The PA will be located at the Durham VAMC and will be assigned to mental health acute care services and a BHIP(Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program) outpatient team. This PA will be fully qualified and certified to function in both a clinical and administrative role and in accordance with the guidelines and policies of the Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Duties

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans? The Physician Assistant is delegated the authority and responsibility to assume clinical, consultative, educational, research, and administrative duties and assignments related to the care of in-hospital and outpatients. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Clinical Duties for Acute Care Mental Health: The primary focus of practice is the clinical management of in-patients assigned to the acute psychiatric inpatient care teams in terms of weekend coverage, as well as working as part of a multidisciplinary team dealing with psychiatric walk-in's and emergency care patients. Involvement with both psychiatric and medical treatment in regard to inpatient work activities. Utilizes and promotes approved standards of care, procedures, methods, techniques, safety precautions, and protocols in their application to in-patients. Performs inpatient H&P's, covering both psychiatric and medical elements of history and physical exam. Collaborates with other medical center health care resources to ensure continuity of care. Keeps abreast of the latest trends, skills, procedures, equipment and protocols relevant to the care of in-patients. Facilitates the care of patients as well as their entry and exit from various health care systems by establishing and maintaining liaison with a variety of medical specialists and associated staff. Writes daily progress notes on inpatients and intake notes on new outpatients Other clinical duties as assigned by the supervising physician Clinical duties for Outpatient Mental Health: The primary focus of practice is the clinical management of psychiatric outpatients assigned to the Durham VAMC Maintain effective relationships with other team members to determine and meet the social, environmental, economic and psychological needs of the patient. Utilizes and promotes approved standards of care, procedures, methods, techniques, safety precautions, and protocols in their application to treatment and management of acute and chronic mental illnesses psychiatric outpatients. Provides medication management and individual and group psychotherapy as clinically indicated. Primary treatment modality will be medication management. Promotion and maintenance of health Collaborates with other medical center health care resources to insure continuity of care. Keeps abreast of the latest trends, skills, procedures, equipment and protocols relevant to the care of psychiatric outpatients Facilitates the care of patients as well as their entry and exit from various health care systems by establishing and maintaining liaison with a variety of medical specialists and associated staff. Evaluating health outcomes Recording pertinent findings, impressions and plan of care in the patient's medical record for all patient encounters. This will generally be in the form of diagnostic interviews for new patients and progress notes for existing patients. Other clinical duties as assigned by the supervisor, including coverage for other clinical staff who are on leave. Administrative/Education/Research: Promotes and participates in the delivery of patient and family health care education. Attends conferences and committee meetings as assigned by the supervising physician. Participates, directs, and provides opportunities for staff development through in-service management of in-patients. Participates in clinical research programs when appropriate. Other administrative &/or educational/research duties as assigned by the supervising physician Customer Service: The PA will meet the needs of patients while supporting the Medical Center and Service missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all Medical Center staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. The PA provides the patient with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Work Schedule: Variable - To equal 80 hours (Full-time) over a 2 week period. Telework: Authorized (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. Additional Requirement: Mental Health Training at an accredited institution Preferred Experience and Certifications: At least two years of mental health care experience in an inpatient as well as outpatient setting following educational training. Grade Determinations: 1) Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) (a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs. (b) 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. (2) Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) (a) 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. (b) 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: v. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. iv. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. iii. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. ii. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. i. Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. (3) Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) (a) 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. (b) 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 Grade 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of Grade 1 to Grade 3. Physical Requirements: Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - a physical examination will be conducted based on the physical requirements of the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. Regarding this specific RN position, the population of male and female veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. The VA Medical Center is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility, serving medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with admissions for medical co­morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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 Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: Brian Watt
• Phone: (906) 396-7485
• Email: [email protected]