Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Responsibilities The PM&R physician must demonstrate a professional knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of theories, principles, and methodologies of PM&R practice to a wide range of populations to include amputation, spinal cord injuries, neurological disease and musculoskeletal disease including but not limited to ultrasound guided joint injections, EMGs, and spasticity management . The incumbent must have working knowledge of inpatient and outpatient services offered by PM&R to include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, alternative medicine, and rehabilitation nursing care and will provide knowledge and guidance to those disciplines as necessary. The incumbent is responsible for integrating the core values and mission of the Service into the rehabilitation process. Clinical: Accountable for adhering to established policies and procedures and for maintaining competencies consistent with assigned roles and responsibilities. Collaborates to ensure direct patient care is medically necessary and reflects applicable medical and rehabilitative standards of care. Interacts with the patient and caregiver(s) to explain therapy procedures, discuss treatment plans and motivate them to comply with indicated regimens and post-discharge activities. Instructs, motivates, and assists patients to learn and improve functional activities. Provides clinical instruction and supervision to medical students, residents and fellows as appropriate when conducting patient care. Ensures that all Rehab Medicine provider outpatient clinics run efficiently, providing timely and courteous services to all Veterans/caregivers receiving rehabilitative care. All clinical inpatient and outpatient consults requesting rehabilitative services are reviewed and received according to policy. Documentation of patient care and patient care encounters are completed timely per hospital policy. Arranges and communicates the need for clinic coverage when a provider will be absent and as assigned by the Chief, PM&RS. Other duties as assigned by the Chief, PM&RS. Administrative: Assists PM&RS to achieve excellence in all programs to include focus on financial management, resource utilization, accomplishment of strategic plans, safety, and treatment outcomes. Conducts peer reviews as assigned. As required by the Chief, PM&RS attends Service meetings and any other relevant committee meetings (including academic affiliates) where PM&RS representation is required and provides input as necessary. Promotes performance improvement in PM&R and assists in preparation for all applicable inspections (e.g. EOC, The Joint Commission and OIG). Meets/Collaborates with leaders in other Services throughout the VA to promote rehabilitation services and interventions for appropriate patients. Supports Service, medical center, VISN and Central Office policies and procedures. Participates in projects/activities supporting the ICARE core values: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence. Identifies and applies proactive and innovative approaches to apply continuous process improvement in a high reliability environment (HRO). Educational: Collaborates with other staff physicians to ensure proper education of medical students, residents and fellows including daily teaching, feedback, and grand rounds/lecture participation and presenting. Provides education to other medical center Services regarding PM&R specific programs and treatment interventions that can assist patients and improve functional outcomes. Participates in educational activities to maintain highest degree of knowledge of the changing medical landscape and maintain and evidence based approach to care provided. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance 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: Mon-Fri 7:30am-4:00pm 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. 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. 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 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: Board certified or Board eligible, General PM&R outpatient including EMG/NCS and ultrasound guided joint injections, SCI, TBI. Preferred is acupuncture certification. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G2. 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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. 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. 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.
