Physician Assistant (Hospitalist)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Chelsea (ME); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Physician Assistant to support inpatient and outpatient care. Eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) with appointment review by the Education Loan Repayment Services program office.

The PA will meet ARC-PA education standards, hold PANCE certification, and maintain an active US license. Strong clinical judgment and teamwork are essential for telehealth and interdisciplinary care delivery.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: US citizen, or eligible per 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education: ARC-PA accredited PA program; Master's degree or Bachelor's with 1 year PA experience.
• Certification: Must pass PANCE.
• Licensure: Active, unrestricted PA license in US or DC.
• Physical requirements: Mostly sedentary with standing and walking for interactions.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient care within the PA scope and in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams.
• Participate in telehealth services and routine patient evaluations.
• Coordinate patient care across services and ensure adherence to clinical guidelines.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Patient care

Team collaboration

Education

ARC-PA accredited PA program

PANCE certification

Active PA license (US)

Master's degree or Bachelor's + 1 year PA experience

Job description

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. 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.

Physician Assistant Basic Requirements

• Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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:
  • (1) Master's degree in any discipline; OR
  • (2) 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.
• Physical Requirements: This work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending and carrying light items. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services.

Preferred Experience

Two to three years of inpatient or critical care medicine experience is preferred.

Grade Determinations

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. 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:

1. Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care.
2. Ability to perform patient history and physical.
3. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient.
4. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession.

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:

1. Two years of successful practice as a PA. OR
2. 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
3. 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.

1. Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems.
2. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions.
3. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care.
4. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care.
5. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively.

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:
• 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.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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.