Careers

The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare(VAGLAHS)is seeking a highly skilled/experienced Physician Assistant (PA) to serve in our Robotic Program in the Surgical Service. PA will be an active member of the surgical team & provide pre-operative, peri-operative/post-operative care of surgical patients in both inpatient/outpatient setting while working alongside Attending Surgeons, Surgical Residents & students, Must have sufficient knowledge to effectively identify/diagnosis surgical conditions. 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education or Training: The candidate must meet the following: (1) Graduate of a PA 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: Master's degree in any discipline; Bachelor's degree in any discipline with on year of experience as a PA. Certification: Must have successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE). *****NOTE: PLEASE PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION WITH YOUR APPLICATION PACKET.***** Licensure: 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 OR be a graduate physician assistant pending licensure. Preferred Experience: Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Physician Assistant-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: Ability to utilize the principles of PA 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. 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: Two 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; OR 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: 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. 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: 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. (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: 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is PA-III. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA-I to PA-III. *****NOTE: PLEASE PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION WITH YOUR APPLICATION PACKET.***** Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); Heavy carrying (45 lbs and over): Straight pulling and pushing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking and standing up to 8 hours; repeated bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing aid permitted. ["Typical duties include but are not limited to: First assist at bedside for surgical procedures Assist in the preparation and positioning of patients for robotic procedures Order and maintain inventory of EndoWrist instruments and accessories Order and maintain ancillary supplies related to robotic surgery Maintain and update OR/Hospital protocols related to robotic surgery Maintain and update preference cards for all robotic surgical procedures Manage routine preventative maintenance on DaVinci Surgical System Set up DaVinci Surgical System for surgical procedures Set up of auxiliary equipment for DaVinci Procedures (ESU/Bipolar, Gyrus, Endo-stabilizer, etc.) In-service OR Nursing staff, and any additional applicable OR staff on pre-, Intra- and post-operative management of the Davinci Surgical System Conduct DaVinci System Training via the Interactive Training Tool Provide primary surgical assistance to surgeon to include: handling and dissection of tissue, clamping blood vessels, coagulating bleeding points, ligating vessels, suturing tissue and placing drains as surgically indicated Serve as a liaison between the surgeon and the perioperative team to identify and communicate issues Serve as an educator, mentor, consultant and resource to colleagues and other health care professionals Serve as a patient advocate and maintains privacy and confidentiality of all appropriate information Ensure compliance with usage of supplies, equipment and instrumentation to support quality and safe patient care Clinical troubleshooting of the DaVinci Surgical System during robotic procedures Provide care in the outpatient and inpatient setting Perform adequate and thorough H & Ps Consult appropriate subspecialties on patient-specific matters Perform bed-side procedures pertinent to the surgical care of the patient (such as I & D, suturing, wound debridement/dressing changes, drain removal, etc.) Write orders and prescriptions necessary for patient care Make daily rounds to observe and record patient's medical progress, updating, and summarizing medical records, and changing orders when appropriate. Demonstrates safe work practices. Complies with safety rules and regulations for safe job performance and fire protection. Demonstrates effective written and verbal communication skills. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 04:30pm\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a Virtual Position\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required\nDuty Location: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System\n11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90073"]