Summary The VA Puget Sound is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Podiatrist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) to serve as the Director of the Regional Amputation Center (RAC) providing expert amputee rehabilitation care, directing regional systems of care, supervising RAC staff, and supporting education and research. The incumbent will ensure high-quality, coordinated services for Veterans across VISN 20 and 22 while advancing clinical standards and program excellence. Responsibilities The Director of the Regional Amputation Center is a PM&R podiatirst trained in an accredited residency and board-certified or board-eligible, with licensure to practice in any U.S. state. The role requires advanced expertise in amputee rehabilitation, including prosthetic evaluation, prescription, and outcome assessment. An amputee fellowship is preferred. The podiatrist must demonstrate broad skills in diagnosing and treating acute and chronic rehabilitation conditions and providing consultative services. Clinical Responsibilities Provide expert level clinical care in the PM&R specific evaluations, diagnoses and treatment of all aspects of amputee rehabilitation. Included here is expertise in post amputation pain, amputation outcome assessment, prosthetic prescription, and gait evaluation of individuals with prosthetic devices. Develop local and regional systems of care that will result in the highest quality of care for patients that are pending, or have undergone amputation. Develop and utilize telehealth practices to enhance the regional care of amputee patients. Provide expertise and leadership in the development of system wide standardized patient evaluations and standardized outcome assessment. Utilize effective communication skills at all levels to enhance team functioning, patient care coordination, and leadership. Provide clinical care for all general rehabilitation populations, including electro-diagnostic evaluations, as needed. Provide consultation to professional staff within VAPSHCS & community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate patient treatment plans. Develop, implement and document the PM&R treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. Functions independently as a member of the VAPSHCS Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. Provides education to patients, family members and significant others. Teaching & Training Develops innovative educational materials and processes to enhance the expertise of providers from a wide array of backgrounds, within the medical center, university, and the community, within VISN 20 and VISN 22, the geographic region defined by the RAC. Active involvement in teaching and curriculum development in the UW PM&R Annual Review Module for Amputation Rehabilitation and Gait and the UW PM&R Resident Amputation and Prosthetics course annually. Provides clinical supervision & instruction for UW PM&R Residents, as well as medical students as assigned. Participates in educational programs, may provide presentations at local & national level conference & educational events. Develops innovative educational materials and processes to enhance patient and family education. Participates at a local, regional or national level in subspecialty societies or patient organizations. Position will require a faculty appointment at the University of Washington, School of Medicine. Administrative Responsibilities Develops and implements a strategic plan to accomplish the goals of the VA National Amputation System of Care. Provides leadership to facilitate the development of a coordinated amputee rehabilitation care program throughout VISN 20 and VISN 22, the region designated by the RAC. Communicate effectively with leadership at all levels within VAPSHCS, VISN leadership in VISN s 20 and 22, as well as, VA Central Office leadership. Provides leadership in the development of team processes at the RAC program. Puts systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of the amputation clinical program though quality improvement processes and ongoing program evaluation. Provides leadership in the development and maintenance of CARF Specialty Certification as an Amputation Specialty Care Program. Complies with national & local performance measures, including timely health care screenings and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Authorized Telework: Ad Hoc telework eligible dependent on department needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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: Experience working with Amputee Patients in Inpatient/Outpatient Setting Scholarly Work Experience (Research or Education) Amputee Fellowship Experience working with upper extremity amputees Experience providing full rehabilitative assessments to general rehabilitation population Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (0-1 hours); Standing (0-1 hours); Kneeling (0-1 hours); Repeated bending (0-4 hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Mental and emotional stability. 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.
