Career Center

This position will serve as a Physician Assistant within the Primary Care Service at the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center. 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. Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States is required [in accordance with section 7402(c) to title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 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. Exceptions for Graduate PAs. (a) PAs who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed, pending licensure, as a graduate PA on a temporary full-time appointment not to exceed two years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). (b) Graduate PAs may only be appointed at the entry grade level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. (c)Temporary graduate PA appointments may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: (1) Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) (a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.(b)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: i. Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. ii. Ability to perform patient history and physical. iii. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. iv. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. (2) Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) (a)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: i. Two years of successful practice as a PA. OR ii. 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 iii. A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. (b) 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: i. Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. ii. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. iii. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. iv. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. v. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. (3) Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) (a) 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 serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by: i. Three years of successful practice as a PA. OR ii. 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 iii. 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. (b)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: i. Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. ii. 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). iii. Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. iv. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. v. 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. vi. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. Preferred Experience: Primary Care Experience References: VA Handbook 5005/134, Part II, Appendix G8 The full performance level of this vacancy is PA-III. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA-I to PA-III. Physical Requirements: Applicants must meet physical standards for the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. The physical requirements of this position include occasional lifting, prolonged standing and sitting, frequent bending, waking, climbing, reaching (overheard, extensive/repetitive), repetitive motion, and stopping. The mental/sensory requirements include recall, reasoning, problem-solving, hearing, speaking clearly, writing legibly, reading, and logical thinking. The environment's pace an vary from steady to a sometimes-fast pace requiring handling of multiple priorities, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to requirement changes in a sometimes-noisy environment. There may be an occasional need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness, and hazardous materials. ["This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 6, 2022 . The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 8, 2022. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Duties may be included, but are not limited to: Functions as the Physician Assistant Team leader of their Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), Ambulatory Care Services, Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) setting at (MTVAHCS). May perform additional duties (temporary or permanent) as a gap provider (face-to-face or via telehealth) if and when those duties are assigned. Responsible for providing medical care in an outpatient setting following PACT principles. Will routinely provide medical care using Face-to-Face(F2F), VVC, and/or Telephone appointments. When performing duties as a float provider (F2F or telehealth) for remote patients, will provide care to outreach clinics as needed. Float provider duties (temporary or permanent) may, in limited circumstances, require travel to the supported CBOC(s) periodically to cover a provider vacancy. Assures Veterans receive compassionate, efficient and safe patient care in their respective care line. Assures clinical care provided meets all timelines and required documentation as required by VA. Providers must review alerts daily and have no more than 200 alerts at any given time. They must encounter their notes within 72 hours. Encounter errors must be completed within 7 days. Participates in multi-disciplinary team meetings to achieve a patient centered, holistic approach for clinical care and needs of the Veteran. This includes daily and weekly huddles with your PACT. Attend either virtually or in person all Primary Care statewide meetings and whenever possible, participates in the clinical and teaching activities at MTVAHCS Ambulatory Care statewide meetings. Comply with all directives and policies related to space management to achieve optimal resource utilization (space, professional and administrative) to maximize clinic utilization within the PACT model. Excellence in meeting national and VISN 19 patient safety goals, Participate in PACT huddles and manage your PACT patients with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and mental health disorders (HEDIS) with the goal to reduce your PACT metrics and obtain excellence of HEDIS metrics, Excellence in ORYX (Joint Commission) measures. Medical Knowledge (evidence-based medicine), Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Systems-Based Practice. Practice the principles of the MTVA's Civility in the Workplace policy. Promote civility, through your actions, among employees and the Veterans we serve and actively participate in an environment where people from all walks of life embrace and practice respect, courtesy and consideration. Through your actions, maintain a workplace that is effective and productive. Support civil interactions with peers, colleagues & staff that create the best possible environment for providing excellent care to Veterans. Practice courteous and positive communication without belittling, being rude, and showing hostile behavior. Skill in handling crisis situations, effectively calming involved parties and resolving conflicts. Ability to promote good public relations with patient care and associated services for patients. Being able to provide service recovery with patient conflicts and relations with the PACT Team. Thorough knowledge and understanding of VA and medical center regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to eligibility, treatment, medical records and the privacy act (HIPAA). Knowledge of clinical practices and medical care terminology, in order to communicate effectively with staff and patients, and to understand the objectives, organization and procedures of a large clinical service. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm (MST)\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]