Physician - Interventional Pain

This position is dedicated primarily to interventional pain management within the VA Medical Center. The physician's clinical effort is concentrated on advanced image-guided procedural care for Veterans with spine and musculoskeletal pain conditions. Non-procedural clinic responsibilities are limited and primarily related to procedural evaluation and peri-procedural management. The role supports the expansion and delivery of high-quality, evidence-based interventional pain services.

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

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

Major duties include but are not limited to:

Primary Interventional Responsibilities:
Perform a full spectrum of fluoroscopy-guided and advanced interventional procedures, including:

• Epidural steroid injections (interlaminar, transforaminal, caudal)
• Medial branch blocks (cervical, thoracic, lumbar)
• Radiofrequency ablation (cervical, thoracic, lumbar)
• Sacroiliac joint injections and denervation
• Peripheral nerve blocks and ablations
• Spinal cord and peripheral stimulator trials and implantation (as credentialed)
• Other minimally invasive spine interventions as supported by VA resources

Emphasis is placed on procedural safety, imaging accuracy, appropriate patient selection, and evidence-based practice.

Clinical Focus

• Dedicated procedural time in VA procedure suite and/or operating room setting
• Perform image-guided procedures utilizing fluoroscopy and other advanced imaging modalities
• Procedural consultation and focused interventional treatment planning
• Management of peri-procedural care and post-procedural follow-up
• Collaboration with neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, PM&R, and primary care

Traditional longitudinal medication management and chronic opioid management are not primary responsibilities of this role and are addressed within the broader multidisciplinary pain team. Cross-coverage for non-interventional clinic only as operationally required
Professional Requirements

• Completion of ACGME-accredited Interventional Pain Medicine fellowship
• Demonstrated proficiency in fluoroscopy-guided spine and peripheral interventions
• Eligibility for VA credentialing and privileging

Program Development within VA System

• Expand access to interventional pain procedures for Veterans
• Develop standardized procedural protocols aligned with VA and national guidelines
• Participate in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives

Professional Standards

• Adhere to VA policies, federal regulations, and ethical standards
• Maintain competency through continuing medical education
• Support a Veteran-centered, team-based model of care

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30

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: 2 years VA experience

Reference: 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.