Physician Assistant (Primary Care)

Duties

• The Physician Assistant is an integral part of the primary care team and is called upon for several important duties.
• The Physician Assistant (PA) is an individual who is a graduate of an accredited PA program approved by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
• Medical prescribing privileges for controlled substances can only be granted in accordance with the Federal Controlled Substances Act and applicable regulations.
• In order to prescribe controlled substances, the health care practitioner's state of licensure or registration must permit him or her to do so.
• The PA functions as agents of their supervising physician within their identified scope of practice.
• The Primary Care PA works as a member of the multidisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and provides care to a panel of approximately 900 patients.
• The Primary Care PA assists with the total care of the patient's medical needs by performing history and physical examinations, promoting preventative health measures, managing acute and chronic conditions, ordering appropriate lab tests, evaluating those tests, and acting within the guidelines laid down by the supervising physician to ensure quality care of the patient.
• The Primary Care PA functions as an integral part of a PACT team to coordinate, facilitate, and provide patient care and services.
• The Primary Care PA assists in preparation of the patient to include but not limited to teaching, accumulating data and medical problems, and as needed, presenting patient-centered discussions of medical problems with his/her supervising Physician.
• The Primary Care PA will be responsible for maintaining medical record entries which reflect the patient's healthcare. Recording will be accomplished using the electronic comprehensive patient record system (CPRS) and will be completed in a timely manner in compliance with documentation requirements and policies.
• The PA will act as the focal point of the designated outpatient clinic by being the contact person for all other consultant-specialty services regarding.
• The Primary Care PA will provide services as directed to meet the needs of the patient population being served by the medical center.
• These duties may include backup coverage to areas under the supervision of Section Chief Primary Care.
• The Physician Assistant must be flexible in the work assignments based upon the immediate needs of the service line.
• The scope of assigned duties includes effectively evaluating and treating patients with more complex medical problems requiring a higher degree of clinical skill and competency, ordering testing, consulting, etc., as appropriate for the Veteran's condition, performing complete diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as applicable in the provision of primary care, documenting in the medical record in keeping with the Bylaws of the Medical Center, providing clinical care to Veterans, and providing clinical oversight of the PACT team to which assigned.
• The PA ensures that medical treatment or care plans consist of current best medical practices and are evidence-based if possible.
• The PA ensures practice of medicine is consistent with Joint Commission, CARF, VA policies and procedures, clinical practice guidelines, VISN standards, national statutes and regulations, medical record documentation, mandatory continuing education, and HIPAA policies.
• The PA is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate.
• The PA actively promotes a customer-oriented culture and promotes the hiring of persons who demonstrate the VA's iCARE values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence.
• The PA encourages an atmosphere of trust, psychological safety, and empowerment in all functional areas under her/his oversight.
• The PA completes projects or duties as assigned by the Chief - PCSL.

Requirements

The incumbent is responsible to the Chief of Primary Care - but practices independently, exercising initiative and independent judgment in day-to-day activities and provision of primary care to Veterans.

Schedule

Monday through Friday - 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Telework

Not available

Virtual

This is not a virtual position