Physician Assistant - Occupational Health
What you'd do
A Physician Assistant in Occ Health is a credentialed health care professional who provides employee-centered occupational and preventive medical care to VA staff as a member of the Employee Occupational Health and facility safety team. The Occupational Health PA functions as a licensed independent practitioner as allowed by VA policy and applicable state law, exercising independent medical decision-making within their scope of practice while collaborating with supervising physicians as needed.
Major duties
Scope of Practice Core Elements: 1. Conducting pre-employment (pre-placement), periodic, and return-to-work medical evaluations for VA employees in relation to their job duties and essential functions. 2. Performing fitness-for-duty examinations and determining medical clearance or limitations in relation to specific job requirements, including documentation of work restrictions, accommodations, and return-to-duty determinations. 3. Evaluating, diagnosing, and managing occupational injuries and illnesses, including musculoskeletal injuries, chemical exposures, infectious disease exposures (e.g., bloodborne pathogens), and other workplace-related conditions. 4. Providing treatment and follow-up care for occupational injuries and illnesses within the PA's scope of practice, in collaboration with or referral to other clinical services as appropriate. 5. Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests and procedures appropriate to occupational health practice, such as laboratory testing, imaging, pulmonary function testing, audiometry interpretation, and other surveillance-related testing in accordance with VA policy. 6. Participating in and performing job- or exposure-specific medical surveillance examinations (e.g., for asbestos, respirator use, hearing conservation, lead, or other OSHA/CDC/VA-mandated programs), including initial and periodic assessments and follow-up evaluations as indicated. 7. Providing and coordinating medical care related to occupational health for employees across settings, including establishing diagnoses, formulating and implementing care plans, and providing appropriate follow-up and referrals. 8. Ordering laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies, and obtaining and interpreting laboratory specimens related to employee health and exposure evaluations. 9. Ordering ancillary services (e.g., pharmacy, social work, physical therapy, employee assistance, or other specialty services) to support employee recovery, accommodation, and safe return to work. 10. Ordering VA specialty service consults and initiating requests for non-VA medical care and consults, when needed for occupational cases, in accordance with VHA and local facility policies and procedures. 11. Providing health promotion, disease prevention, and employee education related to occupational and environmental risks, injury and illness prevention, infection control practices, and general wellness. 12. Documenting clinical encounters, evaluations, and medical decisions in the electronic health record (EHR) and other approved systems in an accurate, timely, and complete manner, in accordance with VA policies and applicable accreditation standards. 13. Obtaining and documenting informed consent for occupational health-related treatments and procedures for which the PA is responsible, consistent with their approved scope of practice and applicable VA policy. 14. Providing counseling and education to employees regarding occupational risks, medical conditions, use of prescribed treatments and drugs, work restrictions, safe work practices, and preventive measures. 15. Prescribing or ordering medications, including post-exposure prophylaxis and vaccines related to occupational exposures, consistent with the PA's level of prescribing authority, VA formulary, and practice setting, including controlled substances as permitted by licensure, DEA registration, and VA policy. 16. Coordinating care and communication with primary care providers, specialists, and other health care professionals involved in the employee's care when occupational and non-occupational conditions intersect. 17. Other clinical duties as assigned, consistent with the PA's scope of practice and facility needs. Preferred Experience: Experience in Occupational Medicine specialty is preferred 4-5 years of experience in Occupational Health VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730-1600 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
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: 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: 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)(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: 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. (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. (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: 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)(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: 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. (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: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.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: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs and over): Straight pulling and pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing up to 8 hours; repeated bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing aid permitted.
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