Advanced Practice Provider (O-3/O-4/O-5 Billet) Non-Supervisory

Immigration and Customs Enforcement • Houston, TX

12d

About The Position

The non-supervisory Advanced Practice Provider (Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner) serves within the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) and reports to the site Health Services Administrator. IHSC provides direct and off-site medical care for ICE detainees at detention and IGSA facilities nationwide and supports ICE enforcement operations by air, land, and sea. This position is open only to current USPHS Commissioned Corps officers and USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates. Continued employment depends on appointment to and maintenance of active-duty status in the USPHS Commissioned Corps. Officers must serve an 18- to 24-month commitment to IHSC and participate in the IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS), which may require availability for one full month or two 16-day periods per year, depending on agency needs.

The Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner provides clinical care to detainees, including scheduled, urgent, and emergency visits; infirmary care; comprehensive evaluations; behavioral health care; and minor outpatient procedures, as required by IHSC policy and the detainee’s medical needs. The APP consults with the physician or Clinical Director for complex cases and works within the applicable IHSC scope-of-practice and controlled-prescribing requirements. The role includes medication prescribing, coordinating referrals, interpreting diagnostic and laboratory results, and managing tuberculosis testing and therapy.

The APP follows infection-control practices, documents care in the required health record, protects patient and medical-record confidentiality, and uses interpretation, translation, or assisted-communication services when needed. The role may include serving as a medical escort for domestic or overseas travel, acting as a Senior Supervisory APP or Regional APP, mentoring and facilitating APP onboarding and training, attending required meetings, and participating in peer review. The position requires flexibility when schedules or work requirements change, completion of assigned training, and performance of other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty candidate; civilians are not eligible.
• Applicants without a USPHS commission must begin the USPHS Commissioned Corps application process before applying.
• Must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, or must fulfill it within 90 days of application submission.
• Must serve an 18- to 24-month commitment to IHSC upon appointment.
• Must maintain active-duty status in the USPHS Commissioned Corps for continued employment.
• Must participate in the IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS).
• More than one year of full-time clinical experience as a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner, or approval of the IHSC Medical Director.
• Physician Assistants must hold an unrestricted state license and national board certification through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
• Nurse Practitioners must hold an unrestricted Family Nurse Practitioner state license and national board certification through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
• Must be licensed by a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory.
• Must maintain unrestricted licensure in the state of licensure and with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications.
• Must fulfill the licensing or certifying body’s requirements for maintaining currency.
• Must maintain basic readiness for duty and current CPR/BLS certification.
• Must maintain clinical professional skills through continuing education.
• Demonstrate superior oral and written communication, analytical ability, and ability to navigate complex systems.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal and active-listening skills, organizational and time-management skills, problem-solving ability, sound judgment and decision-making, integrity, honesty, and cultural competency.
• Able to lift objects greater than 30 pounds and perform CPR or emergency care while standing or kneeling.
• Able to assist sick, injured, or aging detainees or staff in exiting a building, which may involve lifting, dragging, wheeling, or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than the employee.
• Able to meet emergency-response physical demands, including running a short distance, prolonged standing, and working in an austere environment.

Nice To Haves

• Correctional health care experience.
• Certification as a Correctional Healthcare Professional (CCHP).
• Knowledge of or experience with IHSC policies, NCCHC requirements, and PBNDS requirements.
• Knowledge of or experience with public health preparedness, infection control, and tuberculosis management.
• ACLS certification.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct care to detainees through scheduled appointments and emergency or urgent care visits.
• Consult with the physician or Clinical Director regarding complex medical or psychiatric patients and as required by IHSC policy.
• Provide infirmary care, including admissions, discharges, and daily rounds for detainees requiring higher levels of care or monitoring.
• Perform comprehensive history and physical evaluations, behavioral health care, and minor outpatient surgical procedures as required by policy or medical complaint.
• Work within the IHSC Advanced Practice Provider Scope of Practice and Controlled Prescribing Scope of Practice for APPs.
• Apply knowledge of drugs and therapeutics when prescribing medication.
• Coordinate detainees’ health care needs, including referrals to off-site consultants.
• Interpret diagnostic and laboratory results.
• Interpret tuberculin skin tests and diagnostic studies, and manage Direct Observation Therapy for active or latent tuberculosis.
• Take appropriate infection-control actions, follow universal precautions, and properly dispose of sharps.
• Serve as a medical escort for detainees during domestic or overseas travel as needed.
• Use and document interpretation, translation, or assisted-communication services as needed for people with limited English proficiency or communication disabilities or impediments.
• Adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements.
• Provide relevant verbal and written health education to detainees.
• Document care visits in the required health record and format in accordance with IHSC policy and guidance.
• Maintain patient and medical-record confidentiality.
• Complete required or assigned training.
• Serve as Acting Senior Supervisory APP or Acting Regional APP.
• Facilitate and mentor APP onboarding and training.
• Attend required on-site, regional, and national meetings.
• Participate in the APP peer-review process.
• Participate in the IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS).
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package; the posting states that employees and their families have access to a range of benefits, with eligibility depending on position type.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed