Job opening: Physical Therapist (Orthopedic Clinical Specialist/ PACT)
Salary: $116 168 - 146 150 per year
Published at: Feb 22 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
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
VA Careers - Physical Therapy: https://youtube.com/embed/Gi2hoFqIoqY
As a PACT Physical Therapist in the SORCC VA, the incumbent serves as a consultant and subject matter expert in orthopedic outpatient physical therapy within the department, VA network, PT profession and the community at large. As a PACT therapist the incumbent is competent is the screening, evaluation and treatment of any veteran referred to the service.
This position requires use for specialty knowledge to maintain the model for providing integrated PT service on a PACT team through direct access to PT and practicing at the top of licensure. This includes providing ongoing provider and interdisciplinary team education on PT scope of practice and training.
The incumbent continues to maintain and learn advanced skills in the area of outpatient orthopedics by attending continuing education courses and training when applicable. This will maintain and advance orthopedic and manual therapy skills needed to perform and interpret specialized evaluative procedures and tests in addition to evaluating treatment outcomes in routine to complex patient presentations.
Functions:
a. Clinical: Incumbent demonstrates a high degree of independence and professional judgment in planning and executing treatment programs to meet routine to complex treatment objectives for the orthopedic and general outpatient physical therapy population. The incumbent independently evaluates and assesses patients self-referred through direct patient referral to determine the treatment course to be followed. The incumbent performs specialized tests and measurements of relevant body systems using various methods including specific methods specialized for the orthopedic and general outpatient populations. The incumbent is knowledgeable and independent in medical screening for direct access provision of PT services. The incumbent performs and interprets results of tests and measurements of the patient's condition for use in preparing a treatment plan, modifying a treatment plan, and evaluating results of treatment. The individual demonstrates advanced and continuously growing skill in the area of orthopedic and general outpatient patient population evaluation including the use of specialized outcome measures. The incumbent exercises originality in solving problems not covered by this guide, makes innovative adaptations of the clinical procedures herein to meet the complex and highly varying needs of the general/orthopedic outpatient population and advises all other health care team members and students in this regard.
i. 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.
ii. Performs complex physical therapy evaluation and treatment for male and female patients aged 18-100+ years old. Stage of life is considered and used to modify evaluation and treatment based on the needs of the individual. Assessment of the patient's learning needs is performed, and patient education is tailored to meet those needs involving the patient, family and significant others in the process as appropriate.
iii. Involves the patient, family/significant other and medical team in treatment planning and goal setting through ongoing communication.
iv. Plans and implements a comprehensive treatment regimen designed to maximize functional potential of the patient, using a wide range of routine to complex and specialty interventions and treatment modalities where therapeutic objectives are routine to complex, and procedures involved require the application of skills and knowledge in the area of orthopedic/general outpatient physical therapy.
Work Schedule: Monday -Friday 0800-1630
Telework: Available, Ad-Hoc pending Supervisor's approval
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact
[email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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 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.
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: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment in paragraph 2, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.
GS- 13: Physical Therapist (Clinical Specialist) (a) 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:
1. 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
2. Board Certification in the specialty area recognized by the ABPTS; or
3. Completion of a fellowship program; or
4. An additional advanced degree in a related field. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the all following KSAs.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
1. Advanced knowledge and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in a specialized treatment area of physical therapy.
2. 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).
3. Ability to teach and mentor medical center staff in a specialized content area of physical therapy.
4. Ability to guide the work of a multi-disciplinary team in a specialized content area of physical therapy.
5. 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: An American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS} Orthopedic Clinical Specialist certification and/or at least 2 years experience in a Primary Care Physical Therapy setting; Strong knowledge, skills and abilities in the area of differential diagnosis; Ability to work independently without direction from supervisor; History working with the Veteran and/or Solider population.
References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/99 PART II APPENDIX G12
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.
Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job considering their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. 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:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Contacts
- Address White City VA Medical Center
8495 Crater Lake Highway
White City, OR 97503
US
- Name: Caleb Stone
- Phone: 208-422-1315
- Email: [email protected]
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