piedmont Pulmonology
05.2017 - 08.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Family Practice / Urgent Care

Northside Family Medicine & Urgent Care
05.2017 - 08.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Psychiatry

Georgia Bio Behavioral Health
03.2017 - 04.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Pediatrics

Perimeter Pediatrics
03.2017 - 04.2017

Patient Care Assistant

Emory Healthcare
11.2013 - 11.2015
  • Measured and recorded inputs/outputs, performed blood glucose checks, and assisted with activities of daily living including bathing, oral hygiene, and transfers to wheelchair and bed

Financial Systems Analyst, Financial Analyst, Staff Accountant

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
01.2000 - 12.2013
  • In my financial systems analyst role, I was the lead analyst on a travel and expense management software application that we implemented across all of our international offices in order to standardize and closely manage our company-wide travel and office operational expenses
  • In my accounting and financial analysis roles, I managed the Profit and Loss statements (P&Ls), accounts payable, and operating budgets for eight of Turner Broadcasting's US properties
  • I also managed the operating budgets and forecasts for two television shows for the Cartoon Network and the former Turner South Network

Education

Master of Medical Science (MMSc) - Physician Assistant Studies

Mercer University
Atlanta, GA
05.2018

Post-Baccalaureate - Biology

Georgia State University
01.2015

Bachelor of Science - Accounting

Clemson University
01.2000

Corporate Experience

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., Financial Systems Analyst, 01/01/00, 12/31/13, In my financial systems analyst role, I was the lead analyst on a travel and expense management software application that we implemented across all of our international offices in order to standardize and closely manage our company-wide travel and office operational expenses., Financial Analyst, 01/01/00, 12/31/13, In my accounting and financial analysis roles, I managed the Profit and Loss statements (P&Ls), accounts payable, and operating budgets for eight of Turner Broadcasting's US properties. I also managed the operating budgets and forecasts for two television shows for the Cartoon Network and the former Turner South Network., Staff Accountant, 01/01/00, 12/31/13

Certifications & Memberships

  • American College of Chest Physicians, 12/2021 through current
  • Physician Assistant National Board Certification - National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), 06/2018 through current
  • GA State Licensure - Georgia Composite Medical Board, 07/2018 through current
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) - American Heart Association 12/2017 through current
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) - American Heart Association Nov 2013 through current
  • American Academy of Physician Assistants, 06/2018 through current

Timeline

Hybrid Acute Care Inpatient and Outpatient Physician Assistant

Piedmont Hospital
08.2018 - Current

Hybrid Acute Care Inpatient and Outpatient Physician Assistant

Piedmont Hospital
08.2018 - Current

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Pulmonology

Piedmont Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Endocrinology

Atlanta Diabetes Associates
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - General Surgery

Piedmont Surgical Associates
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Internal Medicine - Inpatient Hospital Medicine

Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Women's Health

Ideal Gynecology
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Orthopedics

Sports Medicine South
01.2018 - 04.2018

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Emergency Medicine

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital ER
09.2017 - 12.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Internal Medicine - Outpatient

Piedmont Pulmonology
05.2017 - 08.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Family Practice / Urgent Care

Northside Family Medicine & Urgent Care
05.2017 - 08.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Psychiatry

Georgia Bio Behavioral Health
03.2017 - 04.2017

Physician Assistant Program Rotations - Pediatrics

Perimeter Pediatrics
03.2017 - 04.2017

Patient Care Assistant

Emory Healthcare
11.2013 - 11.2015

Financial Systems Analyst, Financial Analyst, Staff Accountant

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
01.2000 - 12.2013

Post-Baccalaureate - Biology

Georgia State University

Bachelor of Science - Accounting

Clemson University

Master of Medical Science (MMSc) - Physician Assistant Studies

Mercer University
Grace Higgins