Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees only. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will remain on file through {6/26/2026}. The first cut-off date is {April 17, 2026}. Eligible applicants will then be referred every 2 weeks until positions are filled. Applications will only be accepted from current, permanent VA facility employees.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Direct Patient Care
- Provide comprehensive medical and surgical foot/ankle care to eligible Veterans across the full scope of general podiatry (skin/nail disorders, biomechanical problems, tendinopathies, acute/chronic foot pain, diabetic foot care, wound care, limb preservation).
- Perform focused histories and physical examinations of the lower extremity; formulate differential diagnoses and evidence-based plans of care; order and interpret diagnostic studies (radiographs, labs, vascular studies) within granted privileges.
- Provide clinic-based procedures appropriate to an outpatient setting (e.g., debridement of wounds, paring of hyperkeratosis, nail procedures, steroid injections, simple soft-tissue procedures), in accordance with local privileges and site capabilities.
- Coordinate diabetic foot risk stratification, preventive care, and timely escalation for limb preservation in alignment with the PAVE program referenced by VHA Directive 1122 and current VA/DoD Diabetes CPG principles.
Procedures, Infection Prevention & Instrument Reprocessing
- Adhere to national and local infection prevention and control standards for podiatry (hand hygiene; safe injection practices; environmental cleaning; device reprocessing), using CDC/Joint Commission's Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Podiatry Settings and Joint Commission ambulatory standards.
- Ensure podiatry instruments and reusable medical devices are managed per VHA Directive 1116(2) (critical/semi-critical RMD policy) and applicable manufacturer instructions for use; partner with Sterile Processing Services to maintain compliance.
Care Coordination & Team-Based Practice
- Collaborate with Primary Care, Endocrinology, Vascular Surgery, PM&R, Prosthetics/Orthotics, Wound Care, Home-Based Care, and Telehealth to deliver integrated, Veteran-centered foot-and-ankle care; refer and co-manage cases requiring higher-level interventions at Malcom Randall VAMC or other facilities per clinic workflow.
- Participate in limb-salvage pathways and timely transitions of care (e.g., urgent imaging, vascular evaluation, prosthetic prescription, off-loading).
Documentation, Coding & Compliance
- Complete timely and accurate EHR documentation, diagnostic coding, procedure coding, and orders consistent with VA policy and local bylaws for credentialing/privileging and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE).
- Practice within VA national standards and the individual's granted scope of practice/privileges, pursuant to VHA Directive 1899 and facility medical staff rules.
Quality, Safety & Performance Improvement
- Engage in quality improvement activities (clinic audits, infection-control surveillance, SPS collaboration, patient safety reporting); comply with VA and Joint Commission quality/safety requirements applicable to ambulatory care.
- Support adherence to sterile processing oversight and continuous improvement addressing reusable medical equipment risks identified in VA and GAO guidance.
Education & Veteran Self-Management
- Educate Veterans on foot care, glycemic control, footwear/off-loading, risk reduction, and self-monitoring; provide teach-back and written instructions aligned with VA/DoD Diabetes CPG patient-education tools.
- Offer consultative support and in-service education to clinical staff on podiatric assessment, wound care principles, and infection-prevention practices for outpatient podiatry.
Administrative & Professional Responsibilities
- Participate in clinic operations (template management, access optimization, panel management, telehealth visits as appropriate) to meet access and timeliness standards at the Tallahassee OPC.
- Maintain compliance with VA credentialing, privileging, licensure, board certification (as applicable), and continuing education requirements per VA Handbook 5005 and local medical staff processes.
Schedule & Work Conditions
- No Call: Position is outpatient clinic-based with no on-call responsibilities; urgent cases are stabilized and routed per clinic protocols and facility transfer procedures.
- Maintain availability during assigned clinic hours and comply with facility policies for same-day access and urgent consults within outpatient scope.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
(Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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.

Podiatrist Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen.
• Education: Degree as a doctor of podiatric medicine, or its equivalent, from a school of podiatric medicine approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine approved by the Council on Podiatry Education of the American Podiatry Association in the year in which the degree was granted. ~AND~
• Residency: Completed, or currently completing, 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: (1) 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 (2) Other residencies and training experiences, or their equivalents, which the local Professional Standards Board determines to have provided an applicant with appropriate professional training. ~AND~
• License: Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice Podiatry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. ~AND~
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.

Staff Requirements:

• Staff Podiatrist Medical: None beyond 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.

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 moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, hands and legs, use of cranes and motor vehicles, walking & standing up to 8 hours, bending and climbing and able to hear whisper. The incumbent must be physically, emotionally and mentally stable in order to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or others.

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.

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.

NOTE: Incomplete packets will not be considered. Failure to submit the required documentation will make you ineligible for this position.

The following documents are required from all applicants:

• Résumé / CV: For each job/position listed, you must include a job title, detailed duties, month and year for each start/end date -and- if full-time or part-time status with the number of hours worked each week.
• Responses to the questionnaire
• License: Must provide a copy of your medical/surgical license.
• Transcript(s): Must provide a copy of all of your podiatric education transcripts.
• SF-50: All VA/Federal employees should submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (that is not an award SF-50) that shows you're a current, permanent VA/Federal employee. You may get your SF-50 directly from your eOPF. VA employees may go to:https://eopf.opm.gov/va/. Other Federal employees must contact your current HR Office for assistance assessing your eOPF/personnel folder.

Next steps