Podiatrist (General)

Company: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location: Allentown
Posted on: June 10, 2021

Job Description:

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Summary

VAMC Wilkes-Barre is seeking a Full time, Board certified Podiatrist to join its surgical services team at its Allentown, PA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) location.

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Responsibilities

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

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 49-54 days of annual paid time offer per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 10 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

Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided

Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

Podiatrists demonstrate a cognitive knowledge of Podiatric Surgery, including the diagnosis of general medical problems and surgical management of foot diseases, deformities and/or trauma and those structures which affect the foot and ankle. Podiatrists treat such common conditions as bunions, corns and calluses, and ingrown toenails. The responsibility for all phases of care of the injured patient is an essential component of Podiatric Surgery; as well as complete care of critically ill patients with underlying surgical conditions in emergency departments and intensive care units.

Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Biomedical Evaluation of the Lower Extremities to assist in the management of Pathology by controlling the contribution of abnormal gait and foot functions to the patients' symptomology.
• Neuropathic or Vascular Ulcerations
• Osteoarthritis of the bunion joint
• Development and use of devices which disperse or remove weight bearing from certain parts of the foot which are ulcerated or painful together with necessary local care of local pathology.
• Identification/treatment of "static" foot problems (e.g. heel pain, flatfoot deformity, hammer toes), by performance of bio mechanical evaluation of the lower extremities and utilization of highly specific devices which place the foot or digits in a more functional position and redistribute weight bearing to reduce or eliminate discomfort, ulceration
• Local care of corns, calluses and pedal ulceration.
• Local care of deformed, painful and/or infected nails which may result in significant extension of infection, ulceration, disability, or gangrene; particularly in patients predisposed to infection or its extension by systemic disease (diabetes mellitus)

SUPPLEMENT PRIVILEGES

• various local anesthetic techniques (infection) within the foot (e.g., local anesthetic infiltration, digital block, selective infiltration of inter digital or superficial nerves)
• Specialized procedures for the surgical correction of nail, forefoot, digits, metatarsal and soft tissue pathology of the foot, (e.g. infected or painful ingrown toenails, curettage of verruca, drainage of abscess, correction of callus under local anesthesia.
• Bunionectomy
• Fluoroscopy
• Local Anesthesia/ Local Anesthesia with infiltration
• PIP Fusion
• Shaving of Exostoses
• Surgery of Forefoot
• Toenail removal
• Local care of deformed, painful and/or infected nails which may result in significant extension of infection, ulceration, disability, or gangrene; particularly in patients predisposed to infection or its extension by systemic disease (diabetes mellitus)

Work Schedule: M-F, 8:00AM - 4:30PM

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

15

• Job family (Series)

0668 Podiatrist

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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.
• Designated and/or random drug testing required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination

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:

• Basic Requirements:

1. Citizenship. Candidates must be a United States citizen. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

2. Education. Applicants must possess a doctor of podiatric medicine degree, or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in podiatric medicine and surgery. 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.

• a. Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine and surgery, approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatry Medical Association in the year in which the degree was granted.
• NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 for a podiatric 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.

3. Licensure or Registration. Applicants must possess a 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. The podiatrist must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.

a. Impaired Licensure. A podiatrist who has or has ever had any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions of chapter 3, section B, paragraph 14 of this part.

b. Waiver of Licensure. Licensure requirements may be waived by the Under Secretary for Health, or designee in Central Office, for individuals in research, academic, or administrative assignments, involving no direct patient care responsibilities, in accordance with current regulations. In addition, the facility director may waive this licensure requirement if the podiatrist is to serve in a country other than the United States, and the podiatrist has licensure in that country. (See section B, chapter 3, paragraph 14 of this part, for waiver of licensure provisions.)

4. Residency Training. Podiatrists must have completed residency training, or its equivalent, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. VA Podiatrists involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status. Approved residencies are:

a. Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Council on Podiatric Medical Education, in the list published for the year the residency was completed, or b. Other residencies and training experiences, or their equivalents, which the local Professional Standards Board determines to have provided an applicant with appropriate professional training.

• 5. English Language Proficiency. Podiatrists appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), 7407(d).

Grade Determinations:

Staff Podiatrist Medical. None beyond the basic requirements. The individual must have completed an accredited residency, and/or possess experience to perform general podiatric duties and some specialized functions and procedures, without supervision. Staff podiatrists may also include attending podiatrists who train physician residents, assigned in facilities with residency training programs, and consultants who are capable of giving authoritative views and opinions on subjects in their field of medicine. These podiatrists perform office-based procedures only and generally work a set 40-hour per week schedule.

Staff Podiatrist Surgical. Should be board qualified or board certified by a Council on Podiatric Medical Education certification board, or other equivalent certification to grant surgical privileges. The individual must possess experience to perform duties as a podiatrist and surgeon, and have completed an accredited residency, and/or possess experience to perform general and surgical duties and some specialized functions and procedures, without supervision. Staff podiatrist surgeons also includes

attending physicians who train podiatrist residents, assigned in facilities with residency training programs, and consultants who are capable of giving authoritative views and opinions on subjects in their field of medicine. These podiatrists will perform office-based procedures and operating room procedures and are responsible for surgical patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Added work responsibilities may include seeing hospital patients daily and carrying a pager or be available by phone

for emergency consultations.

Chief of Staff. A chief of staff must serve on a full-time basis and must be a Doctor of Medicine or podiatric medicine. The chief of staff develops and maintains currently accepted management practices throughout the clinical services. The chief of staff develops and presents budgetary requirements of the clinical services and assists in the formulation of the annual budget program. The chief of staff is fully responsible to the medical center director for programs of patient care and for the educational and research activities of clinical services. To carry out these responsibilities, the chief of staff:

1. Formulates and recommends plans for a comprehensive program of medical care;

2. Develops the requirements of staff, facilities, equipment, and supplies needed to carry forward such an integrated program, utilizing necessary reviews and controls; and

3. Appraises the effectiveness of the various medical programs in meeting the needs of patientcare.

Additional Requirement:

Preferred Experience:

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/78, Part II, Appendix G-4 Podiatrist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands include repetitive body movements including the following: frequent reaching, standing, walking, and lifting of equipment and/or patients to provide patient care. This position requires extension of the hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction including above or below shoulder level, during the provision of patient care, including retrieval of needed equipment, supplies and to make contact with the patient.

Note: Must have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification prior to assuming clinical duties. The BLS requirement is satisfied by successfully completing an American Heart Association (AHA) BLS Healthcare Provider Course or Military Training Network (MTN). BLS courses are normally offered within 1-5 days of entry on duty. No online certifications will be accepted.

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.

Keywords: Department of Veterans Affairs, Allentown , Podiatrist (General), Other , Allentown, Pennsylvania