Physician Assistant (Primary Care)

Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for Physician Assistant. The Physician Assistant will function in the Primary Care Service.

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Duties

This is an open continuous announcement until June 24, 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

The successful candidate will have a high level of medical knowledge and possesses all the qualities for providing comprehensive and compassionate care for "those who served". The position calls for excellent interpersonal and leadership skills and offers input into projects pertaining to the development of the clinic. Will provide comprehensive primary care services to a defined panel of patients. Duties include history taking, physical examination, ordering laboratories and diagnostic studies, diagnosis and formulation of treatment plans for acute and chronic conditions within the scope of Medicine practice.

This provider is the leader of a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) (physician, RN, LPN, and clerical associate) which provides direct care for Veterans enrolled in Primary Care.

This provider is assigned responsibility for a panel of patients at a specific location. However, the provider may be asked on some occasions to assist in patient care or administrative duties at the main hospital or at another site.

• Provides clinical examination, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, preventive care, and coordination of care for a panel of primary care patients. Appropriate documentation of patient care in clinical records is expected. The provider refers to specialists when additional input and treatment outside of the scope of the physician's experience and training is required.
• Responsible for monitoring PACT teamlet performance to assess adherence to VA standards, assure quality and effectiveness of care, and meet VA performance measures.
• Outstanding customer service is expected.
• Leads the team in assisting the patient advocate and administration in resolving patient concerns and inquiries.
• Exercises medical decision-making and provides a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for a specific group of patients.
• Must have excellent communication skills and relations with staff and community and is able to elicit cooperation from others. The primary care provider serves as a member of a larger multidisciplinary treatment team which includes social work, pharmacy, mental health, nutrition, and on occasion, other services.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8:00a to 4:30p

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.



Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

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  United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. Graduate of a training program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of PA (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations. Additionally, candidates must meet one of the following:
• Master's degree in any discipline; OR
• Bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a PA.
• Certification. Must have successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE.
• Licensure. PAs must possess an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. PAs must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active and current licensure in that State.

Grade Determinations:

• Physician Assistant-I (PA-I)
• Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level PA. This practice may include, but is not limited to:
• Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care.
• Ability to perform patient history and physical.
• Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient.
• Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession.
• Physician Assistant-II (PA-II)
• Experience and Education.
• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-II:
• Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems.
• Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions.
• Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care.
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care.
• Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively.
• Physician Assistant-III (PA-III)
• Experience and Education.
• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-III:
• Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care.
• Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE).
• Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials.
• Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel.
• Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes.
• Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records.

References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G8.The full performance level of this vacancy is PA-III.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA-I to PA-III.



Physical Requirements: Physical qualifications required the ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely. Must be emotionally stable and cooperative. Work is accomplished predominantly on the inpatient unit. The physical surroundings involve working with the acute and chronically physically and mentally ill patients, which may cause discomfort related to negative verbal and physical activities from these patients. Work involves regular and recurring exposure to infection and contagious diseases.

Preferred Qualifications: Minimum of two years in primary care.

Education



Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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