The Physical Therapist Position requires a fully licensed Physical Therapist, who serves as a staff Physical Therapist for the John J. Pershing VAMC outpatient Physical Therapy clinic. The primary function of this position is to provide evaluation and treatment of patients referred for physical therapy on an outpatient basis. When providing patient care, the incumbent performs the full range of functions stated below primarily for adult and older adult patients.

Duties

Incumbent independently performs patient evaluations in an open access environment, using appropriate standardized and non-standardized tests and independently develops and implements physical therapy treatment programs for both routine and complex patients. Appointment modalities can include face to face, virtual, phone, aquatics, or E-consult as appropriate. Physical Therapist recognizes contraindications and appropriateness of treatment prescribed by referring provider and consults with referring provider if these are in question. In direct scheduling instances, the Physical Therapist applies proper screening tools for treatment and refers to higher level of care when appropriate. Physical Therapist is able to modify and adapt treatment programs when appropriate. The Physical Therapist works in conjunction with other rehabilitation therapist(s) to assure the following is accomplished: Initial and ongoing assessments of the Veteran's functional status Initial and ongoing assessments of safety in the environment Determination of need for home medical equipment (HME), appropriateness of Home Improvement and Structural Adaptation (HISA) grant application, and appropriateness for mobility device use, including manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, and power scooter as appropriate to the individual patient. Teaching and monitoring the safe use of HME devices to patients and caregivers Reporting equipment problems to the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service Establishing a therapeutic program for the Veteran to maximize or Maintain the Veteran 's functional status, and monitoring the response Supervising Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy Assistant students as assigned. Possess and applies board certified clinical specialist, such as Orthopedic Certified Specialist, Geriatric Certified Specialist, or equivalent knowledge attained through experience and advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities. Able to work independently and effectively with other members of the team, patients, and families/caregivers of patients. Manages time independently in order to allow adequate time for patient care, administrative tasks, clinical record keeping and patient care conferences. Actively participates in the Referral Coordination Initiative process Independently including triaging consults for scheduling locally vs sending to Community Care and providing subject matter expert reviews of appropriateness for continuation of community care when requested. Actively participates in performance improvement projects and completes associated assignments as required. Actively participates in Physical Therapy peer review process, as assigned. Participates in or coordinates program development for the Outpatient Physical Therapy Department. All documentation, to include consultations/evaluations, progress notes, treatment notes, discharge notes, treatment plans, and client education, is completed on all patients in accordance with Station policies (VA, PM&RS, PT) for content and timeliness. Physical Therapist provides thorough written documentation of patient status, progress with therapy, therapy plan, and patient response to treatment in SOAP note format. Physical Therapist works and consults with patient and significant others/caregivers to establish short and long term goals as well as discharge plans. Provides coverage for Inpatient Physical Therapist on an as needed basis. Actively participates in his/her own ongoing professional development, maintaining an appropriate level of education as required by the Missouri Division of Professional Licensure for Physical Therapy and APTA standards. Attends section in-services as well as hospital wide in-services as indicated. Attends and completes mandatory in-service training as required by VA, PM&R, and PT policies. Capable of providing training and supervision to part time and/or full-time physical therapy and physical therapy assistant student affiliates and able to provide necessary guidance and direction to Physical Therapy Assistants, physical therapy students, volunteers, and/or CWT. Able to serve as a resource to new graduate physical therapists as well as other medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy. Incumbent performs higher level duties in at least 25% of their clinical time, working with the specialized population identified by board certification or clinical experience with duties consisting of significant scope, complexity, and variety. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-4:30 PM Telework: Yes, AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy. Ability to serve as a consultant and subject matter expert for health care providers regarding the delivery of care within a specialized content area of physical therapy (see paragraph 2i). Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy. Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy. Advanced knowledge and expert skill to perform and interpret specialized procedures and tests in evaluating the treatment outcomes in the assigned specialty content area (see Definitions, paragraph 2. 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) Assignment For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety. Clinical Specialists spend at least 25% or greater of their time working with specialized population(s) within their department. Physical therapists at this level perform assignments in specialty areas such as geriatrics, neurology, cardiopulmonary, orthopedics, spinal cord injury, amputee, wound care, chronic pain, electromyography, women's health or pelvic health, polytrauma, brain injury, lymphedema, vestibular, assistive technology, seating and mobility. The individual is assigned responsibility for serving as the subject matter expert in the content specialty area and as a consultant to physical therapy and other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients in the specialty area. Clinical Specialists have advanced knowledge and demonstrate expert clinical practice skills in providing assessment and treatment interventions across the continuum of care. He/she utilizes advanced knowledge and expertise to modify treatment plans and to identify therapeutic activity interventions based on the changing needs, goals and performance of patients. Clinical Specialists have advanced training in specialized technology related to their area of practice. He/she establishes and maintains contact with other health care providers involved in patient care via written, telephone, and personal communication on a regular basis. He/she exercises expert professional judgment to establish appropriate discharge planning recommendations to ensure safe discharge from inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation programs. If the medical center has a PT residency program, the clinical specialist may be on faculty for the program. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, hold a valid unrestricted state license Preferred Experience: Orthopedic Clinical Specialist or Geriatric Clinical Specialist References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, appendix G12. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-13. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing a weight of 35 pounds in accordance with the Safe Patient Handling Program Directive 2010-032. Transferring patients and objects may be required. Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

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 John J Pershing VA Medical Center 1500 North Westwood Boulevard Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 US
• Name: JuMesha Gibbs
• Phone: 843-467-0054
• Email: [email protected]