This position is for an Orthopedic Physical Therapist (PT) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), located in ECHCS within the PM&R Service in Colorado Springs, CO. This PT position provides Physical Therapy to patients referred to the outpatient clinic embedded in PACT.

Duties

VA Careers - Physical Therapy: https://youtube.com/embed/Gi2hoFqIoqY 1.Clinical: Pertaining to the Orthopedic Clinical Position at the local VA PT and PACT clinic and patients with primary musculoskeletal orthopedic deficits: a. Physical Therapist receives patient caseload through referrals from medical providers within ECHCS PACT clinics. Evaluation includes but is not limited to chart review, medical history, functional tests and measures, pain scale, social needs, and rehabilitation potential, patient and therapy goals with time frames, using standard and non-standard measures to assess the level of patient function. Advanced clinical roles may also include managing direct access patients, as well as performing highly specialized clinical procedures such as dry needling, prescribing and training on assistive technology devices and durable medical equipment, ordering imaging studies and regenerative rehabilitation. b. Physical Therapist develops and implements a treatment plan to meet the individual treatment needs. Treatment plan would be as described above. c. Therapist keeps the medical team providers informed regarding outcomes of treatment through a variety of communication means. d. Documents in CPRS for each patient by established policy including but not limited to: consult screening results, potential goals, expected outcomes in terms of function, and/or discharge summary including outcome of goals, as well as equipment provided, and educations given to patient and family. e. Complies with requirements to maintain prosthetic equipment supplies, providing necessary documentation of equipment provided to patients and obtaining stock replacement of equipment issued. f. Carries a full patient caseload, accepting new patient consults as referred by medical providers. Caseload will be inpatient and or outpatient Physical Therapy referrals and or Direct access/ direct scheduled patients. Other duties as assigned. g. Considers age and developmental level, gender, education, cultural background and socioeconomic, medical and functional status when providing Physical Therapy services. Is aware of signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect and reports to the appropriate authorities. Therapy services will be provided to an adult population of patients. h. The therapist's level of responsibility in the physical therapy program is with complete independence and is responsible for maintaining high professional standards. The therapist displays courtesy, civility and constructive behavior, and expresses empathy for the legitimate needs and concerns of others. The therapist will meet the needs of customers while supporting the VA missions. i. Incumbent is responsible in helping triage of all consults received and working with MSA to schedule into multiple clinics as needed. j. Therapist works to increase access to care through the use of walk-in clinic partnering with local PACT teams and providers. 2. Administrative a. The physical therapist is directly responsible to the ECHCS local Supervisor of Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS). Although the therapist is expected to make individual patient decisions with autonomy, the therapist is expected to perform as part of the overall PM&RS team. b. Participates in Program Improvement work groups and has a working knowledge of Departmental Program Improvement projects. c. Participates in multidisciplinary meetings as appropriate. d. Participates in PM&RS staff meetings and Physical therapy staff meetings as established. e. Participates in JCAHO activities as required. f. Accepts flexible tour of duty that may include hours outside of the traditional 8:00-4:30 timeframe, may also include weekend hours and holiday coverage. g. Program development related to coordination, education, development of PT in PACT initiative at the local VA clinic or medical center. Compressed/Flexible:Is Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 554-55677-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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 and Experience. The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:(1) Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. (2) Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.(3) Doctorate degree in physical therapy. Licensure. Individuals hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Non-licensed PTs, who otherwise meet the basic requirements in this standard, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate PT at the GS-11 grade level under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(1)(D) for a period not-to-exceed two years from the date of employment on the condition that such PT provide care only under the supervision of a PT who is licensed. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. Grade Determinations: Knowledge of Contemporary Professional Physical Therapy Practice. To be creditable, a candidate must have demonstrated possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the scope of physical therapy practice. The candidate's experience may be evidenced by one or more of the following:(a) Active professional practice. Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional PT as defined by APTA or the appropriate licensing board. Experience gained after graduation but prior to licensure is creditable provided the candidate was utilized as a graduate PT and subsequently passed the licensure examination.(b) Completion of a post-graduate fellowship or a post-graduate residency program may be substituted for creditable experience on a year for year basis. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it was post degree experience as a professional PT and is directly related to the duties to be performed. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to or exceeding the professional PT experience at the next lower grade level. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment in paragraph 2, you must demonstrate one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-12 that demonstrates the following KSA's: Ability to make autonomous clinical decisions in a Direct Access environment. This includes ability to independently evaluate and treat patients who seek physical therapy services. Skill in performing examinations and evaluations of individuals who have or may develop impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to conditions of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and/or integumentary systems while considering the effects attributable to unique psychosocial and environmental factors. Ability to interpret findings from examination and evaluation, select appropriate test and measures, and integrate findings into the physical therapy plan of care for the full range of patient populations. Ability to establish a diagnosis within the scope of physical therapy and identify the appropriate rehabilitation intervention, including referral to another provider for further consultation as clinically indicated. Ability to determine physical therapy prognosis by incorporating examination findings with the patient's preferences in order to set clinically appropriate treatment goals, optimize outcomes and maximize functional independence. Ability to independently provide clinical oversight of Physical Therapy Assistants as well as students on clinical affiliations who are in Doctoral PT Programs or PTA Programs. GS-13 Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist) Experience. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs: 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. i.) Preferred Experience: Experience in a direct access or primary care clinical enviroment. ABPTS Orthopedic board certification is preferred. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/99, 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: The incumbent must demonstrate the ability to walk, to get to other hospital locations on a daily basis, standing, repeated bending, reaching overhead, and pushing Veterans and objects for up to four hours a regular shift, prolonged sitting, moderate lifting and carrying of 15-44 pounds.

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]