The nephrology care provider works collaboratively with physicians, social workers, dietitians, and nursing staff for the care of Veterans across the spectrum of nephrology conditions. This provider works in a collaborative manner to improve nephrology care for Veterans in multiple clinical venues including the outpatient nephrology clinic, outpatient and inpatient dialysis clinics, and inpatient hospital wards and intensive care unit.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Participate in the outpatient nephrology clinics to educate patients with kidney disease about their dialysis modality options (e.g., hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis). Develop multidisciplinary recurring educational classes for Veterans and caregivers regarding all aspects of kidney disease and kidney-related conditions. Document all educational activities. Refer patients to dietitian if needed. Place referrals for those patients to Hines VA for peritoneal dialysis if needed. Coordinate vascular access care with interventional radiology and surgery. Coordinate patient initiation of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Educate patients on dialysis access options (e.g., AVF, AV graft, PD catheter) Order vein mapping and vascular surgery consults for hemodialysis access. Coordinate care of patients referred for dialysis access and follow up with them to ensure they keep their appointments for ultrasounds, pre anesthesia testing, surgery, etc. Present and discuss patient access information at vascular access meetings. Maintain detailed modality selection and vascular access history in database. Place orders and prescriptions as needed for the care of the patient in accordance with Federal and State Law. Educate inpatients on dialysis modality options and dialysis access options. If the patient is discharged on hemodialysis with a dialysis catheter in place, keep track and remind the patients to keep outpatient appointments for vein mapping/ vascular surgery consultations/ access surgery, etc. Document all education activities. Similar to outpatient clinic setting, initiate dialysis access evaluation and coordinate care with other surgery and interventional radiology. Be the Nephrology point of contact at JBVAMC for all patients receiving community dialysis care and address any provider-related needs as it pertains to dialysis care. This may include ordering dialysis related medications for community dialysis patients from the VA pharmacy if recommended by the patient's assigned dialysis physician and requested by the veteran. Monthly dialysis labs from the community dialysis center may need to be verified before ordering Collaborate with nephrology staff and coordinators to ensure community care dialysis consults are completed in a timely manner. Communicate clinical matters and concerns to dialysis clinics and nephrologists on behalf of Veterans receiving community dialysis care. Also, use such communication to smoothly transition Veterans from venues of care (e.g., inpatient to outpatient after hospitalization). Coordinate dialysis access and transplant evaluation for Veterans receiving dialysis in the community under contract care. This would include being a liaison with the JBVA vascular nurse coordinator and kidney transplant coordinator. Maintain and facilitate open communication between patients' various care providers (specialists, outside hospitals, dialysis facilities Follow up on newly placed fistula/graft for maturation and any complications, appropriate documentation and communication with surgery, interventional radiology, and nephrology teams. Refer to and coordinate with surgery, interventional radiology/nephrology on issues of poorly functioning, non-maturing access or access related complications. Follow up on referrals made to surgery and interventional radiology/nephrology. Initiate and execute access planning if current access fails. Review diagnostic screening tests including but not limited to- angio/venography, vein mapping, Doppler ultrasound, radiology/surgery op reports. Assess suitability of vascular access in community dialysis patients dialyzing with catheters Participate in multidisciplinary vascular access meetings and coordinates scheduling of patients for interventional nephrology. Participate and maintain detailed data as it relates to vascular access. Monitors and maintains all dialysis data on the VHA Dialysis Dashboard and works with national kidney office to ensure accuracy of such data. Participate in Nephrology/Dialysis Section's clinical research programs when appropriate. Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized 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. Grade Determinations: 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: 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. 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: 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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:

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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: Jacob Bower
• Phone: 352-562-1808
• Email: [email protected]