Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant

Vail Health has become the world’s most advanced mountain healthcare system. Vail Health consists of an updated 520,000-square-foot, 56-bed hospital. This state-of-the-art facility provides exceptional care to all of our patients, with the most beautiful views in the area, located centrally in Vail. Learn more about Vail Health here.

Vail Health Behavioral Health is designated as as a Colorado Health Service Corps Site to receive funding for qualifying educational loans.

About the opportunity:

This position is responsible for assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental and physical aspects of psychological problems across adolescent and adult populations at the Precourt Healing Center, an acute inpatient psychiatric facility. This role reports to the Medical Director and within the psychiatric medical team, conducts thorough psychiatric evaluations, develops treatment plans, prescribes medication, and evaluates treatment results on patients. This position participates as a fully integrated and embedded treatment team member for all clinical consultation, treatment planning, team meetings, family meetings, and discharge planning/execution.

What you will do:

1. Evaluates patients by interviewing patient, family, and other necessary collateral persons; conducting physical examinations; observing behaviors; reviewing medical history and related documents; selecting, administering, and interpreting medical and psychological tests; and ordering laboratory tests and evaluating results. Formulates accurate diagnoses based on clinical assessment and collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
2. Responsible for developing and delivering comprehensive clinical programming, treatment planning, and/or curriculum development. Ensures all service delivery is evidence-based and aligned with all state, local, federal, and regulatory requirements. This includes treating patients by utilizing psychotherapeutic methods and medications; discussing progress toward goals with patients; providing instructions; and monitoring effects of medications.
3. Prescribes medication that can alter chemical imbalances affecting the patient’s state of mind and behavior.
4. Engages in active on-call rotation to ensure timely consultation and intervention for urgent psychiatric issues. This includes responding to after-hours calls from nursing staff or other providers regarding patient emergencies or concerns, and may require in-person call coverage. Provides guidance and support to on-call staff and assists in decision-making for critical patient care situations.
5. Supports Utilization Management/Utilization Review, insurance authorization, and other patient financial resources as needed, such as through engagement of peer to peer, doc to doc, or compiling documentation support.
6. Collaborates closely with psychologists, therapists, social workers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to ensure integrated and holistic care.
7. As appropriate, consults with external providers, schools, and community agencies to coordinate aftercare plans and support transitions.
8. Provides consultation and clinical training to staff members on various medical and behavioral health subjects to include medication management and psychiatric evaluations.
9. Serves as a collaborative resource and psychiatric expert across the Vail Health system supporting other service lines as appropriate.
10. Serves as a liaison with other psychiatric staff and consultants and provides coverage for those persons.
11. Maintains a comprehensive caseload that is based on facility need and may vary based on patient census.
12. Maintains excellence in clinical documentation in alignment with local, internal, state, federal, and regulatory standards and compliance.
13. Serves as a community leader providing outreach, education, and engagement across the community as needed.
14. Role models the principles of a Just Culture and Organizational Values.
15. Performs other duties as assigned. Must be HIPAA compliant.

This description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills and efforts or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job.

What you will need:

• Experience:
• Extensive experience providing and supervising psychiatric services, prescribing psychotropic medication, performing psychiatric evaluations, and treating a wide variety of patient diagnoses/complaints, required.
• Eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party reimbursement (not on any exclusion list), required.
• License(s):
• Valid state of Colorado License as a Physician Assistant (PA) or valid state of Colorado Medical License as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), required.
• Current DEA with no restrictions on prescribing controlled substances, required.
• Certification(s):
• N/A
• Computer / Typing:
• Must possess, or be able to obtain within 90 days, the computers skills necessary to complete online learning requirements for job-specific competencies, access online forms and policies, complete online benefits enrollment, etc.

Must have working knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English.

• Education:
• Graduation from an accredited (NCCPA) Physician Assistant (PA) program, an accredited Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program or the equivalent, required.

Application close date: this position will remain open until filled

Benefits at Vail Health (Full Time) Include:

• Competitive Wages & Family Benefits:
• Competitive wages
• Parental leave (4 weeks paid)
• Housing programs
• Childcare reimbursement
• Comprehensive Health Benefits:
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Educational Programs:
• Tuition Assistance
• Existing Student Loan Repayment
• Specialty Certification Reimbursement
• Annual Supplemental Educational Funds
• Paid Time Off:
• Up to five weeks in your first year of employment and continues to grow each year.
• Retirement & Supplemental Insurance:
• 403(b) Retirement plan with immediate matching
• Life insurance
• Short and long-term disability
• Recreation Benefits, Wellness & More:
• Up to $1,000 annual wellbeing reimbursement
• Recreation discounts
• Pet insurance

Pay is based upon relevant education and experience per year.

Yearly Pay:

$178,248.62—$204,068.59 USD

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