Summary The Podiatrist-Palliative Care and Hospice Chief will provide supervisory-level oversight for the Palliative Care & Hospice Consult Service and the Long-Term Care beds on the Community Living Center (CLC). The incumbent will also be responsible for overseeing/managing inpatient Acute Care hospice/palliative services, an outpatient clinic, and inpatient CLC program. Responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: Provides medical oversight for the Hospice and Palliative Care clinical programs, including Community Living Center (CLC,) inpatient units and outpatient consultation services. Oversees the HPC program's daily operations, including supervising physicians, nurse practitioners, and other staff. Responsible for budgeting, hiring, performance evaluations, and ensuring compliance with VA directives and national standards (such as Joint Commission and long-Term Care. Provides direct patient care and consultation for Veterans with emphasis on life limiting illnesses, focusing on symptom management, pain relief, and goal-of-care discussions. Supervises multi-disciplinary teams that include nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and chaplains to provide comprehensive physical, psychological, and spiritual support to patients and families. Establishes policies, procedures, and performance improvement projects (e.g., CLC Compare Data analysis) to ensure high-quality care. Coordinates with community hospice providers to ensure seamless transitions for Veterans moving from VA facilities to home. Responds to inpatient palliative care consultants requiring physician-level input within 72 hours with a goal of one day response. Assists case managers by evaluating requests made for inpatient palliative care and hospice admissions. Fills prescriptions for opioids, palliative care medications and durable medical equipment as needed. Provides primary care and Attending oversight for Long Term Care residents on the CLC. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. 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. 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Podiatrist Basic Requirements Degree as a doctor of podiatric medicine, or its equivalent, from a school of podiatric medicine approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine approved by the Council on Podiatry Education of the American Podiatry Association in the year in which the degree was granted. ~AND~ Completed, or currently completing, residency training, or its equivalent, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. VA Podiatrists 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 Council on Podiatric Medical Education, in the list published for the year the residency was completed, or (2) Other residencies and training experiences, or their equivalents, which the local Professional Standards Board determines to have provided an applicant with appropriate professional training. ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice Podiatry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Preferred Experience: Three to seven years of Palliative/Hospice Care Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over, Straight pulling (6 hours), Pulling hand over hand (6 hours), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (6 hours), Standing (2 hours), Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted), Visual Acuity 20/30 corrected. Environmental Factors: Working with hands in water, Working closely with others. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.
