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 position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES:
The Podiatrist provides direct clinical care and performs duties that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Examines, evaluates, diagnoses, and treats Veterans with podiatric conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and related structures.
• Provides outpatient podiatry care for general adult podiatric diseases and conditions, including but not limited to diabetic foot complications, peripheral neuropathy, nail disorders, calluses, corns, foot deformities, ulcerations, infections, musculoskeletal complaints, and other podiatric concerns.
• Performs comprehensive foot assessments, including neurovascular assessments, diabetic foot examinations, biomechanical evaluations, skin and nail assessments, wound evaluations, and risk stratification for limb preservation.
• Provides routine and medically necessary foot care in accordance with VHA policy, clinical indications, and established standards of practice.
• Provides care for Veterans at increased risk for amputation, including those with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, chronic wounds, deformity, prior ulceration, or history of lower extremity complications.
• Performs appropriate podiatric procedures within the scope of licensure and granted clinical privileges, which may include debridement of nails, calluses, hyperkeratotic lesions, ulcers, and nonviable tissue; incision and drainage when appropriate; biopsy; injections; nail avulsions; treatment of ingrown toenails; and other minor podiatric procedures.
• Develops, implements, and modifies patient-centered treatment plans based on clinical assessment, diagnostic findings, patient needs, and evidence-based practice.
• Orders, reviews, and interprets diagnostic studies within the scope of practice, including laboratory testing, imaging, vascular studies, cultures, pathology, and other clinically indicated evaluations.
• Prescribes medications, treatments, orthotics, prosthetic devices, footwear, wound care supplies, durable medical equipment, and other therapeutic interventions in accordance with scope of practice, licensure, privileges, and VA policy.
• Refers patients to other specialists or services when clinically indicated, including but not limited to vascular surgery, wound care, infectious disease, endocrinology, prosthetics, orthotics, rehabilitation, primary care, emergency care, or community care when appropriate.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members to coordinate comprehensive management of high-risk patients and promote limb preservation.
• Manages podiatry outpatient consults, return-to-clinic orders, scheduling needs, and follow-up care in a timely and clinically appropriate manner.
• Completes all medical records, encounter documentation, orders, consult responses, procedure notes, informed consent documentation, and clinical communications in accordance with medical staff bylaws, rules, regulations, VHA requirements, and local facility policy.
• Participates in care coordination for patients requiring transfer to another facility, higher level of care, emergency evaluation, surgical evaluation, or additional specialty services.
• Maintains an unrestricted license to practice podiatry and complies with credentialing, privileging, continuing education, and professional practice requirements.
• Participates in quality improvement, clinical review, patient safety, access improvement, utilization management, and performance improvement activities as requested by the service, facility, VISN, or national program leadership.
• Adheres to applicable data, workload, productivity, consult management, access, and quality metric reporting requirements.
• Attend scheduled meetings, huddles, service line meetings, clinical conferences, training, and other required activities as requested by facility or service leadership.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with hospital departments, administration, clinical staff, support staff, patients, families, caregivers, and external partners as appropriate.
• Supports the mission, vision, and values of the Department of Veterans Affairs by providing safe, timely, effective, equitable, Veteran-centered care.

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.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.

• 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.

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

• 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~
• 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~
• 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.

• 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.

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. Part-time is pro-rated based on hours worked.

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.