This Pulmonary Rehab Physician Assistant position is in the Medical Service Line at the Jamaica Plain VAMC in Boston, MA. This position is part-time at 28 hours/week. The incumbent will perform duties associated with the outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program. NOTE: This multi-discipline recruitment will result in the hiring of one of the following disciplines: Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant All interested Nurse Practitioners must apply through announcement: CBTD-12716349-25-JL
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. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy 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: 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. 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: 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. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Pulmonary and Cardiology Experience Preferred but not required. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. 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: 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.
The Pulmonary Rehab Physician Assistant (PA) provides comprehensive wellness care as well as acute, episodic, and chronic care of adult clients participating in the Pulmonary Rehab Program. The PA is prepared by advanced practice in adult health care across the health continuum. This practice includes independent and interdependent decision-making and direct accountability for clinical judgment. Duties include but are not limited to: Work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team to provide supervised exercise training and disease self-management to patients with chronic lung disease. Interact with primary care, pulmonary, pulmonary transplant, and other services related to the care of patients enrolled in the pulmonary rehabilitation program. Manage all consultations made to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Supervise exercise classes (in-person and virtual) to ensure safety of patients during exercise training. Perform initial assessments of medical history, health-related quality of life, and psychosocial assessments. Follow-up of laboratory evaluation, perform resting and exercise oximetry, and perform EKG if needed. Perform exercise evaluation with 6-minute walk tests and assess for patient safety. Formulate an exercise treatment plan and outcome evaluation and plan with supervising MDs. Oversee tasks related to delivering educational component of pulmonary rehabilitation. Interact with nutritional services to formulate nutritional plan and weight management plan. Assess vital signs and perform finger sticks as needed at baseline and during exercise. Adjust treatments for exercise-induced alterations in blood pressure, blood sugar, or bronchospasm during exercise program. Assess oxygen requirements and perform titration of supplemental oxygen with respiratory therapist. Perform follow-up evaluations and services to patients completing the program. Complete transition back to primary care providers related to post-rehab exercise maintenance program. Lead management of day-to-day maintenance of the exercise gym. Manage data from patient enrollment, testing and questionnaires to continuously monitor performance and quality of pulmonary rehabilitation program. Perform duties related to internal and external oversight and accreditation. Supervise the virtual telehealth pulmonary rehab classes and contribute to growth of future pulmonary rehab sites. The position(s) fall under the Pulmonary Medicine Section of the Medical Service with interaction and supervision by Pulmonary staff physicians. Work Schedule: 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Notifications: This position is a Bargaining Unit position. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is in the Excepted Service. The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected candidate. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.