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. Individual must meet one of the requirements below:
(1) Master's degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM).
OR
(2) Advanced level degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM).
- Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign acupuncture programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
- Certification. Acupuncturists hired in the VHA must be board certified through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The board certification must be current and the acupuncturist must abide by the certifying body's
requirements for continuing education.
- Loss of Certification. An acupuncturist who fails to maintain the required certificate must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if
qualified and if a placement opportunity exists.
- Licensure. Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia.
- Loss of licensure. An acupuncturist who fails to maintain the required license must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation if
qualified and if a placement opportunity exists.
- Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are performing the duties as described in this qualification standard 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 certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.
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:
Acupuncturist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level)
Experience or Education: Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:
- Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled.
OR
- Education. Doctoral degree or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in an acupuncture or oriental medicine.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to screen referrals and direct veterans to other services as appropriate.
2. Ability to formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis.
3. Ability to formulate an acupuncture treatment plan independently or with other
health care professionals.
4. Ability to educate patients on health lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping
habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care.
This includes the ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds.
5. Skill in the selection and use of the appropriate acupuncture tools and supplies based
on needs of the patient.
Assignment. Acupuncturists at this level review and triage acupuncture referrals. The incumbent serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team providing acupuncture treatment as well as further coordination of care for patients referred for acupuncture services. The acupuncturist analyzes medical histories and physical findings to formulate a differential diagnosis based on oriental and western medicine paradigms. Duties include the design and oversight of acupuncture treatment plans as well as a full range of acupuncture services, monitoring the accuracy of needle placement during a treatment. The incumbent communicates with patients about any abnormal or unexpected results or responses to treatment and advises
patients regarding lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care. The acupuncturist may submit referrals and requests for devices, materials and appliances available and commonly used by the acupuncture profession. Duties include documentation of information related to patient care including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, response to treatment, plan of care, and patient education as well as identification and documentation of appropriate coding for each patient encounter. The acupuncturist provides information regarding the patient consultation to other health care providers. The incumbent manages clinical workload demands. The incumbent serves as a mentor to new staff or less experienced staff and students.
Preferred Experience:
Clinical Experience: A solid background in providing acupuncture services in a clinical setting, preferably within a healthcare system .
Skill in Patient Assessment: Proficiency in assessing patient conditions and effectively formulating treatment plans tailored to individual needs.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Experience working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary medical team, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers, to deliver comprehensive care.
Patient Education: Ability to educate patients about acupuncture and its benefits, as well as promote over all wellness and preventive health strategies.
Research and Evidence-Based Practice: Experience or interest in participating in clinical research or applying evidence-based practices in acupuncture to improve patient outcomes.
Culture Competence: Sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural diversity, particularly in a veteran population, to deliver respectful and effective care.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
This is position is at full performance level.
Physical Requirements: Sitting, standing, lifting up to 20 pounds.