PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET. Applicant's note: This position will be filled as either a Physician Assistant (PA) or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP). This is determined by the selecting official. This announcement is for the PA position only. If you are interested in applying as an ARNP, please go to Vacancy Announcement CBTC-12248013-24-YAS to submit your application.

Duties

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. Primary duties and responsibilities for all PAs include, but are not limited to: Providing care for Veteran patients, sometimes under the review and/or co-signature of a physician Performing overall assessment of patients' conditions through history taking, record reviews, physical examinations, etc. Diagnosing and developing individualized treatment plan in various clinical settings. Writing orders for diagnostic testing including, but not limited to laboratory, X-rays, imaging studies/EKGs, ventilator management, blood and urine tests and any other special testing and studies whenever indicated. Prescribing medications and providing education and counseling to Veterans and their families regarding medical condition, prescribed treatments and drugs, diagnostic options, review of treatment plans, discussions of patient goals, etc. Developing meaningful goals to assist patients and their families in attaining the optimum level of physical, physiological, sociological and psychological balance within the limitations imposed by their illnesses. Contributing to the achievement of quality care standards, and actively participates in patient safety initiatives. Establishing professional working relationship with clinical service providers within the medical center, Outpatient Clinics (OPCs), and the Community Base Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Providing telephone consultation; screening consults for appropriate and timely care prior to scheduling; and communicating with inpatient multidisciplinary team members, such as pharmacy, dietary, IT, lab, other specialists/providers. Must be able to work independently, as allowed by VA policies, with delegated prescriptive authority for appropriate classes of medications. Consulting with the physician where appropriate. Maintaining continuing education as required by the specialty section and the appropriate professional licensing board. Providing patient care in accordance with professional standards, core values and commitment to service excellence. Must demonstrate expertise in making medical judgments. Working closely with the hematology/oncology fellow and staff physician, outpatient consults as well as seeing the patients in the follow-up clinic. Developing treatment plans with the collaborating physician which may include writing orders for chemotherapy, blood product transfusions and requests for biopsies and radiation therapy. Evaluating and grading toxicity and tumor responses. Obtaining social service consults and hospice referral independent of physician staff when appropriate. Coordinating referrals to the VA from outside hospitals and coordinate transfers from this VA to other centers, plans for radiation therapy, donor availability for platelet and WBC transfusion when necessary, and HLA tissue typing for patients who are being assessed for bone marrow transplant. Arranging and caring out family meetings to discuss and implement end of life planning; and takes calls from outside clinicians and hospice/nursing facilities about our patients. Attending tumor boards and management conferences with the hematology-oncology physicians to participate in patient evaluation and treatment planning updating and summarizing records, changing orders when agreed upon, and notifying the supervising physician of significant changes in the patient's condition. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor). Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact the VISN 8 Compensation Center of Excellence at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. Learn more. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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: Citizenship. Must be a citizen of the United States. 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: (1) Master's degree in any discipline; OR (2) 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. 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. English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d). Physical Standards. Must pass a pre-employment examination. See below for additional information. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet one of the following grade requirements for a specific grade level. Physician Assistant-I (PA-I): None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level. 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): 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: (1) Two years of successful practice as a PA. -or- (2) 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- (3) A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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. 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): PAs at this 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: (1) Three years of successful practice as a PA. -or- (2) 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- (3) 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. 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: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching, use of hands and fingers, use of cranes and motor vehicles, walking, standing, bending and climbing. The incumbent must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or others.

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 Bruce W Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1201 Northwest 16th Street Miami, FL 33125 US
• Name: Yolanda Stubbs
• Phone: 228-438-8542
• Email: [email protected]