Physician Assistant - Urology

Summary

Come Join Our Team! The Physician Assistant (PA) - Urology position is located at the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia within the Department of Surgery. The PA is responsible for providing continuity of patient care to VA beneficiaries. The PA shall assist the Surgical Care Service Line to perform the requirements as specified in the Scope of Practice.

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• The PA shall act as a liaison between the in-patient hospital wards, in-patient VA beneficiaries, resident physicians and attending physicians to provide continuity of care during their stay: admissions, length of stay, and discharge.
• Assist and facilitate the admission process, daily rounds with residents/attendings, act as a liaison between hospital ward and residents/attendings, and facilitate the discharge process for the veteran, which includes clinic appointments, home going medications, and prosthetic items.
• Assist Surgical Residents and Attending Surgeons in performing complete evaluations on VA patients in both the in-patient and out-patient settings.
• Ordering and interpreting appropriate lab, x-ray, and special studies.
• Establishing a working diagnosis based upon acquired data and developing a treatment plan for surgical and medical conditions in accordance with current surgical practice and in conjunction with the surgical residents and attending surgeons.
• Implement therapeutic intervention and provide appropriate follow-up care.
• Exercise judgment on conditions requiring consultation, referral, or evaluation
  • by the supervising surgeon or other healthcare professionals.
• Perform complete pre-operative History & Physicals on surgical patients, identifying and alerting the Residents/Attending Surgeons to any disqualifying conditions that present.
• Conduct hospital rounds on a daily basis of all ward and ICU patients.
• Evaluate care and order appropriate labs, special studies, IVs, diet, and therapeutic interventions required.
• In conjunction with the Surgeon, formulate and implement discharge planning and clinical follow-up, and assist the surgical residents on dictating discharge summaries.
• Evaluate and provide appropriate intervention (in conjunction with supervising Surgeon and Surgical Residents) for ER and nursing home patients consulted for surgical conditions.
• Assist surgeons of the Department of Surgery and it's sub-specialties in the operating room with the completion of operative procedures.
• Function as first assistant and procedures, including Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Gynecology, Urology, and General Surgery.
• Assist with the intraoperative and perioperative management of these patients.
• Evaluate, screen, and counsel patients on health maintenance and promote utilization of community resources.
• Design, conduct, and/or participate in research studies, manage databases, and perform quality assurance.
• Assistance in the operating room and clinic procedures may be required.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:45am - 4:30pm, on call duties may be required.

Telework : Not Available

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.

Physician Assistant Basic Requirements

• Citizenship. Citizen of the United States [in accordance with section 7402(c) to title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).]
• Language . Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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: Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~
• Certification. Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~
• Licensure. 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 :

(1) 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 . 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 . 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.

(3) 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 multidisciplinary 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

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

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs. and over); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (3 hours per day); standing (6 hours per day); kneeling (2 hours per day); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid permitted). See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.