Physician Assistant-Primary Care

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Responsibilities

• Performs independent clinical evaluations of Veterans through their panel of patients including prevention and patient self-management.
• Provides comprehensive primary care in an outpatient clinical setting, diagnosing and treating acute and chronic diseases, and educating on health promotion and disease prevention.
• Completes physical examinations, develops and implements individualized plans to achieve optimal population health and disease management, orders and interprets labs, tests, and diagnostic studies, prescribes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, initiates referrals and consults to specialty services, provides education to patients and their families, and participates in continuous medical education.
• Works as a member of a Patient Aligned Care Team, collaborating with clinical and administrative support to provide timely, quality, coordinated care for Veterans.
• Utilizes and promotes approved standards of care, procedures, methods, and techniques, safety precautions, and protocols in their application to this population.
• Collaborates with other health care resources to ensure continuity of care.
• Participates in education/precepting efforts as appropriate.
• May provide coverage for other providers in clinic or other primary care clinics if needed or assigned, including same day, short term, or long term absences, and sees same day walk-in patients or patients when their provider is not available.
• Exemplifies the ICARE core values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.

Requirements

• Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam).
• Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.
• Outpatient Primary Care experience as a PA for 2 years or more preferred.

Qualifications

• Physician Assistant-I (PA-I): No beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.
• Physician Assistant-II (PA-II): Two years of successful practice as a PA, or successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency, or a doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA.
• Physician Assistant-III (PA-III): Three years of successful practice as a PA, or successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA, or a doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA.

Physical Requirements

This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires mostly periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations.