Physician Assistant - Community Care

The Physician Assistant - Community Care is responsible for the coordination, clinical oversight, and management of Veterans receiving care through the Community Care program. The PA functions with a high degree of autonomy and clinical judgment to ensure Veterans receive timely, appropriate, and high-quality care in accordance with Department of Veterans Affairs policies, national Community Care directives, and established clinical standards.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position:

• Reviews and evaluates community care consults and referrals initiated by VA providers to determine medical necessity, clinical appropriateness, and compliance with eligibility requirements.
• Utilizes advanced clinical knowledge and critical thinking to assess Veteran care needs.
• Ensures referrals are appropriate and consistent with the Veteran's treatment plan.
• Address complex consult management issues, including clarification of treatment requests, evaluation of additional service needs, and resolution of clinical concerns related to community-based care.
• Monitors on-going episodes of care delivered in the community to ensure services are consistent with the authorized scope of care and meet quality and safety standards.
• Intervenes and/or escalates concerns when necessary to ensure Veterans receive appropriate and timely care.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams including physicians, nurses, administrative staff, and community providers to facilitate effective coordination of care.
• Manages high volumes of consults, addressing diverse clinical conditions across multiple specialties, and navigating regulatory requirements associated with the Community Care program.
• Interprets and applies national policies, clinical guidelines, and regulatory standards when making determinations regarding referral management and care coordination.

VA offers a comprehensive Total Rewards package.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm; subject change based on facility needs.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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 of 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.

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)
(a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. (KSAs) 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 (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-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/.

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

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of Primary Care/Managed Care experience.
• Strong clinical background and experience in care coordination and case management.
• Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care.
• Potential to exhibit leadership/managerial skills in facilitating collaboration of service/departments and integrated units in the planning and provision of care for diverse groups of patients.
• Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems.
• Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions.
• Demonstrated skills and knowledge in critical thinking, problem solving, and experience dealing with complex interpersonal situations.
• Works well with interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated leadership, self-direction, collegiality, and rational problem solving skills.
• Evidence of strong communication skills, written and oral.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to prioritize work.
• Exceptional flexibility and adaptability to an ever changing and rapidly expanding program.

Physical Requirements:

• Light lifting (under 15 pounds)
• Light carrying (under 15 pounds)
• Use of fingers
• Walking (2 hours)
• Standing (2 hours)
• Sitting at computer