Physician - Pain Management

Job Details

Qualifications & Requirements

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. 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 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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. Exceptions: 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 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. In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Preferred Experience: Board certified in pain medicine; fellowship training; experience prescribing chronic opioid therapy and tapering high-dose opioid therapy; treatment with Suboxone for opioid use disorder; experience with integrative pain management; interventional pain management experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work in generally with daily walking, standing, bending, stooping, reaching, and carrying of moderate weight items required. Rigid deadlines and need for high degree of accuracy periodically becomes stressful.

Position Overview

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more

Duties

• The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. The Nebraska Western Iowa-Omaha VA Health Care System is currently recruiting for one Full-time, Pain Management Physician. This position will be located in the Extended Care and Rehabilitation Service Line. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized amount to be determined. Education Debt Reduction Program: Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of annual paid time offer 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 Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Duties include but are not limited to the following: Will be recognized as an expert in the safe prescribing of opioid medication and will manage complex chronic pain patients on opioids and taper opioid and benzodiazepine medications as appropriate. Expertise in diagnosing and treating chronic pain patients with Opioid Use Disorder and will be a clinical champion for medication assisted therapy with Suboxone. Provide training to other staff within the health care system and VA region on integrative pain management and safe opioid prescribing. Provide pain care that that empowers and equips Veterans to take charge of their health and well-being and to live their life to the fullest. In addition to integrative pain management, will be expected to provide interventional pain care in the procedural clinic. Work closely with a comprehensive team of specialists to provide care focused on activation and rehabilitation. Our team will include the following team members: interventional pain physicians, addiction medicine specialist, physician assistant, pharmacist, pain psychologist, clinical social worker and pain physical therapist. Work closely with pharmacist, addiction medicine specialist, psychologist and physical therapist on the Pain Management Team (PMT) to provide safe and effective, multidisciplinary pain management and mitigate the risk for patients receiving chronic opioid therapy. Provide patient-centric tapering of opioids and benzodiazepines and treatment of Opioid Use Disorder with Suboxone. Collaborate with other team members to develop an integrated pain management approach that maximizes the utilization of complementary and alternative therapies and active pain management strategies to improve the overall health and functioning of patients. Team with PMT members to perform proactive medical record reviews of patients at risk of opioid related side effects and provide recommendations to primary care providers to enhance the effectiveness and safety of pain care. Work with interventional pain physicians and advance practice practitioner to improve efficiency, continuity, and effectiveness of interventional pain care. Provide regular risk reviews of high risk opioid patients as part of the Data Based Opioid Risk Review Team. May also assist in monitoring VA Pain Management quality assurance metrics, including the Opioid Safety Initiative, program outcome data, and other local data source measurements as needed to ensure strong clinical performance. Work Schedule: The tour of duty for this position is typically Monday- Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.