Physician Assistant- Primary Care

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. The Physician Assistant is a part of the multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Service Team and provides care to Veterans within Primary Care. The Pain Medicine Service Team fosters an attitude of cooperation, shared decision making and shared responsibilities. Clinical approach is based on a philosophy that the chronic pain experience involves interactions between pathophysiological, cultural, emotional, social, perceptual and spiritual aspects of patients' lives. Management is achieved through comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment by the Interdisciplinary Pain Team members often utilizing joint visits with interprofessional team members. All team members promote self-care and enlists the participation of patients in setting realistic goals and actively participating in the treatment planning process. The Physician Assistant assesses, plans, implements and evaluates patient care, initiate changes in the system for delivering patient care based on current concepts and findings from research and/or studies; uses sound judgment in making decisions; shares expertise with others; acts as a consultant; and identifies, analyzes and resolves patient care problems whose resolution results in significant improvement in care. The PA is responsible for providing diagnostic and clinical care in a practice setting as defined by clinical privileges. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Meets the scope and qualifying standards for all dimensions of a Physician Assistant. Expert clinical and patient advocate in pain management. Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches in management of complex patient populations. Provides specialized consultation and collaboration with physicians, licensed independent practitioners, peers, and others in the health care community to develop, implement, and assure continuity of individualized treatment plans. Functions in an advanced level of nursing practice characterized with complex clinical decision making. Performs comprehensive history and physical examinations and initiates treatment when indicated for acute and chronic medical conditions. Orders diagnostic laboratory and imaging tests as needed. Interprets and applies findings to make a medical diagnosis. Uses prescriptive authority granted by licensure to prescribe and administer routine therapeutics including medications, devices and procedures. Uses electronic record for documentation. Initiates consultation requests and records required notes on all procedures or patient visits in the in the electronic medical record. Participates in peer review and process improvement Performs procedures that are delineated by scope of practice. Provides education, consultation, and recommendations on pain strategies to patients/caregivers and other team members. Participates in the development and delivery of patient education specific to chronic pain and its sequelae Demonstrates strong customer service skills. Actively works with staff to maintain compliance with all regulatory standards specifically VA/DOD Chronic Opioid Therapy Clinical Practice Guidelines, VHA Pain Management Directive, Joint Commission standards on pain management Maintains service workload database, promotes QI projects, prepares reports for leadership when requested Performs additional duties as assigned Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 06693F, 06694F and 06695F. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for a highly qualified candidate. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Physician Assistant Basic Requirements Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates: Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level PA. This practice may include, but is not limited to: Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform patient history and physical. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) Experience and Education. The PA at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by: Two years of successful practice as a PA. Or, Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency. Or, A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-II: Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education. PAs at the PA-III grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may ser