Physician (Physiatrist) Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - EDRP Authorized

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 the closing date or until the position is filled. Eligible applications received will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until the position is filled.
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The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) staff physiatrist reports to the Chief, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS). A staff physiatrist routinely performs inpatient and outpatient musculoskeletal and neuromuscular examinations, determines diagnoses, and initiates treatments that emphasize restoration of function. The staff Physiatrist works with a team of health care providers to establish a comprehensive rehabilitation program.

Service Responsibilities:
The Staff Physiatrist under the guidance and direction of the Chief of PM&RS will oversee and collaborates to ensure that all applicable clinical functions, as assigned by Chief of PM&Rs are completed timely and optimally.

• Manages out-patient and in-patient patients including CLC patients.
• Provides polytrauma rehabilitative care including TBI/SCI
• Leads or participates in clinics focused on an amputee care, seating/power mobility care, non-interventional pain management
• Administration of trigger point, intraarticular, intrasheath, and joint injections with or without an ultrasound guidance
• Performs an/a EMG/NCV testings.
• Executes clinical and non-clinical assignment efficiently, timely and courteous service to all veterans seeking rehabilitative care, and make clinical notes readily available to the referring practitioners.

Educational Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with other providers of the PM&R Service and other services in providing an appropriate clinical education to medical students, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and allied health trainees as needed or requested by the PM&R Service Chief.
• Maintains Continuing Medical Education (CME), State Medical License, board certification (if indicated), certification in CPR-BLS/RQI, and timely completion of VA mandated trainings assigned via the TMS (Training Management System).

Administrative Responsibilities:

• In partnership with the Chief PM&Rs and prior approval, the incumbent physiatrist is expected to participate in administrative role, strategic planning, and other organizational initiatives for the service.
• Attends mandatory huddles and meetings as instructed by the PM&Rs Service Chief. Also, if requested or assigned by the Chief, PM&Rs Service, the Staff Physiatrist will attend meetings and expected to contribute to the PM&Rs Service management meetings, committees, councils;…etc., by providing appropriate inputs.
• Actively participates and promotes performance improvement and system re-design measures to the betterment of the PM&Rs Service.
• Abides by, supports, and promotes all of the VHA and all PM&Rs Service directives, policies & procedures, and rules & regulations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (full-time), 8:00am - 4:30pm
Bargaining Unit Status: This position is part of the bargaining unit.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@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

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.
• Education: 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.
• License: 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience:

• Board Certified/Board Eligible in PM&R
• Experience in the diagnosis and treatment of general outpatient, PM&R related diagnoses including spinal cord injury, limb loss, stroke and brain injury
• Preferred NCS/EMG and botulinum toxin procedure experience
• Preferred 2+ years clinical experience
• Knowledge of computer software programs
• Formal training or experience using ultrasound imaging preferred but not required.

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

Physical Requirements: The position requires compliance with VA Handbook and VASTHCS Policy related to physical requirements. Heavy lifting 45 pounds and over, Heavy carrying 45 pounds and over, Straight pulling for 1 hour, Pulling hand over hand for 5 hours, Pushing for 6 hours, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking 6 hours, Standing for 6 hours, Crawling for 1 hour, Kneeling for 1 hour, Repeated bending for 1 hour, Climbing, legs only for 1 hour, Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision at 13 to 16" Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Both eyes required, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted).

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.