Clarification from the agency

First area of consideration for this announcement will be current and permanent employees of the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. Second area of consideration will be all other current and permanent employees of the VHA. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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The Physician Assistant (PA) at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center serves as a vital member of the healthcare team, providing comprehensive medical care across a range of clinical settings. Duties are performed under an approved Scope of Practice, which is individualized based on training, experience, and clinical competency, and reviewed by the collaborating physician and medical staff committee.

Applicants with experience in Kinesiology, musculoskeletal/spine medicine including athletic training will be considered the most highly qualified.

Routine Duties include:

• Obtaining medical histories and performing physical examinations.
• Providing and coordinating medical care for assigned patients, including diagnosis, care planning, implementation, and follow-up.
• Evaluating outpatients to determine further healthcare needs.
• Ordering diagnostic studies and special tests (e.g., MRI, CT scans).
• Carrying out health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education activities.
• Ordering or obtaining laboratory specimens.
• Ordering ancillary services (pharmacy, social services, rehabilitation therapies, prosthetics, etc.).
• Initiating VA specialty consults and requests for non-VA care per policy.
• Ordering patient care supplies.
• Writing orders and prescribing medications in accordance with VA and state regulations.
• Admitting and discharging patients in consultation with the collaborating physician, including documentation of admission history, physical exams, progress notes, and discharge summaries.
• Making patient record entries (medical histories, progress notes, consults, evaluations, orders) without physician co-signature unless required by law or policy.
• Obtaining and documenting informed consent for treatments and procedures as authorized by the Scope of Practice.
• Providing education and counseling to patients and families regarding preventive care, medical conditions, and prescribed treatments.

Expanded Scope of Practice (if approved):

• May include additional procedures such as application of splints, battlefield acupuncture, nasogastric intubation, suturing, minor dermatological procedures (incision and drainage, skin tag removal, biopsies, etc.), orthopedic procedures (joint and bursal injections), and women's health procedures (pelvic/breast exams, contraception counseling, menopause management, cancer screening, etc.), based on demonstrated competency and additional training.

Practice Autonomy:

• PAs may practice with full, limited, or supervised autonomy, depending on experience, competency, and assigned duties. Full autonomy is typical for experienced PAs in primary care and lower-risk settings, while limited or supervised autonomy applies to newly appointed PAs or those performing higher-risk procedures.

Additional Notes:

• All duties are performed in accordance with VA Medical Staff policies, applicable rules, and federal regulations. In emergencies, restrictions may be waived as governed by Medical Staff Bylaws.
• Scope of Practice is reviewed and renewed periodically, with input from the collaborating physician and medical staff leadership.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply.
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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

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: Applicants with experience in Kinesiology, musculoskeletal/spine medicine including athletic training will be considered the most highly qualified.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates:

Physician Assistant-I (PA-I)
Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.

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)
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.

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)
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.

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/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 1 to 3.

Physical Requirements: Ability to pass a Driver's screening

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.

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.

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.

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.