Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri is home of the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School, Army Engineer School, and U.S. Army Military Police School. Fort Leonard Wood trains and educates nearly 90 thousand troops a year. Surprisingly, the Fort also trains Marines, Airmen, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and international students from allied nations. With more than 22,000 military members and their families, Ft Leonard Wood provides us with a diverse and well skilled population.
Fort Leonard Wood, situated in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, is a sportsman’s paradise with some of the most beautiful scenery, hosting many large lakes, rivers, streams, and forests ideal for fishing and hunting. Fort Leonard Wood covers more than 61,000 acres located in Pulaski County with a population of nearly 52,607. Bordering the installation to the north are the towns of Waynesville and St. Robert, with an estimated combined population of 9,170. The installation is situated between St Louis and Springfield, Missouri 1 ½ to 2 hours respectively. Also 30 minutes equidistant between Rolla and Lebanon along I-44. It is also a great place to raise a family along with a low cost of living.
Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/
Responsibilities
The primary purpose of this position is: To provide comprehensive, professional skilled care of pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients seeking orthopedic treatment in an outpatient orthopedic clinic within a military treatment facility (MTF). Incumbent uses critical judgment to perform comprehensive orthopedic health assessments, formulate differential diagnoses, and prescribe pharmacological and non-pharmacologic treatments in direct management of acute and chronic illness and disease. Incumbent performs wide range of routine to exceptionally complex treatment plans utilizing assessing, planning, evaluating, and modifying the plan of acute and chronically ill patients. Performs clinical duties within the field of general medicine, responsible for independent examinations, diagnosis, and delivering treatment within scope of practice and privileges assigned by the hospital commander. Incumbent works as a mid-level provider in the Orthopedic Clinic and performs first assist duties in the operating room.
MAJOR DUTIES:
1. As a credentialed Physician Assistant (PA) with specialty training in orthopedic surgery, serves as a PA in the Orthopedic Clinic and performs first assist duties in the operating room. Provides comprehensive medical, preventative, and therapeutic orthopedic healthcare service to cadets, active duty patients and their dependents, as well as retirees in a clinic based and surgical based orthopedic facility as an orthopedic healthcare provider at the facility. Secures a health and developmental history from the patient or parent: records findings and makes critical evaluation in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient.
Evaluates total overall orthopedic healthcare needs of patients and develops plans to meet these needs. Incumbent makes decisions concerning primary care needs of patient; works collaboratively with the physician team in patient evaluation, management, and revision of therapeutic plans, refers to next level of specialty care or healthcare management team. Teaches patients and family member’s ways to maintain or improve their health status. Provides a full range of emergency services, in accordance with MTF protocols, responds to in-house or local area medical emergencies for patients in life-threatening situation where a physician is not immediately available and performs Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitations (CPR), Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Writes progress notes and interim summaries on patient's status.
Evaluates servicemembers for retention in accordance with regulations. Determines physical limitations and completes Duty Limiting Condition forms. Initiates, writes, and dictates medical summaries for medical evaluation boards. Provides telephone consultation with primary care managers regarding management of orthopedic conditions. Assists Orthopedic surgeons in the operating room with surgical procedures. Performs admission history and physicals for pre-operative patients. Performs on-call duties as assigned by the clinic.
Maintains a thorough working knowledge of the performance improvement process outlined by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and stays current with the guidelines.
2. Identifies components of the clinical evaluation that may be delegated to other healthcare personnel. Facilitates and manages a full spectrum of patient care activities for the orthopedic team. Involving isolating and defining unknown medical conditions, secures comprehensive and detailed health history from patient for family, electronic records and make recommendations to prevent disease and injury complications and modifying its course. Initiates patient work-up and assessment of patients, discriminates between normal and abnormal findings to recognize stages of orthopedic injury or disease. Identifies and manages specific musculoskeletal conditions. Performs minor diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, such as nail bed repairs, closed reductions, joint aspirations and injections. Monitors adherence to medical regimens and protocols and adjusts them as needed within established standards recognizing when to refer the patient to the physician or other health team members.
Assists in developing protocols for the facility. Evaluates and analyzes how the team provides care through a continuum thereby facilitating the achievement of efficient, high quality, and cost-effective healthcare. Identifies components of the clinical evaluation that may be delegated to other healthcare personnel.
3. Performs surgical assistance to include preoperative and postoperative evaluation, history and physicals, medical orders, review of labs, and medical clearance. Assists in the operating room to include positioning and draping of the patient as well as retracting and assisting the surgeon through the procedure. Performs superficial and deep tissue closure followed by extremity splinting or casting. Assists with postoperative care to include but not limited to postoperative orders, medications, patient instructions, rehabilitation, suture removal, wound evaluation, and patient education.
4. Actively participates and contributes to medical oversight activities to include peer review programs. Participates in medical group/surgical services committee work as determined by the Chief of the Medical Staff commensurate with other providers of the same specialty performing like duties (i.e. credentials, Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Occupational Health, and other such activities). Provides professional guidance concerning unit/MDG Medical Group or Military Treatment Facility policies and/or operating instructions.
Participates in local disaster training exercises as directed by the Chief of the Medical Staff (SGH) or other medical group leadership; responds to real-world disaster situations. Participates in local disaster exercises to maintain emergency preparedness levels. Responds to assigned medical treatment facility in real-world disaster to facilitate primary care delivery in the face of emergent local situations.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Who May Apply: US Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
Basic Requirements for Physician Assistant:
Education: Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
Certification: Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and re-certification.
Licensure: Applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician Assistant from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
Exemption: You are exempt from the license requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0603 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Experience: A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant which includes obtaining medical history, performing examinations, and determining appropriate medical treatment. Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.