Summary The Pain Physician is responsible for patient care and performance measures in the Integrative Pain Management Clinic. Most of the work takes place at Fayetteville VA Health Care Center, though some travel may be required. Primary duties are to provide specialty pain care services to a panel of patients through a combination of virtual and in-person visits, as part of an interprofessional specialty care pain team. Responsibilities The incumbent will work as an integral member of the interdisciplinary pain care team (e.g. medical, behavioral health, physical therapy, pharmacy, etc.) to provide direct patient care services, following the framework provided in the "Biopsychosocial Model of Pain Care" and the "VA Stepped Care Model for Pain Care." Major Duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Provides comprehensive pain care for Veterans via TeleHealth or in-person. Performs initial histories and physical examination on outpatients. Provides ongoing pain care for assigned patients. Utilizes evidence-based approach to medication management for chronic pain. Provides evidence-based approach to medication management for Veterans with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Orders and interprets diagnostic studies such as laboratory tests, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs). Reviews opioid safety metrics (e.g., PDMP, drug screening, STORM reviews). Obtains consent for long term opioid therapy. Provides education and counseling of patients and families in pain self-management, active treatment modalities, and use of prescribed treatments and medications. Serves as an attending/teaching physician for pain medicine residents/students as assigned. Performs community care provider opioid use reviews. Clinical Responsibilities: Provides electronic consultation services. Performs pain management comprehensive assessments and develops treatment plans for complex chronic pain patients. Manages opioid medications and performs opioid tapers and detoxification when necessary. Treats patients with chronic and acute pain. Develops therapeutic care plans that are intended to achieve defined outcomes that improves the patients' quality of life. Works as part of an interdisciplinary team of pain management providers. Initiates, modifies, or discontinues medication therapies and serves as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services. Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests, other diagnostic studies, and registries necessary to monitor and support medication therapy. Documents all pain management activities, including therapeutic changes, and recommendations in progress notes and completes encounters per VHA standards to ensure workload capture. Administrative Responsibilities: Participates in managing facility-wide performance measures such as access and utilization. Participates in accreditation meetings or surveys, as needed. Participates in committees, including the Interdisciplinary Pain Management Committee. Participates in peer reviews. Maintains medical licensing and Board certification requirements. Obtains resident/fellow supervisory privileges through medical school affiliate. Operates computer technology/platforms such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. Responds to service concerns, completing Patient Advocate Tracking System, White House, or Congressional complaints. Reviews service level dashboards for completion of consults, encounters, and compliance with consult scheduling. Participates in Pain Management section reviews with Facility (Group Practice Management, Coding, and Data Management). Participates in Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) process for programs under the purview of the Pain Management Section. Participates in national meetings and work groups. Participates in local implementation of National PMOP goals. Provides administrative and clinical support to Pain Management clinic teams in VISN 6. Maintains basic and advanced Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (BLS/CPR) and defibrillation (ACLS). Other responsibilities may be assigned by Pain Management Section Chief, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service Chief, Chief of Staff, and the Facility or PMOP Program Office. 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 Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications 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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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. 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 or fee-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. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Preferred Experience: Prior VA experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position may involve standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. The work may involve going up and down flights of stairs. 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 an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
