Physician Assistant - Pain Clinic

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

VA Central Iowa Healthcare System is recruiting for a full-time Physician Assistant in Rehabilitation and Extended Care (REC) Pain Management Service to provide a full range of services emphasizing quality, timeliness, and the advancement of the VA mission. Applicants must meet PA Basic Requirements and may be referred while qualifications are in progress.

This is a full-time position targeting Physician Assistant applicants; responsibilities include patient care across the REC Pain Management

Qualifications

• PA must have Master’s degree or Bachelor's with one year PA experience.
• Must have passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE).
• Must hold or be eligible for a full and unrestricted PA license.

Responsibilities

• Provide full range of services in REC Pain Management Service with emphasis on quality and timeliness.
• Contribute to advancement of the VA mission within Rehabilitation and Extended Care.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to deliver patient care in pain management.

Skills

PANCE certification

PA license

PA practice knowledge

Education

Master's degree in any discipline

Bachelor's degree in any discipline with PA experience

Job description

The VA Central Iowa Healthcare System is recruiting for (1) full-time Advanced Practice Nurse or Physician Assistant in Rehabilitation and Extended Care (REC) Pain Management Service to provide a full range of services emphasizing quality, timeliness, and the advancement of the Veterans Affairs (VA) mission. This announcement is for Physician Assistants applicants. 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

• 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) ~AND~
• 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.

Preferred Experience

Previous pain experience or PMR experience. Experience with prescribing opioid medications/buprenorphine and familiarity with compliance monitoring; Botox and joint injection, trigger point experience.

Grade Determinations

• Physician Assistant‑I

  • (a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.
  • (b) 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:
    • (i) Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care.
    • (ii) Ability to perform patient history and physical.
    • (iii) Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient.
    • (iv) Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession.

• Physician Assistant‑II (PA‑II)

  • (a) 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: i. Two years of successful practice as a PA. OR ii. 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 iii. A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • (b) 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: i. Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. ii. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. iii. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. iv. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. v. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively.

• Physician Assistant‑III (PA‑III)

  • (a) 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: i. Three years of successful practice as a PA.OR ii. 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 iii. 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.
  • (b) 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: i. Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. ii. 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). iii. Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. iv. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. v. 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.vi. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records.

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

Physical Requirements

You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.