O-5 Billet) Non-Supervisory

Immigration and Customs Enforcement•Los Fresnos, TX

About The Position

The Physician Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner (NP) provides direct health care to detainees, including evaluations, minor procedures, and medication prescriptions. The position is non-supervisory and is open only to current U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates. Continued employment depends on appointment to and maintenance of active-duty USPHS status. Officers must serve an 18- to 24-month commitment to IHSC and participate in the IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS), which may involve being available for an entire month or two 16-day periods per year, depending on agency needs. For O-3 and O-4 billets, the APP provides care in accordance with established criteria, guidelines, agency procedures, and PHS policies. Duties include comprehensive evaluations, behavioral health care, minor outpatient procedures, coordination of referrals, and infection-control measures. Decisions may be reviewed with medical officers or other APPs. O-4 incumbents also participate in APP peer review. For O-5 billets, the APP provides scheduled, emergency, and urgent care; consults with a physician or Clinical Director about complex cases; and provides infirmary care, including admissions, discharges, and daily rounds. The APP interprets diagnostic and laboratory results, manages tuberculosis treatment and Direct Observation Therapy, follows applicable prescribing scopes, and coordinates referrals. Other duties include patient education and documentation, maintaining confidentiality, arranging interpretation or assisted communication when needed, and potentially serving as a medical escort during domestic or overseas travel. O-5 incumbents may serve as Acting Senior Supervisory APP or Acting Regional APP and mentor APP onboarding and training. The APP reports to the Supervisory APP, or to the facility Clinical Director when a Supervisory APP is not on-site. The Regional APP serves as reviewing official. Clinical work is performed under general administrative supervision of the Health Services Administrator, with clinical oversight by the Clinical Director or designee. The incumbent must maintain readiness for duty, current CPR/BLS certification, professional skills, and applicable licensure and certification.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen and successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen.
Applicants must be current USPHS Commissioned Corps officers or USPHS Call to Active Duty candidates; civilians are not eligible. Applicants without a USPHS commission must begin the Commissioned Corps application process before applying.
Continued employment is contingent upon appointment to and maintenance of active-duty status in the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
Must serve an 18- to 24-month commitment to IHSC upon appointment.
Must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, or must fulfill it within 90 days of application submission.
PHS officers must participate in the IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS), involving availability for an entire month or two 16-day periods per year, depending on agency needs.
O-3 applicants are new graduates or have no clinical experience; upgrade to O-4 depends on adequate performance.
O-4 applicants must have one year of clinical experience as a PA or NP, be officers currently in an O-4 billet, or be approved by the Deputy Medical Director.
O-5 applicants must have more than four years of full-time clinical experience as a PA or NP, or approval from the IHSC Medical Director, and must have team lead or supervisory experience.
Meet the minimum education and certification requirements for a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant.
Nurse Practitioners must have an unrestricted Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner state license and national board certification through AANP or ANCC.
Nurse Practitioners must hold a certified advanced practice nurse practitioner degree from an approved graduate training program and know the applicable Nurse Practice Act.
Physician Assistants must have an accredited bachelor's or master's degree, complete an ARC-PA-accredited physician assistant training program, hold NCCPA national certification, and have an unrestricted state license.
Must maintain the obligations and currency required by the applicable licensing or certifying body and be licensed by a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory.
Must maintain an unrestricted state license and, if applicable, an unrestricted DEA license to prescribe controlled medications; O-5 requirements specify maintaining an unrestricted DEA license for controlled medication prescribing.
Must maintain basic readiness for duty and current CPR/BLS certification, and maintain clinical professional skills through continuing education.
Demonstrate superior oral and written communication, analytical ability, interpersonal and active listening skills, organization and time management, problem solving, judgment, decision-making, integrity, honesty, and cultural competency.
Must be able to lift objects greater than 30 pounds and perform CPR or emergency care while standing or kneeling.
Must be able to assist sick, injured, or aging detainees or staff exiting a building, potentially lifting, dragging, wheeling, or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than the incumbent.
May need to run a short distance, stand for prolonged periods, and work in an austere environment while responding to emergencies.

Nice To Haves

Correctional health care experience.
Knowledge of or experience with IHSC policies, NCCHC, and PBNDS requirements.
Knowledge of public health preparedness, infection control, and tuberculosis management.
ACLS certification.
DEA Buprenorphine X Waiver certification (O-3 and O-4 billets).
Certification as a Correctional Healthcare Professional (CCHP) (O-5 billet).

Responsibilities

Provide direct care to detainees through scheduled appointments and emergency or urgent care visits.
Perform comprehensive history and physical evaluations, behavioral health care, and minor outpatient surgical procedures in accordance with IHSC policy and detainee medical needs.
Consult a physician or Clinical Director regarding complex medical or psychiatric patients and when required by IHSC policy.
Provide infirmary care, including detainee admissions, discharges, and daily rounds, for patients requiring higher levels of care or monitoring.
Prescribe medications in accordance with applicable APP and controlled-prescribing scopes, applying knowledge of drugs and therapeutics.
Coordinate detainee health care, including referrals to off-site consultants.
Interpret diagnostic and laboratory results, including Tuberculin skin tests and diagnostic studies.
Manage Direct Observation Therapy for treatment of active or latent tuberculosis.
Take appropriate infection-control actions, follow universal precautions, and properly dispose of sharps.
Use and document interpretation, translation, or assisted communication services when needed for people with limited English proficiency or communication disabilities or impediments.
Provide relevant health education to detainees verbally or with handouts.
Document care in the required health record and format, in compliance with IHSC policy and guidance.
Maintain patient confidentiality and confidentiality of medical records.
Complete assigned training and attend on-site, regional, and national meetings as required.
Participate in the APP Peer Review process (O-4 and O-5 billets).
Serve as Acting Senior Supervisory APP or Acting Regional APP when assigned (O-5 billet).
Facilitate and mentor APP onboarding and training (O-5 billet).
May serve as a medical escort for detainees during domestic or overseas travel as needed (O-5 billet).
Maintain flexibility and adaptability in response to schedule or work-requirement changes (O-5 billet).
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility and benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

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