Clarification from the agency

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. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Position Summary:
The Pulmonology physician assistant is a position located in the Medicine Service. The physician assistant reports directly to Section Chief of Pulmonology. This position entails clinical and/or administrative responsibilities within Pulmonology. Program activities are always evolving and may include programs as determined by facility leadership. The incumbent reports clinically and administratively to the Section Chief of Pulmonology.

Major Duties/Responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to:

• Clinical responsibilities include history taking and physical examinations, prescribing medications, obtaining and reviewing laboratory data and diagnostic studies.
• Performing clinic chart reviews and assisting with the formulation of clinical diagnoses and implementation of treatment plans.
• Entering electronic notes in patient's clinical chart, coordination of clinic appointments/consults with all services secure messaging and telecare responses for Pulmonology.
• Participation with the Section Chief in establishment of short and long-term administrative, clinical and/or research goals. Teaching responsibilities include educating new physicians and residents in administrative aspects of their work in VA.
• Performs initial histories and physical examinations.
• Provides ongoing outpatient and inpatient care for assigned patients as well as episodic patients.
• Screens and triage outpatients to determine further needs of care.
• Prescribes medications within defined scope of practice (including schedule II-V controlled substances).
• Writes orders/prescriptions as necessary for the care of the patient in accordance with Federal and State law.
• Orders diagnostic studies such as laboratory tests, and x-rays.
• Carries out health promotion and disease prevention activities.
• Orders, consult notes, procedure notes, progress notes, consultation requests and administrative letters which are written by the Physician Assistant will be clearly identified as such in the written and electronic medical records.
• Initiates and expedites requests for consultation and scheduling of special tests and studies.
• Makes interim summaries on progress notes of the patient's medical record.
• Provides education and counseling to patients and families for preventative care, medical conditions and use of prescribed treatment and drugs.
• Obtains informed consent for relevant Pulmonary procedures/therapies.
• Interpret Home Sleep Study and Nocturnal Oximetry.
• Participate in Quality Assurance activities including Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode Effect Analysis, tort claim review, etc.
• Participates in protected Peer Review and pertinent peer chart review activities.
• Participate in care line staff meetings, Specialty Care Team meetings and mandatory staff functions.
• Pulmonology administrative activities may include serving as the Coordinator of the Section, managing clinical calendars, closing or reopening of clinics, clinical review of affected patients and disposition of rescheduling instructions and/or medication refills.
• Participation with the Section Chief in establishment of short and long-term administrative, clinical and/or research goals.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.

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 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

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.

• Physician Assistants must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active and current licensure in that State.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
• 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-I (PA-I)

• Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for Physician Assistants. AND
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level Physician Assistant. This practice may include, but is not limited to:
  • Ability to utilize the principles of Physician Assistant 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)

• Experience and Education. The Physician Assistant 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 Physician Assistant 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Physician Assistants 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)

• Experience and Education. Physician Assistants 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 Physician Assistants, 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 Physician Assistant 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Physician Assistants 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 Physician Assistant patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records.

Preferred Experience: ICU 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 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 1 to 3.

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

This position requires pre-employment drug screening and is subject to random drug testing.

• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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