Physician Assistant- Primary Care

Veterans Health Administration • York, PA

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Physician Assistant is part of the multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Service Team and provides care to Veterans within Primary Care. The team emphasizes cooperation, shared decision-making, and shared responsibility. Its chronic pain approach considers pathophysiological, cultural, emotional, social, perceptual, and spiritual factors, using comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and, when appropriate, joint visits with interprofessional team members. Team members promote self-care and involve patients in setting realistic goals and treatment planning.

The Physician Assistant assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates patient care; makes care-delivery changes based on current concepts and research; uses sound judgment; shares expertise; consults with others; and identifies and resolves patient-care problems. The role provides diagnostic and clinical care within the scope of the provider’s clinical privileges and may be assigned at PA-I, PA-II, or PA-III grade. The full performance level is PA-III.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to VHA eligibility requirements and application review. The program may provide up to $200,000 over an eligibility period of one to five years. Relocation and recruitment incentives are authorized for a highly qualified candidate; Permanent Change of Station expenses are not authorized. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is unavailable, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in any discipline, or a bachelor’s degree in any discipline and one year of experience as a Physician Assistant.
• Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE), or be in the process of taking it.
• Hold, or be eligible to hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Meet the applicable Physician Assistant grade requirements: PA-I requires no experience beyond the basic requirements; PA-II requires two years of successful PA practice, an qualifying postgraduate PA residency, or a doctoral degree in a health-related field; PA-III requires three years of successful PA practice, or a qualifying postgraduate PA residency and one year of PA practice, or a health-related doctoral degree and one year of PA practice.
• Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities applicable to the selected PA grade, including patient assessment and treatment, clinical decision-making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and care improvement.
• Be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Meet pre-employment requirements, including a background/security investigation and physical examination; selected applicants in testing-designated positions must complete urinalysis screening.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA health-care personnel requirement.
• Complete the required application and onboarding requirements; applicants using foreign education must provide the required foreign-equivalency documentation.

Responsibilities

• Provide diagnostic and clinical care to Veterans in Primary Care within the clinical privileges and scope of practice.
• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care, including care for complex patient populations.
• Perform comprehensive medical histories and physical examinations; initiate treatment for acute and chronic medical conditions.
• Order and interpret diagnostic laboratory and imaging tests and use findings to make medical diagnoses.
• Use granted prescriptive authority to prescribe and administer routine therapeutics, including medications, devices, and procedures.
• Document patient visits and procedures in the electronic medical record and initiate consultation requests.
• Provide specialized consultation and collaborate with physicians, licensed independent practitioners, peers, and other health-care professionals to develop and maintain individualized treatment plans.
• Perform procedures authorized by the scope of practice.
• Educate and advise patients, caregivers, and team members about pain-management strategies; participate in developing and delivering education about chronic pain and its effects.
• Participate in peer review, process improvement, quality-improvement projects, and patient-care audit processes as applicable.
• Work with staff to maintain compliance with regulatory standards, including VA/DoD Chronic Opioid Therapy Clinical Practice Guidelines, the VHA Pain Management Directive, and Joint Commission pain-management standards.
• Maintain the service workload database and prepare reports for leadership when requested.
• Evaluate patient-care delivery systems, identify barriers to safe and effective care, and recommend or implement clinical changes based on research and medical literature.
• Present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials and collaborate across the health-care system to facilitate patient care.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval; award may be up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Relocation and recruitment incentives are authorized for a highly qualified candidate.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level