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

Duties

A Physician Assistant assigned to the Referral Coordination Team (RCT) aligned under the Referral Coordination Initiative Operations Manager under the Access and Scheduling Management Service will meet basic requirements and hold a degree satisfactory to the Administrator, meet the physical standards as described by the Administrator and will be licensed to practice without restrictions in a state or territory of the United States. All Physician Assistants will meet the qualifications as stated below. Each Physician Assistant will establish and maintain professional relationships within the Referral Coordination Team and with other services and staff which result in improved patient care. Duties and Responsibilities: Adhering to the requirements as outlined in the VHA Referral Coordination Initiative Implementation Guidebook. Ensure relevant information is communicated across specialty services, with an aim to provide Veterans with appropriate and timely care options. Identify possible barriers to care with the Veteran, family, and clinical care team to provide a team-based plan of care. Enhance the quality of clinical outcomes and Veteran satisfaction while offering the Veteran the opportunity to make an informed decision about their care. Reduce the average time it takes to schedule appointments, whether the appointment is in the VA's direct care system or in the community. Perform clinical triage of the referral (consult) Coordinate with other specialties, as needed. Document the availability and selection of VA Care options and modalities and Community Care options. Utilize the provided script while communicating directly with the Veteran to ensure the most appropriate care option and modality of care is offered. Perform a warm hand-off per the appropriate care option: Disposition the specialty referral appropriately (consult). VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: 7:45am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. Preferred Experience: Preferred two years of experience in Mental Health specialty clinic and care coordination. Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook and other required software. Entry level: 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 advancement 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 experience as indicated in the KSA's listed below. Individuals will demonstrate 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 KSA's of a 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 Affiliation or postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, US 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 US Department of Education Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's). 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 patient care including telehealth medical care. IV. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of service for patient care. V. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education - PA's 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 healthcare system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgement in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentor for transitioning Pas and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate KSAs for 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 post graduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, USA 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 US Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's). PA's 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. 3 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 care 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. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Must be able to pass a physical.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Salem VA Medical Center 1970 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 US
• Name: David Masterson
• Phone: 540-982-2463 X2503
• Email: [email protected]