Physician Assistant- Palliative Care

Veterans Health Administration•Salt Lake City, UT

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Palliative Physician Assistant provides inpatient and/or outpatient palliative care to Veterans at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center. The role independently manages a panel of patients with terminal illness, emphasizing symptom management and discussions of goals of medical care. The Physician Assistant develops and implements individualized plans to improve quality of life, assesses and adjusts care plans to achieve optimal outcomes, and works collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team. Clinical duties include responding to palliative care consults within 48 hours; caring for inpatient palliative and hospice patients; initiating outpatient hospice consults as needed; and facilitating Veteran and family goal-setting meetings. The Physician Assistant collaborates with the Veteran and the providers currently involved in their care, may assist Emergency Medicine with case-finding and goal-setting, and interacts with Veterans and families in primary care, oncology, subspecialty clinics, and acute care settings. The role reviews and adjusts pain and symptom management, has a special interest or skill in malignant acute pain management, and is available to consult with other medical providers. The Physician Assistant may prescribe opioids and palliative care medications, fill prescriptions, and address durable medical equipment requests, while ensuring clinical activities remain within their scope of practice and are medically and ethically appropriate. Administrative responsibilities include attending palliative care and hospice team meetings and memorial services as requested, assisting with evaluation of inpatient palliative care admission requests, and contributing to local, VISN, and national palliative care workgroups or quality-improvement activities. The position may also participate in scheduled conference calls and work to strengthen and advance the Hospice and Palliative Care service in VISN. Other duties may be assigned. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A compressed or flexible schedule may be authorized by the supervisor. Telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

Master’s degree in any discipline, or bachelor’s degree in any discipline plus one year of experience as a Physician Assistant.
Successfully passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), or be in the process of taking the exam.
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.
Proficiency in written and spoken English.
Meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities applicable to the appointed PA grade.
Pass required pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and, if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position, urinalysis screening for illegal drug use.
Complete required background and security investigation, online onboarding, and application requirements.
Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA health care personnel requirement.
Comply with any probationary period, if required.

Nice To Haves

Palliative care and/or hospice experience.
For PA-II consideration: two years of successful PA practice, an eligible PA postgraduate residency, or a doctoral degree in a health-related field.
For PA-III consideration: three years of successful PA practice; or an eligible PA postgraduate residency plus one year of PA practice; or a doctoral degree in a health-related field plus one year of PA practice.

Responsibilities

Independently manage a panel of patients with terminal illness, with emphasis on symptom management and goals-of-care discussions.
Develop and implement individualized plans to improve quality of life, and assess and adjust care plans to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
Respond to palliative care consults within 48 hours and provide care to inpatient palliative and hospice patients.
Initiate outpatient hospice consults as needed.
Initiate and chair Veteran and family meetings to establish goals of care, and document meeting outcomes in the Veteran’s record.
Collaborate with Veterans and the medical providers caring for them, including providers in urgent care, emergency medicine, primary care, specialty care, and hospitalist services.
Assist Emergency Medicine with case-finding and goal-setting as needed.
Interact with Veterans and families in primary care, oncology, subspecialty clinics, and acute care settings.
Review and adjust pain and symptom management for Veterans under SLCVHA care; provide consultation on malignant acute pain management.
Prescribe or fill prescriptions for opioids and palliative care medications and address durable medical equipment requests as needed.
Order and interpret laboratory tests, other tests, and diagnostic studies; prescribe pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions; and initiate specialty referrals and consults.
Educate patients and their families.
Ensure clinical activities are within scope of practice and are medically and ethically appropriate.
Attend palliative care and hospice team meetings and participate in palliative care memorial services as requested.
Assist with evaluating requests for inpatient palliative care admissions.
Contribute to local, VISN, and national palliative care workgroups or quality-improvement activities as needed, and participate in scheduled conference calls.
Work to strengthen and advance the Hospice and Palliative Care service in VISN; perform other duties as assigned.