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. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS) is currently seeking outstanding full-time Family Practice or Internal Medicine trained physicians to join our Primary Care Clinic team as the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Pain Champion. This incumbent will be responsible to provide comprehensive specific care, under the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model, to a panel of patients managed under PCMM guidelines. The incumbent is expected to be attentive to patient education, preventive care and be able to work well in an interdisciplinary team to provide high quality primary care. The incumbent will be responsible for providing comprehensive medical care.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• The Facility PACT Pain Champion works with the VISN PACT Pain Champion assisting and sharing of strong practices and implementation strategies within the VISN.
• Coordinates with the Facility PMOP Coordinator, Mental Health/Addiction Medicine POC and Facility Pain Committee to deliver clinical and primary care, education and training programs, and other Facility services.
• Works with the VISN PACT Pain Champion and Facility-level partners such as the Facility Pain POC, Facility PMOP Coordinator, Facility Academic Detailing Pharmacist, Suicide Prevention Team, Primary Care/Mental Health Integration, and Mental Health Leaders to support suicide prevention efforts and awareness in Veterans experiencing pain.
• Reports, at least quarterly, to appropriate leadership (e.g., Primary Care Integrated Clinical Communities Committee) on initiative and compliance progress, opioid safety committees or workgroups, and representing the Facility PACT.
• Serves as a liaison for PACT Pain related issues, patient advocacy, Facility-related congressional inquiries, items requiring PACT Pain engagement, and/or information around national initiatives and tools (SCOUTT, CARA mandates, opioid safety, Facility pain teams). This role would support the execution of PMOP initiatives within the PC/PACT purview.
• Provides PC/PACT subject matter expertise and work closely with Primary Care, Pain Specialty, and Facility leadership to facilitate implementation of the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM) and the PACT Roadmap for Managing Pain, proper pain management and optimization of Whole Health oriented pain care, Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) and data-based risk reviews for opioid-exposed patients (including Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM)), other interdisciplinary pain care forums, and transition of pain management-related patient care from PC/PACT to other collaborating service(s) assisting with the step up in care when needed for complex pain patients.
• Serves as the Pain and Opioid Safety subject matter expert on PACT case presentations and staff meetings, and local champion participation in VHA and professional association training programs to acquire primary care competencies in pain management.
• This incumbent will be responsible to provide comprehensive care, under the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model, to a panel of patients managed under PCMM guidelines. The incumbent is expected to be attentive to patient education, preventive care and be able to work well in an interdisciplinary team to provide high quality primary care. The incumbent will be responsible for providing comprehensive medical care.
• Primary care physicians will have responsibility for supervision of or collaboration with primary care mid-level providers.
• Physicians are expected to provide clinical oversight and to participate in peer review of other primary care providers through periodic chart reviews.
• Primary care physicians will act as surrogates for absent primary care providers when needed, to include review of CPRS view alerts.
• Primary care physicians will regular attend primary care staff meetings, departmental meetings and medical staff meetings.
• Timely documentation (notes and encounter forms) is necessary in all areas in accordance with facility policy. All administrative work should be completed in a timely fashion.
• Clinical reminders should be addressed as medically appropriate. Quality of care should meet professional standards.
• Utilization of all Virtual Care modalities is an expectation of this position.
• Travel to other sites within the Health Care System to cover provider shortage.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8am-4:30pm (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor, the incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized - As determined by Facility/Agency
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VISN8CCOE@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Travel/Driving: You may be required to travel for this position.

Conditions of employment

• 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.
• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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

• Citizenship: Be a Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with [38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)).].
• 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:
  1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
  2. 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.
  3. 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.]
• Licensure and Registration: Physicians 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 physician must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.
  1. Impaired Licensure. A physician 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 this [Handbook 5005 part II,] chapter 3, section B, [paragraphs 13 and 14].
  2. Waiver of Licensure. Licensure requirements may be waived by the Under Secretary for Health or designee in the VHA 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 physician is to serve in a country other than the United States and the physician has licensure in that country. (See [this Handbook 5005 part II,] chapter 3, section B, paragraph 14, on waiver of licensure provisions.)
• 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),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. NOTE: 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Physicians appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7402(d) and 7407(d).

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).

Physician Staff Requirements: None beyond the basic requirements. The individual must qualify to perform duties as a physician, have completed an accredited residency and/or possess experience which has qualified the individual to perform general duties and some specialized functions and procedures without supervision. Staff physicians may also include attendings 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.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires: light to moderate lifting (15 - 44 lbs.); light carrying (15 lbs. and under); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 2 hours); standing (up to 2 hours); kneeling (up to 1 hour); 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; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted); emotional stability; mental stability; working closely with others; and working alone.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or 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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

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

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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