Physician Associate (Physician Assistant) | Kern Street Medicine

About the role

Akido builds AI-powered doctors. Akido is the first AI-native care provider, combining cutting-edge technology with a nationwide medical network to address America's physician shortage and make exceptional healthcare universal. Its AI empowers doctors to deliver faster, more accurate, and more compassionate care.

Serving 500K+ patients across California, Rhode Island, and New York, Akido offers primary and specialty care in 26 specialties-from serving unhoused communities in Los Angeles to ride-share drivers in New York.

Founded in 2015 (YC W15), Akido is expanding its risk-bearing care models and scaling ScopeAI, its breakthrough clinical AI platform. Read more about Akido's $60M Series B. More info at Akidolabs.com.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Physician Associate (Physician Assistant) to join Akido's Street Medicine team in Kern County and help redefine how healthcare is delivered to the most vulnerable populations. Street Medicine is rapidly becoming a specialty of its own, and at Akido you'll be at the forefront of this change and combining hands-on care with our AI driven tools. This is a unique opportunity for a PA who values compassion, thrives in dynamic environments, and wants to make a measurable impact beyond the walls of traditional healthcare.

Candidates with experience and/or interest in public health, home care, social work or other outpatient experience working with vulnerable populations are particularly well suited for this role.

This position offers a hybrid schedule centered on telehealth, with the primary office located in Bakersfield and occasional onsite participation for patient care and teamwork.

What You'll Do

• Provide frontline care to patients experiencing homelessness, behavioral health challenges, serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and complex chronic conditions, including patients transitioning from incarceration.
• Manage diverse patient panels by delivering acute, chronic and preventative care directly in the field,
• Conduct patient assessment, gather histories, perform physical exams, order and interpret diagnostics, and prescribe treatment under physician supervision.
• Report to the supervising physician, working closely to address atypical and complex patient cases, while exercising independent judgement within state regulations and scope of practice.
• Design and implement care plans that support patients as they work toward stability and improved health outcomes.
• Collaborate daily with multidisciplinary team - physician, nurses, social workers, outreach staff to prioritize and coordinate care.
• Document all encounters to maintain accurate, up-to-date records for continuity of care.
• Other duties as assigned.

License, Certification, and Registration Requirements

• Active, unrestricted California Physician Assistant License by the time of hire
• Successful completion of the Physician Assistant National Certificate Exam
• National Provider Identifier #
• DEA #
• Basic Life Support Certification

Who You Are

• Comfortable providing direct care in outdoor, field-based settings, under dynamic and unpredictable conditions.
• Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills to understand and adjust effectively to patients' needs and the surrounding community, while working collaboratively with members of the health care team, and the street-medicine professional network.
• Ability to travel up to 75% of work time: Valid CA Driver's License, reliable and insured vehicle
• Ability to maintain independent clinical judgement within scope of practice and regulations, while recognizing when to involve a physician.
• Ability to lead, prioritize and analyze clinical workflows, objectives and team goals.
• Ability to direct and coordinate clinical support staff.

Preferred qualifications

• Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred
• 1+ years of experience with and comfort working with CalAIM populations of focus (people experiencing homelessness, adults with SMI/SUD, adults transitioning from incarceration, adults with complex medical needs).

Compensation

• $15,000 signing bonus with 2 year commitment
• Up to $5,000 of relocation costs covered

Physical Demands

Most work will be in the field working with CalAIM populations (people experiencing homelessness, adults with SMI/SUD, adults transitioning from incarceration, adults with complex medical needs). Will likely require substantial walking, standing, sitting in a car, and driving in various weather conditions.