The Regional Amputation Center (RAC) Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist provides leadership for the Regional Amputation Team and regional O&P Services and works under the supervision of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PMRS)Section Chief and RAC Medical Director in collaboration with the VISN Prosthetics representative. The Aurora Regional Amputation Center functions within PMRS, and provides care for Veterans and Services members with amputation throughout VISN 15, 17, and 19.

Duties

Clinical Care 1.Acts as a Regional and National resource/consultant with significant multidisciplinary involvement in the care of Veterans with amputations 2.Providesexpert level direct clinical skills in the evaluation, prescription formulation, fitting, alignment, and delivery of orthotic and prosthetic devices. 3.Considers new and emerging technologies in designing unique or innovative devices to accommodate or treat a wide range of complex medical conditions. 4.Utilizes effective communication skills at all levels to enhance team functioning and clinical care. 5.Develops, implements and documents in CPRS the evaluation and treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients. 6.Manages the efficient use and ownership of diagnostic equipment such as CAD/CAM and gait analysis equipment. 7.Utilizes telehealth practices to enhance the regional care of Veterans with amputations. 8.Participates in the clinical development of team processes in the RAC program. 9.Is responsible for ensuring clinical grids, clinics, and book ability are in line with facility clinical care requirements. 10.Serves as prosthetics point of contact for the Amputee program, addressing patient complaints, concerns, questions, and other issues that arise through any and all avenues available to Veterans. 11.Clinical duties encompass up to 25% of work time. Business Operations 1.Provides leadership for the RAC, the ASoC, and Prosthetics and Sensory Aids, to develop and implement a strategic plan to accomplish the goals of the VA National Amputation System of Care. 2.The incumbent, in collaboration with local Prosthetics leadership, ensures that Prosthetic and Orthotic laboratories meet industry standards and provide quality products and services to patients. 3.Assesses, in collaboration with local Prosthetics leadership, VA Orthotist/Prosthetist certification and accreditation of VA Orthotic/Prosthetic clinical services. Regulatory Issues 1.Serves as a SME for O&P related CMS issues. 2.May serve as a member of the O&P L-code committee. 3.Responsible for compliance of national VA handbooks and directives related to the ASoC. Education 1.Monitors and implements regional education including via videoconference in compliance of electronic workload capture, coding, pricing, recording of patient encounters, quality control and quality assurance measures, check out procedures, competency assessments, scope of practice reviews and progress notes of all clinical staff within the region. 2.Serves as liaison between existing prosthetic and orthotic schools and medical school affiliations. 3.Coordinates and develops continuing education programs. 4.Participates in planning committees for the annual VA O&P breakout session. 5.Participates in planning for ASoC educational conferences. 6.Participates in the Prosthetic Leadership Board Education Committee 7.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, and throughout the geographic region defined by the RAC. 8.Participates in educational programs, providing presentations at local & national level conferences& educational events. 9.Ability to apply knowledge of the theories and principles used in orthotics and prosthetics to care for patients and teach other healthcare providers in the design and fabrication of devices that are innovative, complex and/or unusual in nature. VA Careers - Prosthetics: https://youtube.com/embed/3NUvF5jjErQ Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 554-58518-0 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. 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. Education (1) A bachelor's degree or higher in orthotics and prosthetics from a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited program. OR, (2) A bachelor's degree or higher in any major along with a post-graduate orthotics or prosthetics certificate from a CAAHEP accredited program. Board Certification. Candidates must be board certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) or the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC) as an orthotist, prosthetist, or orthotist/prosthetist. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. Certification as a technician, pedorthist, assistant or fitter does not meet this requirement. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Orthotists, prosthetists, or orthotist/prosthetists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Orthotists, prosthetists, or orthotist/prosthetists that do not meet the basic requirements for education and certification may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (4) If an employee who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: GS-14 Experience. Completion of 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment-specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): *1. Ability to manage and supervise prosthetic and orthotic laboratories, conduct site visits, and review the functional level of each lab. 2. Knowledge of ABC, BOC, OSHA, and JCAHO standards and Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service policies and ability to apply these in the daily operations of orthotic and prosthetic laboratories. *3. Ability to provide training in new technologies involving CAD/CAM systems and devices such as computerized foot orthoses, myoelectric prostheses, and energy storing components, neuro and brain machine interface systems. 4. Ability to apply knowledge of the theories and principles used in orthotics and prosthetics to teach custom design and fabrication of devices that are innovative, complex, and/or unusual in nature. *5. Ability to function as a team member or leader with orthotists, prosthetists, and other professionals on committees to review local and national agenda items and to make recommendations based on the review. 6. Ability to develop reports and present at the national level to VHA leadership, Congressional members, and organizations such as AAOP, AOPA, and VSOs. Preferred Experience: Preferred knowledge of the Amputation System of Care, FLOW, and CARF. Expert knowledge of amputation care and prostheses. Ability to collaborate across a vast regional area with other VA systems, Vendors, and local teams. Demonstrated ability to independently produce high quality output to meet the Mission of the program and the VA. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/91 Part II Appendix G32 Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Eastern Colorado HCS Denver 13611 E. Colfax Ave Aurora, CO 80045 US
• Name: Rodney Riggleman
• Phone: (210) 980-9493
• Email: [email protected]