Physician Assistant

Summary PA is fully qualified and certified to function in a clinical role and in accordance with the guidelines and policies of the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PA is delegated the authority and responsibility to assume clinical, consultation, education, research, and administrative duties and responsibilities related to the patients and staff of the Urology Service. Learn more about this agency Duties VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Major duties include but not limited to: Clinical Direct Patient Care - Responsible for the clinical management of health care to the veterans referred to the Urology service. This includes independent initial consultations in the clinic, emergency department or inpatient setting, complete evaluations, and devising/implementing therapeutic intervention. Has the authority to order all tests and procedures necessary to evaluate and treat these patients. Exercises sound clinical judgment on conditions requiring consultation, referral or evaluation by Urology Chief or other Health care professionals. Will have a Panel of urologic patients, including patients within the subspecialty focus of each PA, which is maintained with appropriate independent continuity of care, in conjunction with the Resident and Attending Urologic Staff. Will have cross-training to other elements of urologic procedures, including straightforward urodynamics procedures, as backup to others on the Provider team. OR Scheduling - Responsible for reviewing patient preparation for upcoming operative interventions, anti-coagulant perioperative management, and postoperative follow-up. Will interact with Operative Scheduling Team to be assured of appropriate time allowance of cases. Urology Fee Basis (Non-VA Care) Process. coordinate referrals for outside urologic clinical care if unable to be performed at VA. Reviews the clinical record generated by Urologic Providers and allied specialties and generates a summary statement. A draft Fee Basis format is generated for review by identifying relevant CPRS documentation which must be included (Progress Notes, Op Notes, Imaging Reports, Path Reports). This will be reviewed with possible modification by the Chief of Urology or designee. Once approved, the Fee Basis consult will be generated by this Manager and ordered. Functions as the primary point of contact regarding outside providers and the VA Urology providers and communicates with referring providers if necessary, to coordinate care. Tracks all patients regarding outside care. Maintains records of process and integrates findings into VA CPRS in stipulated Urology Management Notes. Independently performs complete pre-operative H+Ps on GU surgical patients, identifying and alerting the surgeon to any disqualifying conditions that present. Assists as needed in the Operating Room with the full range of GU surgeries at the direction of the Chief of Urology. Facilitates care of urology patients as well as their entry and exit from various Health care systems by establishing and maintaining liaison with a variety of medical specialists and associated staff. Collaborates and coordinates with other Health care resources to ensure timely and appropriate patient continuity of care. Performs invasive interventions under the supervision of Urologic Attending: this includes urethral dilation and cystoscopy, prostatic needle biopsy (if trained), intracorporeal ED penile injections. Other clinical duties as assigned by the Chief of Urology and Chief of Surgery Administrative Manages complex process flow of all Urologic Fee Basis patients, this includes: a. Management of Fee Basis Process Tracking, including communication with patients regarding status. b. Completion of the draft Fee Basis request for the Chief of Urology's purview, and once its format is approved, transfer by Microsoft Word macros to the CPRS format. c. Management follow-up of Fee Basis requests by monitoring outcome, including integration of documentation back into CPRS Urologic Problem Lists. Attends committee meetings and process action teams to represent the Urology Service at the direction of the Chief of Urology. Maintains and coordinates the urology OR Schedule by available software systems to ensure appropriate case scheduling. Establishes schedules and participates in clinical education and training of both medical and allied Healthcare students within the Department of Urology. Facilitate response/actions to patient inquiries to care and treatment received by the Urology service. Functions as the liaison between the Chief of Urology and Sub-specialty services on clinical issues. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: No Permanent Change of Station (PCS): No Requirements 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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 Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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: (1) Master's degree in any discipline; OR (2) Bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a PA.] Certification: Certification. [Must have successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) Licensure: PAs must possess an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. PAs must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active and current licensure in that State. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: 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 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: 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. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) 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: Performs invasive interventions under the supervision of Urologic Attending: this includes urethral dilation and cystoscopy, prostatic needle biopsy (if trained), intracorporeal ED penile injections. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information "Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care." 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. Expand Hide  additional information 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. Benefits 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. Review our benefits 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.