Physician Assistant - Cardiothoracic

Summary

The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center is seeking a motivated and dedicated Physician Assistant (PA) to join the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) and Advanced Heart Failure program within the Cardiothoracic Surgery Section of Surgical Service.

Duties

This position offers a unique opportunity to develop expertise in the longitudinal care of Veterans with advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory support. The PA will work closely with cardiac surgeons, advanced heart failure cardiologists, nursing staff, and other members of the multidisciplinary heart team to provide coordinated care across the inpatient and outpatient settings. The successful candidate should have a strong interest in cardiovascular medicine, advanced heart failure, and evolving medical technology. Previous LVAD experience is desirable but is not required. Candidates with a strong cardiovascular foundation and an interest in developing specialized expertise in mechanical circulatory support are encouraged to apply. LVAD-specific education and training will be provided as appropriate. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Duties include but are not limited to: Participate in the comprehensive evaluation and longitudinal management of patients with advanced heart failure and LVADs. Perform focused histories and physical examinations and participate in developing diagnostic and treatment plans in collaboration with supervising physicians and the multidisciplinary heart team. Participate in preoperative evaluation and preparation of patients being considered for durable mechanical circulatory support. Participate in postoperative and inpatient management of LVAD patients in collaboration with cardiac surgery, advanced heart failure cardiology, critical care, and nursing teams. Provide longitudinal outpatient follow-up for patients receiving LVAD support. Review and interpret laboratory studies, ECGs, imaging, hemodynamic information, and other relevant clinical data within the PA scope of practice. Develop expertise in LVAD function, parameters, alarms, troubleshooting, and recognition of device-related complications. Assist in identifying and managing complications associated with mechanical circulatory support, including bleeding, infection, thrombosis, arrhythmias, right ventricular dysfunction, and other clinical issues, in collaboration with the treating physicians. Provide pre- and post-implant education to patients and caregivers regarding LVAD therapy, medications, driveline care, device management, and recognition of potential complications. Participate in interdisciplinary rounds, conferences, and treatment planning. Coordinate care and transitions between the inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitation, community, and home settings. Communicate and coordinate, when appropriate, with LVAD manufacturers and technical representatives regarding device-related issues. Assist with development and implementation of LVAD clinical pathways, protocols, quality-improvement initiatives, and programmatic activities. Maintain current knowledge of advances in mechanical circulatory support, advanced heart failure, and cardiovascular medicine. Participate in the continued development and growth of the Cleveland VA LVAD and Advanced Heart Failure program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Requirements

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. 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. Qualifications: Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program. Current certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Current PA licensure meeting applicable VA requirements. BLS certification required. ACLS certification preferred/required as appropriate for VA credentialing and assignment. Strong interest in cardiovascular medicine, advanced heart failure, cardiac surgery, and mechanical circulatory support. Strong clinical assessment, organizational, communication, and patient-education skills. Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team. Preferred Qualifications: Clinical training or experience in cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiovascular critical care, advanced heart failure, or a related field. Previous exposure to LVADs or other forms of mechanical circulatory support. Familiarity with contemporary durable LVAD technology, including the HeartMate platform. Experience with inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular patient management. Experience with patient and caregiver education and transitions of care. Demonstrated interest in emerging cardiovascular technologies, quality improvement, clinical research, or program development. Grade Determinations: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical qualifications require the ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely.

Education

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/. How You Will Be Evaluated

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. Areas of Consideration - Applicants will be considered based on the following 3 areas of consideration. First Area of Consideration (Facility Employees) - Current, permanent VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System employees (this includes Outpatient Clinics, permanent employees of the Veteran Canteen Service assigned to this facility, Office of Information & Technology employees assigned to this facility, CPAC bargaining unit employees located at the Cleveland VAMC, and Virtual CBOPC bargaining unit employees under station 541 located at the Cleveland VAMC. Second Area of Consideration (Other VA Employees) - Current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees (VA employees who are located somewhere other than the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System). Third Area of Consideration (External Candidates) - All other United States Citizens. 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. Other Information

Professional Development The Cleveland VA is committed to developing expertise in advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory support. A motivated PA without previous dedicated LVAD experience may be considered when the candidate demonstrates a strong cardiovascular foundation, clinical aptitude, commitment to longitudinal patient care, and an interest in developing specialized expertise in LVAD management. The PA will have the opportunity to develop advanced knowledge and skills through close collaboration with Cardiothoracic Surgery, Advanced Heart Failure Cardiology, and the multidisciplinary LVAD team. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.