Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to Current VA employees, current Federal employees and US Citizens. but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The Primary Care Physician Assistant must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served by the Central Texas Veterans Health Care Center. The individual must demonstrate the knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to provide care based upon physical, psycho/social, cultural, safety and other age-related factors as noted in the competencies described in departmental and/or unit specific policies and procedures.

The Physician Assistant practices general medicine with a focus on community-based outpatient clinical care. The Physician Assistant independently follows his/her own panel of general medicine patients, functioning as their primary care provider. The primary care Physician Assistant provides total care of the patient's medical needs by performing history and physical exams, ordering appropriate lab tests, evaluating those tests, to ensure quality care of the patient. This will include providing preventative medicine services, managing chronic disease problems, and providing outpatient follow-up as needed.

The Primary Care Physician Assistant will ensure that the care is coordinated and communicated to the outpatient. The primary care Physician Assistant will provide services as directed to meet the needs of the patient population being served by the medical center. The Physician Assistant must be flexible in the work assignments based upon the immediate needs of the service line.

The Primary Care Physician Assistant must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served by the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System. The individual must demonstrate the knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to provide care based upon physical, psycho/social, cultural, safety and other age-related factors as noted in the competencies described in departmental and/or unit specific policies and procedures.

Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
Work Schedule: TBD. (Typically M-F; 0730-1600 CST or as agreed upon with the possibility of extended hours and weekends. NOTE: Candidates must be willing to work weekends, irregular work hours and extended hours. The candidate must be willing to be assigned to other related services and/or locations, if necessary.)

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

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.

Physical Requirements: Heavy Lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy Carrying (45 lbs and over); Pushing (1 hour); Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 3 hours); Standing (up to 3 hours); Repeated bending (1-2 hours); Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted)

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

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Language: Individuals appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).
• Education:
  • Master's degree in any discipline or
  • a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~
• Training Program:
  • Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) or
  • in the process to taking the exam ~AND~
• License: 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: The following criteria for Physician Assistants must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade.

Physician Assistant-I (PA-I)

a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements

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 (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.

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:

• 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 https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Preferred Experience:

• Master of Physician Assistant Studies or Doctorate of Physician Assistant Studies,
• Keen ability to assess a patient's condition, and to initiate appropriate treatment,
• Experience with preparing accreditation surveys (i.e., Joint Commission, OIG, etc.)
• Experience interpreting diagnostic tests in order to determine therapeutic treatment plans

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Pay-Setting Note: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.