Physician Assistant

Physician Assistant (PA)

Location: Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), Fort Sam Houston, TX

Department: Department of Medicine

Position Type: Full-Time

Work Setting: On-Site – Inpatient and/or Outpatient Care

Work Schedule: The PA must be available to provide services Monday through Friday between 0600 and 1800. Individual shifts may range from 8 to 12 hours, as established by the Department. Telework is not authorized.

Position Summary: The Physician Assistant (PA) will provide comprehensive healthcare services in support of the Department of Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). The PA will provide inpatient and/or outpatient medical care within the limits of professional training, scope of practice, and clinical privileges granted by the Medical Treatment Facility (MTF). The PA will work collaboratively with physicians, nursing personnel, and other healthcare professionals to provide high-quality patient care to eligible Department of Defense beneficiaries.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Education: Bachelor's degree AND must be a graduate of an accredited college or university Physician Assistant program certified by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
• Specialty PAs, when applicable, must have completed residency or fellowship training of at least 12 months in a medical specialty program acceptable to DHA.
• Education equivalencies are not permitted.

Experience

• Minimum of one (1) year of experience within the previous two (2) years providing services as a Physician Assistant.
• Must have at least six (6) months of inpatient experience.

Certification

• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
• Current certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
• Required certifications must remain current throughout employment.

Licensure

• Must possess and maintain a current, valid, and unrestricted license applicable to the position in one of the 50 U.S. States and/or U.S. territories.
• License must have no limitations, stipulations, or pending adverse actions.
• Any additional professional licenses held must remain in good standing.

Security

• Must possess or successfully obtain the required Tier 1 (T1) investigation prior to beginning services and maintain the required eligibility throughout performance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide a full range of Physician Assistant services in primary and specialty medical care within the limits of training and MTF-granted clinical privileges.
• Conduct general medical screenings, examinations, and evaluations for routine, acute, and chronic medical conditions.
• Diagnose, treat, and counsel patients as clinically indicated.
• Provide care for patients with acute, chronic, and minor traumatic conditions.
• Recognize emergency medical conditions and provide appropriate treatment or referral.
• Identify medical problems and determine appropriate courses of action, including referral to physicians or other qualified healthcare professionals.
• Prescribe medications and immunizations in accordance with approved treatment protocols and applicable Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee requirements.
• Perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures within the approved scope of practice.
• Manage or co-manage patients with multiple comorbidities.
• Provide services on inpatient general medicine wards and specialty units as directed by the attending Internal Medicine physician.
• Coordinate patient care during pre-operative, post-operative, discharge, and follow-up stages through appropriate written and verbal communication.
• Assist supervising physicians with authorized bedside and clinical procedures within the provider's scope of practice and privileges.
• Promote preventive care, health maintenance, healthy behaviors, and patient self-care.
• Educate and counsel patients and family members regarding treatment, wellness, and responsibility for maintaining health.
• Establish and maintain effective collaborative relationships with physicians, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Provide technical direction and education to other staff and participate in in-service training.
• Attend staff meetings, case discussions, continuing education activities, and continuous quality-improvement activities.
• Complete required medical documentation and comply with BAMC, DHA, DoD, HIPAA, patient-safety, infection-control, and quality-of-care requirements.

Additional Requirements: The selected PA must:

• Complete Government credentialing and privileging requirements.
• Maintain all required professional licenses and certifications throughout performance.
• Complete all Government-directed and facility-required training.
• Meet applicable occupational health, physical examination, immunization, influenza vaccination, and tuberculosis screening requirements.
• Maintain professional appearance and comply with BAMC policies regarding scrubs, PPE, infection control, patient privacy, and workplace conduct.
• Maintain required system access and comply with Government timekeeping requirements.
• Obtain and maintain a DEA registration number as required by the PWS.