The Columbia VA Health Care System is is recruiting for a Physician Assistant in Surgical Care Service. The Physician Assistant (PA) will work closely with their respective team and assist in the management of General Surgery patients. They will be responsible for providing and coordinating General Surgery care for assigned patients including assessments, ordering appropriate laboratory and diagnostic studies, consulting and referring to physicians and other health care members as appropriate.

Duties

The General Surgery Physician Assistant will practice medicine as a member of a team In Surgical Care Service at the Columbia VA Health Care System. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. The Physician Assistant (PA) functions as a GAP Provider in General/Surgery Service. He/she is responsible for provision of care for patients seeking General Surgery care. Duties will include, but are not limited to: Performing rounds on inpatients to evaluate patients. Obtaining and interpreting appropriate studies including labs and radiologic studies. On call to evaluate general surgery consults from the ED or other inpatient services. Obtain and document H&Ps on new consults in EMR. Record inpatient update notes in EMR. Admit, discharge or transfer patients as directed by surgeon. Evaluate outpatient consults. Assist with outpatient clinic as needed. Assist in the OR as needed. Work Schedule: 12 hour rotational shifts, days, nights, weekends. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the following basic qualifications. 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 REQUIREMENTS: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending, and carrying light items. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services

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 Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: ROBERTA ADAMS
• Phone: 224-817-1289
• Email: [email protected]