The position is located in the Orthotic, Prosthetic, and Pedorthic Clinical Services of the VAMC in Omaha, NE. The position performs clinical/administrative functions by managing comprehensive pedorthic patient care for the prevention or amelioration of conditions of the foot and ankle. Training will be provided to those without the existing knowledge skills and abilities in order to gain certification in Pedorthics. *A recruitment incentive has been approved for highly qualified candidates.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-08. At the GS-07 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-08. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Interprets consults as submitted by VA clinicians and ensures the legal requirements governing eligibility and entitlement to prosthetic and orthotic devices are met; Contacts provider with any questions regarding requested item; Performs patient screenings relative to the prosthetics program; Assesses patients with impairment of human movement or musculoskeletal abnormalities that would otherwise impede their ability to participate in their social environment or other activities in order to determine a functional intervention; Researches and explores options for commercially available pedorthic devices that will optimize treatment goals of the patient; Assists medical providers with prescription formulation for therapeutic footwear and fabricated devices; Advises as to the benefits and risks associated with different styles of pedorthic devices; Formulates a treatment plan based upon a comprehensive assessment to design an intervention to alleviate limitations and enhance function; Communicates with the requesting provider any recommended changes to the treatment plan; Takes scans, impressions, and measurements to modifies as necessary to ensure proper fit and function of the item; Determines appropriate fabrication process and chooses materials for the fabrication of the foot orthotics which will support the patient's medical and physical condition; Uses anthropometric tools to determine correct therapeutic shoe size and style; Considers function, patient lifestyle, and preference when determining the implementation of the treatment plan; Evaluates the fitting of the pedorthic items and verifies that it meets the specification of the prescription; Modifies the orthotic as necessary to accommodate the patient's medical condition; Implements a follow up treatment plan for proper usage, function, and patient satisfaction; Documents adjustments, functional changes, and modifications to the treatment plan in the patient's medical record; Triages, reviews, and provides recommendation for consults placed for Veterans requiring pedorthic services; Performs appropriate documentation of workload, procedure coding, progress notes in electronic medical record, appointments and encounters; Answers telephone inquiries, emails, provider questions, etc. regarding a patients pedorthic care, or other similar forms of communication; Maintains inventory and stock levels of materials and supplies related to pedorthics in the clinic and laboratory setting; Performs related duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified candidates. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

Requirements

Qualifications

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. ~AND~ MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level providing support to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, optometrists, nursing assistants, medical aides, and health technicians that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: experience as an orthotic fitter or therapeutic shoe fitter; reading medical records and interpreting consults for orthotic care and the provision orthotics/shoes; selecting the most appropriate orthotic soft goods and therapeutic shoes based on knowledge of their purpose and design; providing courteous and efficient customer service. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ One year of graduate education that is directly related to the work of this position. One year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours, unless otherwise specified by the school. Part-time education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Transcripts are required. ~OR~ An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Your experience must be detailed in your resume, and transcripts required. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS GS-08: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level providing support to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, optometrists, nursing assistants, medical aides, and health technicians that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: experience as an orthotic fitter or therapeutic shoe fitter; reading medical records and interpreting consults for orthotic care and the provision orthotics/shoes; selecting the most appropriate orthotic soft goods and therapeutic shoes based on knowledge of their purpose and design; fabricating orthotics with thermoplastics and vacuums; providing courteous and efficient customer service. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ One and a half years (27 semester hours) of graduate education that is directly related to the work of this position. One year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours, unless otherwise specified by the school. Part-time education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Transcripts are required. ~OR~ An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Your experience must be detailed in your resume, and transcripts required. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Analysis and Problem SolvingAttention to DetailCustomer ServiceRequirements Analysis IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Nebraska-Western Iowa HCS - Omaha 4101 Woolworth Avenue Omaha, NE 68105 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]