As a Physician Assistant within the Primary Care Service in collaboration with a qualified physician, you will provide outpatient care on a regular and ongoing basis in a same day clinic. Incumbent provides same day care to eligible adult and elderly veterans with acute, chronic, and/or special needs consistent with the practitioner's licensure. Incumbent works in the same day outpatient clinic setting and supports the mission and vision of the Healthcare System.

Duties

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Duties will include but are not limited to the following duties. Provide direct patient care in the same day clinic under the guidance of the PACT physician(s). Assess patients presenting for same day care clinic based on history, physical assessment and develops a plan of care. Provide evaluation, stabilization, and disposition of patients that present to the same day clinic. Receive thorough explanations of any and all diagnostic testing performed during their same day clinic visit. Documentation and encounters in a timely manner. Determining consultation needs (i.e. from PACT, medical, surgical, psychiatric subspecialty etc.). Make interim summaries of the patient's medical records. Screen outpatients to determine the need for further health care or hospital admission, and may admit patients after informing the attending physician of the decision to admit. He/she is prohibited from rejecting patients for admission or discharging patients from care, without concurrence of the attending physician. Provides leadership in improving patient care, maintaining standards of care, and directing and teaching personnel in a variety of settings. Serves as a resource for all members of the same day clinic staff. May order routine laboratory, radiological and diagnostic tests on patients and provide initial interpretations of results. May initiate, and/or expedite requests for consultation, special test, or studies on assigned patients and will keep the attending physician apprised of results and progress. May order electrocardiograms and provide initial interpretation of EKG's. (As permitted in their Scope of Practice ). Participates in short-term and long-term planning of patient care with members of inter-disciplinary team. Participates in discharge planning, including education of patient and family members regarding home care. Operates and monitors specialized equipment. Participates in Performance Improvement addressing efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of same day nursing services. Document(s) all same day clinic visits through the electronic medical record. Demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care. Executes position responsibilities independently and collaboratively in accordance with current scope and standards of practice. Attends medical staff meetings, team meetings, and participates in committees as required. Provides leadership in improving patient care, maintaining standards of care, and teaching personnel in a variety of settings. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: Work schedule will be Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm with no on-call requirement. Schedule may be changed to accommodate needs of the facility and the provider. *More than one position may be hired off of this announcement

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: 3+ years of clinical experience providing Family Practice, Outpatient, or Internal Medicine care to a varied patient population. 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 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 1 to 3. Physical Requirements: Position requires moderate to heavy lifting and carrying, pushing, walking and standing for extended periods, ability for simultaneous rapid and mental and muscular coordination, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" Jaeger 1 to 4 (one eye, glasses permitted), ability to distinguish basic colors, emotional and mental stability; hearing aid permitted. Incumbents may experience exposure to blood and body fluids.

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 VA Black Hills Health Care System 113 Comanche Road Fort Meade, SD 57741 US
• Name: Todd Otterberg
• Phone: 605-347-2511 X7380
• Email: [email protected]