Physician Assistant - Primary Care

Summary

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.

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Duties

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Duties of the Physician Assistant:

The Primary Care Physician Assistant will be responsible for delivery of primary care to patients enrolled at the Syracuse VA Medical Center Rome CBOC. The provider will manage scheduled and unscheduled patients in the outpatient clinic setting.

• Primary providers in the outpatient setting are typically assigned a panel of patients to manage. Panel size at this time is determined by utilizing VHA PCMM software. Panel size is determined at the National level, through a complex formula which extracts local information regarding acuity of assigned patients, available support staff, number of exam rooms, etc. Each provider's panel size is specific to their practice and setting
• Alternative or collateral duties may include management of a subsection of primary care patients, the subsection may be defined either by a disease status (e.g. agent orange patients), or demographic status (women veterans, OIF/OEF veterans, etc.). Typically these duties are designated at the time of joining but occasionally during the course of employment, participation in special projects pertinent to assigned section may be necessary as the projects become available through strategic or other initiatives
• Most providers will need to act as surrogates for the patient's of their colleagues, when one or more of their colleagues are on leave
• Timely documentation is necessary in all areas in accordance with departmental policy. All administrative work should be completed in a timely fashion
• Clinical reminders should be addressed as medically appropriate. Quality of care should be able to meet professional standards at all times
• All physician assistants will work within their privileges at all times, unless necessitated by an emergency

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm (or as determined by the needs of the service)

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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

• 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

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.

(2) 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.

(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-03. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of VN-01 to VN-03.

Physical Requirements: In Accordance With 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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