Physician Assistant - Occupational Health

<p>A Physician Assistant in Occ Health is a credentialed health care professional who provides employee-centered occupational and preventive medical care to VA staff as a member of the Employee Occupational Health and facility safety team. The Occupational Health PA functions as a licensed independent practitioner as allowed by VA policy and applicable state law, exercising independent medical decision-making within their scope of practice while collaborating with supervising physicians as needed.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>Scope of Practice Core Elements: 1. Conducting pre-employment (pre-placement), periodic, and return-to-work medical evaluations for VA employees in relation to their job duties and essential functions. 2. Performing fitness-for-duty examinations and determining medical clearance or limitations in relation to specific job requirements, including documentation of work restrictions, accommodations, and return-to-duty determinations. 3. Evaluating, diagnosing, and managing occupational injuries and illnesses, including musculoskeletal injuries, chemical exposures, infectious disease exposures (e.g., bloodborne pathogens), and other workplace-related conditions. 4. Providing treatment and follow-up care for occupational injuries and illnesses within the PA's scope of practice, in collaboration with or referral to other clinical services as appropriate. 5. Ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests and procedures appropriate to occupational health practice, such as laboratory testing, imaging, pulmonary function testing, audiometry interpretation, and other surveillance-related testing in accordance with VA policy. 6. Participating in and performing job- or exposure-specific medical surveillance examinations (e.g., for asbestos, respirator use, hearing conservation, lead, or other OSHA/CDC/VA-mandated programs), including initial and periodic assessments and follow-up evaluations as indicated. 7. Providing and coordinating medical care related to occupational health for employees across settings, including establishing diagnoses, formulating and implementing care plans, and providing appropriate follow-up and referrals. 8. Ordering laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies, and obtaining and interpreting laboratory specimens related to employee health and exposure evaluations. 9. Ordering ancillary services (e.g., pharmacy, social work, physical therapy, employee assistance, or other specialty services) to support employee recovery, accommodation, and safe return to work. 10. Ordering VA specialty service consults and initiating requests for non-VA medical care and consults, when needed for occupational cases, in accordance with VHA and local facility policies and procedures. 11. Providing health promotion, disease prevention, and employee education related to occupational and environmental risks, injury and illness prevention, infection control practices, and general wellness. 12. Documenting clinical encounters, evaluations, and medical decisions in the electronic health record (EHR) and other approved systems in an accurate, timely, and complete manner, in accordance with VA policies and applicable accreditation standards. 13. Obtaining and documenting informed consent for occupational health-related treatments and procedures for which the PA is responsible, consistent with their approved scope of practice and applicable VA policy. 14. Providing counseling and education to employees regarding occupational risks, medical conditions, use of prescribed treatments and drugs, work restrictions, safe work practices, and preventive measures. 15. Prescribing or ordering medications, including post-exposure prophylaxis and vaccines related to occupational exposures, consistent with the PA's level of prescribing authority, VA formulary, and practice setting, including controlled substances as permitted by licensure, DEA registration, and VA policy. 16. Coordinating care and communication with primary care providers, specialists, and other health care professionals involved in the employee's care when occupational and non-occupational conditions intersect. 17. Other clinical duties as assigned, consistent with the PA's scope of practice and facility needs. Preferred Experience: Experience in Occupational Medicine specialty is preferred 4-5 years of experience in Occupational Health VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730-1600 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized</p><h3>Requirements</h3>U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.<h3>Education</h3>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/.