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.

Duties

Coordinates the scheduling, evaluation, and treatment consults at VAPHS. May be assigned supervising responsibilities over physical therapist assistants. Other assignments may include Acting Lead Therapist in the Outpatient Physical Therapy Section during the absence of the supervisor and on a rotational basis with other senior staff therapists. Performs physical therapy evaluations and treatments for patients and employees in the location of inpatient and outpatient, ages ranging from adult to geriatric, having a variety of disabilities. Cases may be complex in nature with chronic and acute disease entities including, but not limited to urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, dyspareunia, vaginismus, vulvodynia, pelvic organ prolapse, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, prostatitis, defecation disorders, management of IBS/IBD, Levator Ani Syndrome, coccygodynia, chronic pelvic pain, pudendal neuralgia, pelvic oncology rehab, breast cancer post treatment rehab, peripartum and post-partum rehab, chronic and acute pain, orthopedic problems, joint replacement, central nervous system disorders, joint diseases, circulatory and pulmonary diseases, diabetes mellitus, altered thought processes and multi-system disease combinations. Serves as a clinical instructor with the VHASLC Physical Therapy DPT Internship Program with specific mentoring and oversight of assigned DPT interns. Employs motivational techniques to enlist patient participation and adapts equipment and procedures to carry out a full range of complex treatment activities and interventions. Evaluates patient's condition upon appropriate referral to physical therapy to determine treatment plan. Refers patients to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Primary Care, or other specialty providers. Performs and interprets results of tests and measurements for use in preparing for, modifying, and evaluating patients for treatment, and adjusts treatment based on changes in patient's condition. Evaluates patient's needs with respect to prescribed braces and orthotic devices. Will select appropriate appliances and durable medical equipment, and will determine what suits the needs of the patient. Will recommend necessary equipment items, or make modifications to existing items, and will provide, or assist in the application, to ensure the equipment has a proper fit and that all training requirements of such equipment is completed. Responsible for the clinical operation at VHASLC, including receiving all applicable consults/referrals, scheduling all patient appointments through HAS department Medical Support Assistants, and maintaining sufficient supplies and equipment from Prosthetics and Logistics departments. Will report any unusual circumstances, difficulties with clinical operations, or difficulties involving the treatment of patients, to the Outpatient Physical Therapy Supervisor or Department Chief of PM&R. Establishes and maintains appropriate Quality Assurance monitoring as related to outpatient physical therapy and the Pelvic Rehab/Women's Health Physical Therapy clinic. Receives and coordinates all patient referrals to the clinics from appropriate sources, and schedules patients for evaluation and treatment according to VHASLC policy. Reviews charts to assess appropriateness of referrals and possible contraindications for treatment, and communicates with the referring providers. Assists with scheduling patients for treatment, considering priority and frequency of care, and coordinating schedules with other members of the treatment team. Assures all documentation are done according to VHASLC policy for all patient visits and patient interactions requiring such notes. Identifies continuing education needs based on performance of physical therapy staff regarding outpatient physical therapy and Pelvic Rehab/Women's Health Physical Therapy. Provides continuing education in the form of in-services and clinical training programs to other clinicians. Also helps teach this area of expertise, and coordinating other Continuing Education courses. Serves as subject matter expert in the area of Pelvic Rehab/Women's Health as a consultant to physical therapy and other medical center staff in evaluating and treating patients. Assists in the growth and development of the Pelvic Rehab and Women's Health Physical Therapy Programs at VHASLC. Contribute to the PM&R department clinical resources as an educator, facilitator, and clinician as assigned, and will assist the profession through participation in research and/or other educational activities. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five 5 years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. OR Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two 2 years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist. OR Doctorate degree in physical therapy. NOTE: Individuals must be a graduate of a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited college or university. The CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level physical therapy programs. Verification of accredited programs may be obtained from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at www.apta.org. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign physical therapy programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice physical therapy in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) is a non-profit organization created to assist the United States (U.S.) Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) and U.S. state licensing authorities by evaluating the credentials of Foreign Educated Physical Therapists (FEPTs) who wish to immigrate and work in the U.S. Although the licensing of physical therapists in the U.S. is a right and responsibility of each jurisdiction, foreign educated individuals must undergo an educational credentials assessment for substantial equivalency to the first professional degree in the US. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) is committed to protect the public and to provide leadership within the field and practice of physical therapy. FSBPT's Foreign Educated Standards Committee has developed standards that represent "best practices" in evaluation services. The Credentials Evaluation Standards were developed with input from the physical therapy credentialing agencies that are licensed to use FSBPT's Coursework Tool. 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. NOTE. Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetency or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the state for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed physical therapists on VA rolls as of November 30, 1999, provided the individual maintains a continuous appointment and is not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification. Loss of Licensure or Credential: A PT who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation, if qualified, and if a placement opportunity exists. English Language Proficiency: Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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). Grade Determinations: Physical Therapist, GS-13 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level and one of the following: Evidence of a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice directly in the specialty area. This time must be between the past two and five years; OR Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; OR Completion of a fellowship program; OR An additional advanced degree in a related field. *In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the all 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. 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. 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. 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 GS-13 Physical Requirements:Physical requirements for this position are: Light to moderate lifting (15-45 lb.), light to moderate carrying (15-44 lb.), reaching above shoulders. The environmental factors include working closely with others and working alone.

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 Anchorage VA Medical Center 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 US
• Name: Jovita Murphy
• Phone: 253-583-3850
• Email: [email protected]