Advanced Orthotist/Prosthetist

Summary

The Orthotist/Prosthetist - Advanced Practitioner functions as a Mobile Prosthetic and Orthotic Care (MoPOC) program clinician. They are responsible for the clinical care needs, administrative oversight, and accreditation compliance for the local VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) served, and for independently managing and operating a small mobile lab out of a specialized vehicle (Ford Transit 350). The person in this position works on a 4 day a week schedule for 10 hours a day.

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Duties

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Major duties for the position include (but are not limited to):

• Driving from SLVHCS to the CBOCs in a specialized vehicle (Ford Transit 350) equipped as a mobile orthotics and prosthetics workshop/ laboratory three days a week;
• Visiting Veterans at home who cannot access care in other ways;
• Devoting at least 25% of care for those Veterans with the most clinically complex needs including individuals with multiple limb amputations and those with mobility disability from diagnoses such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke;
• Completing a variety of administrative duties such as budget development, managing inventory and resources, overseeing the orthotic and prosthetic schedule, devising short- and long-range goals in accordance with local, VISN, and VHA central office direction, and conducting quality assurance activities;
• Working complex patient analysis in accordance with established procedures for patients with unusual conditions, multiple complex conditions, interrelated conditions;
• Assessing the patient for indications/contraindications and discussion of the assessment with the physician/requesting provider for the purpose of developing the overall treatment plan with considerable influence in the development of that plan;
• Considering new and emerging technologies in designing unique or innovative devices to accommodate or treat a wide range of complex medical conditions which include unusual problems or complications;
• Providing ongoing care and periodic evaluation to assure, maintain, and document optimal fit and function of prostheses, orthoses, soft goods, inserts, shoes, and compression devices provided to patients;
• Reviewing and triaging prosthetics requests daily and communicating with the scheduling team;
• Determining which patients require in-house scheduling and which patients can be sent to outside commercial vendors based on a detailed understanding of patient presentation and needs and other factors;
• Maintaining knowledge of regulatory requirements established by various regulatory boards including the National Committee for Orthotic/Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and other relevant regulatory bodies;
• Providing an oversight and training of other Orthotists-Prosthetists, residents, trainees, fitters and/or technicians as assigned based on certification requirements.

Work Schedule : Monday - Thursday 6:30am to 5:00pm. The person in this position works on a 4-day a week schedule for 10 hours a day. Subject to change based on Agency needs.

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

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)

Functional Statement # : 629-01325F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 ( 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).
• Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle.
• Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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: (1) A bachelor's degree or higher in orthotics and prosthetics from a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited program. OR, (2) A bachelor's degree or higher in any major along with a post-graduate orthotics or prosthetics certificate from a CAAHEP accredited program.
• Foreign Graduates . Graduates of foreign degree programs must have proof of a minimum of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in orthotics and prosthetics.
• Board Certification. Candidates must be board certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) or the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC) as an orthotist, prosthetist, or orthotist/prosthetist. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. Certification as a technician, pedorthist, assistant or fitter does not meet this requirement.
• English Language Proficiency . Orthotists, prosthetists, or orthotist/prosthetists must be proficient in spoken and written as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).

Grade Determinations : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Orthotist/Prosthetist GS-12

• Experience. Completion of 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as an orthotist/prosthetist functioning as a full member of the clinical team which includes significant involvement in treatment plan development for the most complex types of conditions.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities . In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment- specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*):
  1. Knowledge of regulatory requirements established by the ABC, BOC, the National Committee for Orthotic/Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), the International Association of Orthotists and Prosthetists (IAOP), the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP), Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), etc.
  2. *Knowledge of administrative functions including budget development and management, inventory management, space and workload planning, as well as knowledge of the National Prosthetic Patient Database (NPPD), knowledge of the Prosthetic National Software (PNS) package, Decision Support System (DSS), and knowledge of accreditation requirements for orthotic and prosthetic laboratories and certification requirements for individuals.
  3. *Ability to analyze data and provide reports using CPRS, Vista, DSS, HCPCS codes and other patient database information.
  4. *Ability to provide training to orthotists/prosthetists in new technologies and innovations in devices.

Preferred Experience:

• Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist with at least 3 years clinical experience
• Experience providing mobile care preferred

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Required to operate a motor vehicle. Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.