Physician assistants (PAs) are an integral part of the professional healthcare team providing cardiology services at this Medical Center. This position description describes the training requirements, duties, responsibilities and supervisory controls relating to the professional activities of a PA-C for the Cardiology Section at the RHJ VAMC system.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. The primary duty of the Heart Failure Physician Assistant is to provide cardiology services and support of the program and mission of the RHJ VAMC and the cardiology section. The Heart Failure PA primarily cares for patients with heart failure, but may also be responsible for a broader set of diagnoses such as angina or arrhythmias. The incumbent should have experience in acute cardiology setting as well as in the outpatient setting. This job is primarily outpatient/clinic-based, but may include a component of inpatient duties (such as consultative services for patients admitted with decompensated heart failure. The Heart Failure PA will be responsible for a variety of duties which involves the development, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive health care system for patients and their family members. Responsibilities include the assessment, planning and coordination of care for identified cardiology patients with the goal of avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions. The Heart Failure PA must have a specialization in evaluating and treating patients with heart conditions (with a focus on heart failure) both in the inpatient and outpatient clinical setting, and have experience managing heart failure patients with guideline-based medical therapy (GDMT) including novel drug therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors, and non-pharmacologic treatment modalities for heart failure. The incumbent should also have experience identifying and managing patients needing evaluation for advanced heart failure therapies such as heart transplantation or ventricular assist device (VAD), as well as experience with caring for these patients postoperatively and beyond. The PA should have experience interpreting invasive hemodynamics and invasive monitoring (e.g. HeartLogic, CardioMEMS) to guide GSDMT and diuretic titration. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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: None Grade Determinations: 1. 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: 1. Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. 2. Ability to perform patient history and physical. 3. 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. 2. 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: 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: 1. Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. 2. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. 3. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. 4. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. 5. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. 3. 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 multidisciplinary 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: 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: 1. Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. 2. 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). 3. Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. 4. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. 5. 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. 6. 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 03. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 01 to 03. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook and Directive 5019.

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/.

Contacts

• Address Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 109 Bee Street Charleston, SC 29401 US
• Name: Southeast Network Title Thirty Eight Recruitment
• Email: [email protected]