This position provides Physical Therapy services and delivers consistent and high-quality care to Veterans. The incumbent is a staff member of the Physical Integrated Medicine Service (PIMS) at the Ralph H. Johnson VAMC. The position is in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) department at Hinesville, GA CBOC, but may be required to work at the Savannah, GA CBOC.

Duties

The incumbent carries a full patient load; is responsible for maintaining. appropriate patient record in accordance with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VA and JCO policies and standards. In addition, the incumbent attends team rounds or conferences; participates in inservice education activities; student education programs of various levels; and is responsible in maintaining PT Clinic section and equipment, reporting hazardous conditions, supply needs etc. The incumbent independently evaluates each patient's functional level, develops, and implements treatment plan specific to the patient needs, arranges appropriate, meaningful clinical and educational experiences for students (as needed), as well as work-study students and volunteers as available. The physical therapist develops the plan of care for the Veteran and supervises the PTA in providing that plan of care. Incumbent may be required to provide services in a community setting. The position requires the incumbent to possess a valid driver's license. Major duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to: General Skills: Responsible for the examination and treatment of Veterans referred to the Physical Therapy Department. Designs, conducts, and evaluates education, experiences within specialty content area for staff members and seeks educational opportunities to enhance the Physical Therapy Department, PM&RS, and the Medical Center. Establishes and maintains contact with other key staff involved in Veteran care via written, telephone, and personal communication on a regular basis at the CBOC and Medical Center level. Represents the Physical Therapy Department and PM&RS at various clinical and administrative meetings at the discretion of the Supervisory Physical Therapist. Clinical Skills: Conducts comprehensive Veteran examinations to identify rehabilitation problems and establish treatment goals. Develops and implements treatment plans designed to meet established goals. Evaluates Veteran response to treatment and modifies the treatment plan to provide optimum outcome. Orders appropriate Durable Medical Equipment and instructs Veteran in the safe use of the equipment. Makes recommendations to PCP and Specialty Care. Additional Duties: Performs ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis, where the complexity and amount of work is not substantial (less than 25% of the duty time). Supervises clinical training experience for PT students. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30AM - 4:00PM OR 8:00AM - 4:30PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 534-10248F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

This position is eligible for 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 your start date. 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. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact [email protected] for questions/assistance. 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. 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. Licensure: Applicants must 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. 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. 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: Prior to 1995 the terminal degree for PT's was either a bachelors or master's degree. In 1995 CAPTE accredited all baccalaureate, master's, and Doctor of Physical Therapy terminal degree programs. Effective 2002, CAPTE changed its scope of accrediting activities of PT education programs to include only those programs that culminate in post- baccalaureate degrees(eliminating the baccalaureate degree). Effective 2015, professional physical therapy education programs have only offered the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students. 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. 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). Grandfathering Provision. All licensed PTs employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Employees grandfathered into the GS-0633 occupational series as PTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation. PTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of this qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard. PTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard and must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If PTs who are grandfathered under this provision leave the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Physical Therapist (Entry) Education, Experience, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Physical Therapist (Full Performance Level) Education, Experience and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, hold a valid unrestricted state license and demonstrate all the KSAs below: Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 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. Preferred Experience: Three years experience in outpatient orthopedics. Also, pelvic floor physical therapy experience preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. 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 Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 109 Bee Street Charleston, SC 29401 US
• Name: Trena O. Melvin
• Email: [email protected]