Physician (Orthopedic Surgeon)

Summary

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until April 5, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be February 11, 2025, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position is filled.

This job is open to

• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Federal employees - Excepted service
  Current excepted service federal employees.
• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

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Duties

Provides direct patient care to patients and clinical guidance to mid-level providers in the Orthopedic Surgery Clinic. In addition, the Orthopedic provider, participates in interdisciplinary team activities to achieve optimum interdepartmental cooperation to assure the quality patient care is maintained or improved.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be approved for highly qualified applicant

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

The Orthopedic Surgeon will perform the following duties but are not limited to:

• Performs foot and ankle surgeries including ankle arthroplasties. (Please see preferred experience listed below)
• Participates in the progressive improvement of the service delivery, which may include programmatic participation in initiatives within the facility.
• Performs other directly related duties as assigned by the supervisor.
• Staff within the Orthopedic Surgery service are ultimately responsible for all aspects of medical care and provide or assist residents and/or the mid-level practitioner in the process of evaluation and treatment of the Orthopedic patients.
• Evaluates the patient to assess changes in the physical and mental status. A progress note is written in the patient's chart. Notes also include the concurrence with notes written by the resident and attending notes as appropriate.
• Coordinates with providers within their own and outside of their own Service Line, and with other VHA facilities or community providers as determined by the plan of care for the veteran. Open, clear, and collaborative engagements are a key duty.
• Responsible to ensure barriers for Veterans and staff are minimized in order to promote a positive work environment. Fosters positive working relationships with staff, peers and Veterans.
• Performs consultations within their own and other service lines as indicated.
• Responsible for the provision of clinical care, graduate and undergraduate medical education, and scientific research as appropriate.
• Participates in various hospital committees, departmental and hospital in-service programs, and education programs of the department and the hospital. They are also involved in continuous quality improvement through peer review process.
• Collaborative call schedule shared with three other orthopedic surgeons.
• Full mid-level support from a team of six skilled mid-level practitioners and an orthopedic resident.
• Opportunity to train orthopedic residents from the University of Arizona who is our academic affiliate.
• Proficient in managing routine orthopedic trauma cases.

Work Schedule: Full-time, permanent position, Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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: Board certified / Board eligible in Orthopedic Surgery

Preferred Experience: Extensive Orthopedic Surgery experience

Specialization in foot and ankle surgery, with a fellowship in this area highly desired.

Experience managing routine orthopedic trauma cases when on call.

Fellowship training in foot and ankle surgery is strongly preferred- should be able to perform ankle arthroplasties in addition to other foot and ankle cases.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (3 hours per day); standing (6 hours per day); kneeling (2 hours per day); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid permitted).

Education

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or

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.

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.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

• Benefits
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  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic;