Summary The West Texas VA Health Care System is seeking a Podiatrist who provides comprehensive, non-invasive podiatric medical care to Veterans at the medical center and its affiliated Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). This position is located in Abilene, TX. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate. Responsibilities The Podiatrist will require to travel throughout the rural West Texas catchment area to ensure equitable access to specialty foot and ankle care for Veterans residing in remote and medically underserved communities Major Duties and Responsibilities: Clinical Care Duties: Performs comprehensive foot and ankle examinations, including vascular, neurological, dermatological, and musculoskeletal assessments. Diagnoses and manages non-surgical podiatric conditions, including: Diabetic foot complications. Peripheral vascular disease-related foot issues. Skin and nail disorders (e.g., onychomycosis, ingrown nails, calluses). Biomechanical abnormalities. Chronic foot pain syndromes. Orders and interprets diagnostic tests (X-rays, vascular studies, laboratory work) consistent with clinical privileges. Prescribes medications as authorized under VA and state regulations and consistent with granted prescriptive privileges. Provides wound care, debridement, and ulcer management. Fits and prescribes orthotics, footwear modifications, and off-loading devices. Refers Veterans to appropriate services (vascular surgery, endocrinology, orthopedics, prosthetics, physical therapy) as clinically indicated. Clinical Reminders are to be followed up with. Care Coordination and Multidisciplinary Practice: Collaborates with primary care, endocrinology, vascular surgery, physical/occupational therapy, wound-care nursing, and prosthetics to ensure coordinated management of foot and ankle conditions. Participates in care planning for high-risk patients, including diabetic limb-preservation pathways. Coordinates care and referral processes between the facility and CBPC sites to ensure continuity for Veterans in rural areas. Rural and CBOC Outreach: Travels regularly to assigned CBOCs through the rural West Texas service are to deliver podiatric care directly to Veterans, reducing the need for long-distance travel by patients. Coordinates clinic schedules and telehealth podiatry services to maximize access for Veterans in remote locations. Maintains flexibility in scheduling to accommodate outreach clinics, community events, and specialty care days at outlying sites. Exercises independent clinical judgement when practicing at sites with limited on-site specialty backup, consistent with granted privileges and scope of practice. Documentation and Compliance: Maintains accurate and timely documentation in CPRS and VA electronic health records. Complies with VHA Medical Staff Bylaws, credentialing requirements, and clinical privilege standards. Follows VA policies on professional conduct, timeliness, and patient-safety culture. Practices within a defined Scope of Practice, under oversight where independent privileges have not be granted, and independently where privileged to do so, consistent with training, experience, and current demonstrated competence. Quality, Safety, and Administrative Responsibilities: Participates in performance-improvement activities, including chart reviews, peer review, and morbidity tracking. Provides patient and caregiver education on diabetic foot care, footwear, injury prevention, and home self-management strategies. Engages in scheduled clinics, specialty consult services, and population-health initiatives, including diabetic foot surveillance programs. Completes mandatory trainings and maintains BLS/ACLS or other competencies and required by facility policy. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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: Education: 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~ Training: 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~ License: 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. Driver's License Requirement: Applicants must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license. Preferred Experience: Training in an accredited postgraduate residency program. Clinical experience/post-residency. Experience with electronic medical record systems. Experience managing diabetic foot complications and imb-preservation care in coordination with vasculary surgery and endocrinology. Experience providing podiatric care across multiple or geographically dispersed clinic sites, including outreach or rural/CBOC settings. Experience developing or supporting patient education and population-health initiatives, such as diabetic foot surveillance or preventive care programs. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Education Applicants must possess a doctor of podiatric medicine degree, or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in podiatric medicine and surgery. 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. (1) Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine and surgery, approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatry Medical Association in the year in which the degree was granted. 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.
