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. Program 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.

Duties

This Physician Assistant in the Mental Health Service Line shall provide clinical services for mental health patients at the Salem VAMC Mental Health Clinic, Salem, Virginia. The required services include the following: 1. Evaluating new patients and following a panel of patients in the mental health clinic. This will also involve assisting with same day access in the clinic as clinically needed. 2. The Physician Assistant (PA) shall be present at the mental health clinic and shall be performing the required services as specified in their scope of practice. 3. The PA is authorized to perform any duties delegated to them by their supervising physician that the PA is credentialed, licensed, and trained to perform and as specified in the Scope of Practice. Functions 1. Work includes performing mental health intakes for patients new to mental health, including appropriate suicide assessments, safety screening, and medication reconciliations. 2. Ordering and interpreting appropriate lab, x-ray, and special studies. 3. Establishing a working diagnosis based upon acquired data and developing a treatment plan in accordance with current practice. 4. Implement therapeutic intervention and provide appropriate follow-up care 5. Exercise judgment on conditions requiring consultation, referral, or evaluation by the supervising psychiatrist or other healthcare professionals. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected] , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. 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 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: Provider for this position should have one year of experience in mental health assessments and treatments for common psychiatric illnesses. Grade Determinations: Entry level: 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 advancement 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 experience as indicated in the KSA's listed below. Individuals will demonstrate 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 KSA's of a 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 Affiliation or postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, US 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 US Department of Education Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's). 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 patient care including telehealth medical care. IV. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of service for patient care. V. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education - PA's 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 healthcare system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgement in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentor for transitioning Pas and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate KSAs for 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 post graduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, USA 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 US Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's). PA's 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. 3 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 care 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. Physical Requirements: Must be able to pass a physical.

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 Salem VA Medical Center 1970 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 US
• Name: David Masterson
• Phone: 540-982-2463 X2503
• Email: [email protected]