Physician Assistant-Cardiology

Veterans Health Administration•West Haven, CT

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Cardiology Advanced Practice Provider (APP) supports VA Connecticut’s Structural Heart and Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAAO/Watchman) programs, providing coordinated care for high-acuity Veterans before, during, and after procedures and through longitudinal follow-up. The position may be filled by either an advanced practice nurse or a physician assistant; the qualifications provided here are for physician assistants. The full-performance level is PA-III, though selection may be at PA-I, PA-II, or PA-III. The APP provides direct care in Valve and LAAO clinics, prepares patients for procedures, supports procedure-day activities, manages post-procedure follow-up, and coordinates care among VA and Yale teams. The role also includes case review and triage, patient communication, clinical documentation, and participation in multidisciplinary program activities. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is ad hoc at facility management’s discretion; this is not a virtual position. The position requires passing a pre-employment physical evaluation and meeting applicable VA employment, licensure, certification, and education requirements.

Requirements

Graduate from a PA training program accredited by ARC-PA or a predecessor organization.
Have a master's degree in any discipline, or a bachelor's degree in any discipline plus one year of experience as a PA.
Successfully pass the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE).
Hold an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice as a PA in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; maintain state registration when required.
Demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written English.
For PA-II: qualify through two years of successful PA practice, an eligible PA postgraduate residency, or a doctoral degree in a health-related field; demonstrate or develop the listed intermediate-level competencies.
For PA-III: qualify through three years of successful PA practice, or an eligible PA postgraduate residency plus one year of practice, or a health-related doctoral degree plus one year of practice; demonstrate or develop the listed full-performance competencies.
Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
Meet applicable VA conditions of employment, including background/security investigation and, for tentatively selected candidates in testing-designated positions, pre-employment drug screening.

Responsibilities

Provide direct patient care in Valve and LAAO clinics, including comprehensive evaluations, risk stratification, and ongoing management of high-risk cardiac patients.
Prepare patients for procedures by reviewing imaging and laboratory results, coordinating with CT Surgery, Anesthesia, and Yale partners, optimizing medications, and educating patients and families.
Support procedure-day readiness checks, care coordination, post-procedure assessments, discharge planning, and scheduling of follow-up imaging and visits.
Manage post-procedural care, including echocardiogram scheduling, anticoagulation management, interpretation of follow-up studies, and identification and escalation of complications.
Coordinate TAVR, mitral and tricuspid repair, PFO closure, and Watchman care pathways across VA and Yale clinical teams.
Review and triage complex consults, collaborate with RN triage on routine referrals, and independently evaluate high-risk consult cases.
Conduct asynchronous case management and communicate with high-acuity Veterans using a VA-issued direct-access phone contact.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation in CPRS, including clinical encounters, consult management, care plans, imaging coordination, and quality metric tracking.
Participate in Structural Heart case conferences, multidisciplinary huddles, and coordination meetings with internal and Yale providers.