Physician assistant - Orthopedics

Summary

Sign-on bonus available for highly qualified candidates.

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 after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 29th, 2025 . The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 3rd , with subsequent cut-off dates every 5 days . Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Recruitment / Relocation Incentive (Sign-on bonus) : Authorized

Work Schedule : Monday to Friday; 8 : 00am to 4 : 30pm

Telework : Not Available

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions / assistance. Learn more

The Physician Assistant functions as an agent of his / her physician supervisor(s) and not as an independent practitioner. The appointed physician supervisor(s) understands their duties as supervisor so there is no ambiguity as to who is responsible for the action of the PA at any time or in any circumstance.

Every order given by a PA, including those to be carried out by members of the nursing staff is considered as coming from the supervising physicians or designee. The orders must be within the scope of practice of the PA.

All progress notes, consultation requests, reports of histories and physical examinations that are performed by The Physician Assistant will clearly identify his / her as a physician assistant. The PA will identify the assigned physician supervisor at the end of a notation. All procedures / duties specified in the Scope of Practice performed by the PA can be conducted after competency is determined through observation and training by the physician supervisor.

The Physician Assistanthas limited prescription transmittal authority to initiate and refill drug therapy per treatment protocols for specific non-critical disease entities. An individual formulary has been developed and is attached. He / She is authorized to write patient specific transmittal orders for medications as directed by the physician supervisor.

The Physician Assistant is authorized to perform the following tasks on a regular and ongoing basis :

• Perform initial histories and physical examinations on new patients (inpatients, outpatients, Urgent Center). The supervising physician, who will note concurrence, will review these or addendum as indicated.
• Manage limited acute and limited chronic health problems accordant to PA Guidelines and credentials of supervising surgeon.
• Examine outpatients and inpatients to determine the need for further health care.
• Order diagnostic studies such as laboratory tests, x-rays, electrocardiograms (EKGs), CT scans, MRI's, Ultrasound.
• Initiate and expedite requests for consultations.
• Dictate notes or enter notes into CPRS.
• Provide patient / family education and counseling in preventive care, medical conditions, and use of prescribed treatments and drugs.
• Draw blood specimens for testing and perform other comparable procedures as needed.
• Perform arthrocentesis and Joint / peri-articular injections as indicated.
• Reduce and / or splint and / or cast closed fractures.
• Perform wound evaluations, suture removal and dressing changes.
• Remove superficial implants such as drains, pins and foreign bodies.
• Advanced wound care and management.

The Physician Assistant is authorized to perform the following duties after direct consultation with the physician supervisor or designee. During the performance of these duties, the physician supervisor must be available for immediate consultation via telephone and if summoned, a staff physician must be physically present at the place where the procedure is being performed, within 15 minutes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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.

(1) Master's degree in any discipline; OR,

NOTE : Current and continuous certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is no longer required for employment in VHA. (Per paragraph 3a, of the VA Handbook 5005 / 134 PART II APPENDIX G8, September 27, 2020 standard, the certification requirement for employees grandfathered into the occupation. 3(a) . If a PA is certified by the NCCPA, but not licensed on the effective date of the qualification standard, they are not required to obtain or maintain a license to remain employed in VHA. However, if they lose or fail to maintain their NCCPA certification after this qualification standard is effective and do not possess a full, valid, and unrestricted license, they are no longer qualified for employment as a PA in VHA.).

Preferred Experience :

Grade Determinations :

In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates :

Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities(KSAs).

Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) Experience and Education. The PA at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by :

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).

Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education. PAs at the PA-III grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and / or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by :

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities(KSAs).

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is VN-3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of VN-1 to VN-3

Physical Requirements : Light lifting of up to 50 pounds, light carrying up to 50 pounds, intermittent kneeling, pushing and walking, use of fingers, both hands required, gross and fine manipulation, reaching above the shoulder, both legs required. Will working closely with others, protracted or irregular hours of work. Will operate office equipment.

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 : 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 :

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.

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.