Lead Hospice and Palliative Care Physician Assistant

Summary The Lead Hospice and Palliative Care (LHPC) Physician Assistant (PA) is a position traditionally located in the Geriatrics and Extended Care Service. The LHPC PA reports directly to the Chief of Geriatrics and Extended Care. Learn more about this agency Duties The Physician Assistant, in collaboration with the Medical Directors and Program Managers of assigned services, is responsible for the quality of care provided by the program, for the productivity of the program and for the development and implementation of programs and initiatives to meet the ICARE mission. The LHPC may include but not limited to Facility or Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) Lead PA, Facility PA Education Lead, PA Residency Program Director, or other Clinical and/or administrative leadership assignments. The PA will function clinically as an independent health care provider working in conjunction with the LHPC attending physicians. PAs at the PA-IV grade level may serve as clinical leaders or administrative leaders. Complete other duties as assigned within GEC. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: Responds to all palliative care consults within 72 hours. Initiates Out-Patient consults for Hospice care as needed. Collaborates with veterans and the medical providers caring for the veteran at the time (provider may be urgent care/ER, primary care, or hospitalist) to be informed of the history and prognosis of the patient. Has direct interaction with the veteran and family in various venues, such as primary care visits at the time of the veteran's appointment, Oncology Clinic, subspecialty clinics and acute care settings. Responsible for ongoing pain and symptom management with evaluation and adjustments as needed for Veterans under the care of the HPC service. Rotate On-call duties with other providers within GEC. Special interest/skill in malignant acute pain management with availability to other medical providers for consultation. Contributes to VISN and National Hospice and Palliative Care workgroups as needed. Participating in conference calls as scheduled. Works to strengthen and progress the overall Hospice and Palliative care service in VISN. Complete other duties as assigned within GEC. The Scope of Practice is defined in applicable VA policies and determined by the PA and the collaborating MD(s) biannually. In addition to observance of federal, national and local regulatory, policy, and accreditation requirements governing this Health Care System, this position encompasses the following examples of responsibilities. Administrative Duties: Maintaining VA training requirements, timely completion of documentation and upkeep of credentials required for privileging and re-privileging. Adherence to tour of Duties, timely requests for leave in VISTA and for clinic cancellations. Clinical Management including indirect patient care: open encounter & open consult management, CPRS documentation rules and requirements, adherence to clinic procedures for patient scheduling & access, ensuring staff productivity, oversight of relevant performance measures, and participation in the development of the new focus on the Cultural Transformation, Utilization, Quality, and Patient Safety oversight, process improvement (system redesign). Arranging coverage and communicating the plan of coverage to the team members when taking leave of absence. Serving as back up coverage for all GEC providers. Clinical Duties: The exact privileges and procedures for a particular provider will be approved by the Professional Standards Board. Physician Assistant must meet the following qualifications: Practitioners are expected to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease, and care at the end of life. Practitioners are expected to demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others. To ensure practice-based learning and improvement, practitioners are expected to be able to use scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate, and improve patient care. Practitioners are expected to demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of the health care team. Practitioners are expected to demonstrate behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, understanding and sensitivity to diversity, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession, and additional duties as required by leadership. Practitioners are expected to demonstrate both an understanding of the contexts and systems in which health care is provided, and the ability to apply this knowledge to improve optimizing health care. The incumbent reports clinically and administratively to Chief of Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC). VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. 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 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. Preferred Experience: VHA experience. Grade Determinations: Will be commensurate with education and experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is VN-0603-III. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of VN-0603-I to VN-0603-III. Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position may involve standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. The work may involve going up and down flights of stairs. 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 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.