Physician Assistant- Palliative Care

Summary

The Palliative Care Physician Assistant specializes in providing comprehensive - holistic care to veterans experiencing serious illness across the continuum of care. This involves conducting medical assessments - developing care plans - managing medications and non-pharmacological methods for palliating symptoms related to serious illness - and coordinating with other health care providers to ensure veterans receive care that addresses their physical - emotional - social - and spiritual needs.

Duties

• Major duties and responsibilities: - Independently manages a panel of patients with terminal illness with an emphasis on symptom management related to illness and discussion of goals of medical care
• - Develops and implements an individualized plan to achieve improved quality of life
• - Demonstrates leadership and works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team
• - Orders and interprets labs - tests - and diagnostic studies
• - Prescribes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions
• - Initiates referrals and consults to specialty services
• - Provides education to patients and their families
• - Assesses and adjusts the plan of care as needed to achieve optimal patient outcomes
• - Exemplifies the ICARE core values of-Integrity - Commitment - Advocacy - Respect - and Excellence
• Clinical Focus: - Responds to all palliative care consults within 48 hours
• - Provides care to inpatient palliative and hospice patients
• - Initiates Outpatient consults for Hospice care as needed
• - Provide goal setting with Veteran and family - by initiating - and chairing Veteran/family meetings and recording the outcome of the meeting in the veteran's record to communicate veterans/families' goals for all involved staff to understand
• These meetings may be in the inpatient or the outpatient setting
• The veterans attending health care provider is encouraged to attend these family meetings
• Some issues of discussion may include code status - advanced directives - identification of resource needs
• These meetings will include the social worker - and chaplain to be in attendance as much as able
• - Collaborates with veterans and the medical providers caring for the veteran at the time (provider may be urgent care/ER - primary care - specialty care - or hospitalist) to be informed of the history and prognosis of the patient
• - Available to Emergency Medicine as needed - to assist with case-finding and goal setting - Has direct interaction with the veteran and family in various venues - such as primary care visits at the time of the veteran's appointment - Oncology Clinic - subspecialty clinics and acute care settings
• - Review ongoing pain and symptom management with evaluation and adjustments as needed for Veterans under the care of the SLCVHA
• - Special interest/skill in malignant acute pain management with availability to other medical providers for consultation
• - Fills scripts for opioids - palliative care medications and durable medical equipment requests as needed
• - Ensures that their clinical activities are within their Scope of Practice and are medically and ethically appropriate
• Administrative: - Demonstrates leadership and works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team
• - Attends palliative care /hospice team meetings
• - Attends palliative care memorial service - participating as requested
• - Assists with evaluating requests made for inpatient palliative care admissions
• - Contributes to local - VISN - and National Palliative Care workgroups or QI as needed
• Participating in conference calls as scheduled
• Works to strengthen and progress the overall Hospice and Palliative care service in VISN
• This activity is above and beyond normal duties and would contribute to higher level evaluations
• - Other duties as assigned
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• Work Schedule: Typically M-F
• 0730-1600 or as agreed upon with the needs of the VA
• Some weekend - early and/or late shifts may be required
• Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized