This Pain Director position is located at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS), a two-divisional university-affiliated teaching and research Medical Center with Pain Clinic locations at Seattle and American Lake in Tacoma, but also serves our outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The Pain Director has a pivotal role in the care of Veterans being seen in the VAPSHCS Pain Management Clinics and VISN 20 Pain Medicine and Functional Restoration Center.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. 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 CLINICAL PRACTICE: The Pain Director is responsible for providing and coordinating care for pain patients enrolled with the Pain Service. The incumbent provides consultation service locally and regionally for providers working with complex pain care, and provides education to patients and to clinicians regarding safe and sustainable chronic pain care and effective functional restoration of patients suffering with acute and chronic pain. The Pain Director performs the following duties: Completes detailed history and physical exams, as well as health inventories, orders and interprets diagnostic studies and prescribes appropriate medication and other treatment modalities. Develops, evaluates and manages medical treatment plans intended to achieve defined outcomes that improve the patient's quality of life as part of a coordinated multidisciplinary treatment team focused on safe and sustainable chronic pain care and functional restoration of patients living with chronic pain. Demonstrates expertise in diagnosing and treating complex chronic pain problems and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Consistently makes and implements sound and reasonable decisions and has responsibility for patient outcomes. Provides interdisciplinary care management that includes timely, thorough, and efficient documentation & coordination. Orders, performs, reviews, analyzes and follows up on appropriate diagnostic/laboratory test results, including any registries necessary to monitor and support the patient's medication therapy, and communicates findings to patients and other providers, including additional surveillance and/or testing requirements necessary as per VA policy. Initiates consults as appropriate, follows the treatment plan of care, coordinates and discusses plan with other care providers and specialists as needed. Establishes and maintains contact with other care providers, specialists, pharmacy and ancillary staff as necessary. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSIGNMENTS: The Pain Director provides administrative support to the Anesthesia & Pain Service Line Leader with the following: Works collaboratively with the Anesthesia & Pain Service Line Leader, hospital leaders, Service Line Leaders, and others in the planning and implementation of patient-centered, pain management & integrative/Whole Health initiatives and programs. Develops, coordinates and implements Pain Clinic workflows, programs, initiatives, therapies, policies and guidelines related to the practice of Pain Medicine and the administration of pain Medicine throughout VAPSHCS, including the clinics at the Seattle VA, American Lake VA and VAPSHCS Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Collaborates with the VISN 20 Clinical Resource Hub TelePain group to request services EDUCATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS: The Pain Director is responsible for the following educational assignments: Develops and implements in-service trainings for applicable staff as requested. Provides direct supervision & training to rotating trainees, including pain medicine & psychology learners, as well as newly hired staff. Provides education & training to staff, patients and family members, including Whole Health, chronic pain management, exercise, nutrition, self-care, and personalized health planning as appropriate. Discusses in detail the background, conditions and treatment options/alternatives for chronic pain. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4pm

Requirements

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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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. 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 or fee-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. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: Pain Fellowship trained Anesthesiologist Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is required. If selected for this position, per VHA Directive 1 177, you must possess current BCLS certification as you will provide direct clinical care to patients in this position. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification is also required if you will direct moderate sedation for pain procedures to a small subset of pain clinic patients Preferred Experience: Prefer at least 3 years of clinical experience as a Pain Medicine Specialist after graduation from an ACGME-accredited pain fellowship. Prefer at least 3 years of experience in a multidisciplinary pain clinic setting. Leadership experience (e.g. supervisory experience, section/division leadership) is strongly preferred. Prefer significant Pain-related academic experience involving learners/trainees. Quality Improvement/clinical research experience preferred. Additional Board Certification in Addiction Medicine or other related board certification(s), and/or experience with buprenorphine and other Medication Assisted Treatment modalities for opioid use disorder will be taken into consideration. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45lbs & over); pushing; reaching above shoulders; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (1-4hrs); standing (1-4hrs); repeated bending (1-2hrs); ability for rapid mental & muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; specific visual requirement (see computer screen); depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid may be permitted); mental & emotional stability. Environmental Factors: outside & inside; constant noise; dust; fumes, smoke or gases; working closely with others; working alone

Education

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

Contacts

• Address VA Puget Sound Health Care System 1660 South Columbian Way Seattle, WA 98108 US
• Name: Michael Lokrantz
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X57331
• Email: [email protected]