Physicians Assistant (Compensation & Pension)

Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for Physicians Assistant (Compensation & Pension). Physicians Assistant (Compensation & Pension) will function in the Primary Care Service.

Duties

Position will cover Compensation & Pension (C&P), Environmental Health, and Military Environmental Exposure (MEE) Assessments C&P receives their workload from VBA. The expectation is that exams are scheduled within 20 days from being received from VBA (60% currently are), and cases are completed/returned to VBA for ratings within 30 days of receipt. C&P general-medical examiners complete DBQ (Disability Benefit Questionnaires), ACE (Acceptable Clinical Evidence) exams; they also complete CDL (Commercial Drivers License) exams by internal consult, not part of the VBA workload. All requests from VBA are triaged by a clinician. C&P examiners are also cross-trained as Environmental Health examiners, and complete Environmental Health Registry and MEE (Military Environmental Exposure) exams , In FY25, October - January, the unit completed 691 EH exams. PACT Act (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act) has resulted in increased demand for C&P, EH, and MEE services with an unprecedented number of Veterans filing claims for disability benefits. PACT Act also mandated Veterans complete a Toxic Exposure Screening (TES), with 40% of Veterans endorsing an exposure, and 49% of those referred to Environmental Health. Please see attached memorandum: Informational: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Clarification and Guidance Regarding Public Law 116-315 and Impacts on VHA's Compensation and Pension (C&P) Program (VIEWS 10782). C&P departments are to be maintained. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8:00a to 4:30p Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Graduate of a training program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of PA (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations. Additionally, candidates must meet one of the following: Master's degree in any discipline; OR Bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a PA. Certification: Must have successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE). Licensure: PAs must possess an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. PAs must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active and current licensure in that State. Grade Determinations: Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. 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. 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. Three 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 and one year of professional practice as a PA; OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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-III: Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 1 to 3. Physical Requirements: Physical qualifications required the ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely. Must be emotionally stable and cooperative. Work is accomplished predominantly on the inpatient unit. The physical surroundings involve working with the acute and chronically physically and mentally ill patients, which may cause discomfort related to negative verbal and physical activities from these patients. Work involves regular and recurring exposure to infection and contagious diseases.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.