Career Center

Summary

The Pain Management Physician is responsible for the care of the Veteran - as well as providing leadership within the multidisciplinary staff to ensure optimal & efficient - Veteran centered health care. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) of up to 25% salary has been authorized for this position and may be offered to highly qualified candidates.

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
• Preferred Experience: Addiction care in the setting of Comprehensive Pain Management Team is desired in order to complete the skill set mandated by Directive for the Comprehensive VA Pain Management Team
• Board Certified or Board eligible in pain or addiction medicine
• Completed fellowship program in pain or addiction management or equivalent experience preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting - under 15 pounds
• Light carrying - under 15 pounds
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Hearing (aid may be permitted).

Duties

• Our team is composed of physicians - psychologists - nurses and pharmacists and we support a true interdisciplinary pain model with the goal of improving the patients quality of life and functional restoration of patients living with chronic pain
• Duties include but are not limited to: 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
• Consistently makes and implements sound and reasonable decisions and has responsibility for patient outcomes
• 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
• Interacts closely with other clinicians - including physicians - PAs and ARNPs - psychologists and physical therapists in the design of the veteran's pain regimen to achieve optimization of rational and cost- effective pain management
• Documents all pain management activities and complies with all documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures/encounter completion (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes to ensure workload capture) - as well as therapeutic changes and recommendations as appropriate
• Assists with ensuring proper coding/documentation by other pain clinic providers
• As a member of a VA Pain Management team - supports implementation of the Stepped Care Model for Opioid Use Disorder within Pain Management Teams/Pain Specialty Clinics
• Serves as a consultant on pain care - opioid safety - and OUD issues for Facility leadership including providing mentorship for new Facility PACT Pain Champions and PMOP Coordinators and advocating for Facility pain management - opioid safety - and PDMP-related efforts
• Provides evidence-based education regarding chronic pain management - the Pain management profession - Whole Health modalities - and VA medical & pain care within the VA and the external community - as applicable
• Our team is very strong with PMR and we are looking for someone to add expertise with addiction care though we are not a Substance Use Disorder team - we do support veterans with co-occurring Pain and SUD
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm 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