Summary This position is organizationally aligned to the Clinical Resource Hub (CRH). Staff within the CRH provide inter- and intra-VISN services to facilities that are underserved or experiencing gaps in clinical services. This position requires travel to any of the VISN 12 facilities for clinical care, to include face-to-face services and interventional procedures. Position is Telework Eligible. This Announcement will close on 11/22/2024 -OR- once it reaches 50 applicants. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. The Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) is a VISN-based repository of clinical and administrative staff that serve Veterans Affairs facilities within and outside of a Veterans Integrated System Network (VISN). Staff within the CRH are expected to provide inter-professional services to VISN facilities that are underserved or experiencing gaps in clinicians due to the inability to match provider supply with demand. Services provided by CRH staff are conducted via multiple modalities, including virtual and in-person care. Position is Telework Eligible. Duties include, but not limited to: Develops policies and guidelines related to the practice and administration of CRH Tele-Pain Medicine. Oversees the administration of telehealth pain medicine and opioid safety review board electronic consultation services. Member of the local, regional and National Pain Management Committees. Reviews and reports to CRH leadership team regarding Opioid Safety Updates and collaborates with CRH Service Line Chiefs to address Opioid Safety Initiatives. Coordinates with the Service Line Chief to ensure that Telehealth equipment and supplies that are necessary for the efficient operation of the Tele-Pain Medicine Section are acquired and maintained per VA standards and protocols. Collaborate with Chiefs of Nursing Service Line, Mental Health Service Line, Rehab Services Service Line, Pharmacy Service Line and Social Work Service Line for respective Tele-Pain staff members. Completes performance evaluations of subordinate staff per VA standards and policies. Responsible for conducting professional practice evaluations with providers to assess their performance, identify when performance does not meet expectations, and initiate appropriate action to improve performance. Collaborates with the Service Line Chief to develop yearly Tele-Pain Medicine Section budget projections. Generates written responses to Tele-Pain management and opioid safety-related, veteran complaints, Congressional and White House inquiries per VHA protocols. Perform additional duties as assigned. Clinical Responsibilities: Provides telehealth, face to face evaluations, and interventional pain medicine procedures in designated VA facilities as part of a balanced, data­ driven, multi-disciplinary treatment plan, in accordance to current licensing and standards of care. Works as part of an interdisciplinary team of pain management providers. Initiates, modifies, or discontinues medication therapies and serves as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services. Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests, other diagnostic studies, and registries necessary to monitor and support medication therapy. Performs pain management comprehensive assessments, develops treatment plans and performs interventions for complex acute and chronic pain patients. Manages opioid medications and performs opioid tapers and detoxification when necessary. Complies with current VA/DOD Long-term Opioid Therapy Guidelines, and local VA policies. Develops therapeutic care plans that are intended to achieve defined outcomes that improve the patient's quality of life. Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests, other diagnostic studies, and registries necessary to monitor and support medication therapy. Follows up with patients regarding laboratory or other diagnostic test results to discuss care plans, changes to therapy and additional monitoring or testing requirements. Perform additional duties as assigned. Travel may occur to any of these VISN 12 VA Medical Center locations: Chicago, IL North Chicago, IL Hines, IL Danville, IL Milwaukee, WI Madison, WI Tomah, WI Iron Mountain, MI 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm CST 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. 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Required Board Certification in a Interventional Pain Management Fellowship. 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. Preferred Experience: Three years leadership experience or assignments in the management of personnel or resources in a hospital or clinic setting. Two years Multidisciplinary Pain Management Experience. Two years Interventional Pain Management Experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending and carrying light items. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services. 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. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.