Physician - Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be June 1, 2026 with subsequent cut-off dates every week. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position is filled.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN7EDRPFacilityCoordinators2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

This position is in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PMRS) at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. The clinical duties and responsibilities and administrative duties are carried out within the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center and associated CBOCs. Incumbent will provide services in the outpatient setting and will work with coordination of care with other services including primary care pain team, psychiatry, pain psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and pain clinical pharmacy. Primary duties are to provide comprehensive pain assessments and treatment to patients referred with chronic pain as part of an interprofessional pain team in the "Biopsychosocial Model of Pain Care: and "VA Stepped Care Model of Pain Care".

Administrative Summary:

• Participation in Quality Management activities.
• Participates in selected committees as designated by the COS or Chief PMRS.
• Expected to participate in appropriate continuing education activities as necessary.
• Familiar with and adheres to the Medical Staff Bylaws of this facility.
• Expected to be the Pain point of contact for the facility.
• Adheres to the policies and procedures of this hospital.
• Is an integral member of the Interdisciplinary Pain Management Team and PM&RS Team in the delivery of care for chronic pain patients.

Position Summary:

• Performs pain management comprehensive assessments and develops treatment plans for complex acute and chronic pain patients.
• Utilizes evidence-based approach to medication management for chronic and acute pain.
• Provides evidence-based approach to medication management for Veterans with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
• Manages opioid medications and performs opioid tapers and detoxification when necessary. Complies with current VA/DOD Long-term Opioid Therapy Guidelines, and local VISN policies.
• May occasionally perform interventional pain medicine as part of a balanced, data-driven, multi-disciplinary treatment plan, in accordance to current licensing, privileges and standards of care.
• Develops therapeutic care plans that are intended to achieve defined outcomes that improve the patient's quality of life.
• Order and interpretation of diagnostic studies such as laboratory tests, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs).
• Review opioid safety metrics (e.g., PDMP, drug screening, STORM reviews).
• Obtain consent for long term opioid therapy.
• Provide education and counseling of patients and families in pain self-management, active treatment modalities, and use of prescribed treatments and medications.
• Physiatrists are expected to be BLS certified.
• Work effectively with patients, families, co-workers, and other health care professionals treating them with respect and dignity.
• Provide recommendations and work with the interdisciplinary team to coordinate care to provide optimal functioning, level of pain, and quality of life for Veterans.
• Ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM, (subject to change based on agency needs)

Please ensure resume indicates:

• Residency: start & end dates
• Medical License: license # & expiration date

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are:
  • (1) Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.
  • Exceptions:
    • Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience:

• Preferably fellowship trained in pain management with experience in opioid management.
• Experience in pain interventions and medication management.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated.

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.