Physician Medical Director, Pain Service

Summary

This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until 09/30/2027.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized to a highly qualified candidate 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 The Medical Director, Pain Management, serves as the physician leader of the interdisciplinary Pain Management Team (PMT) at VA Augusta Health Care System, established in accordance with the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016 and the Jason Simcakoski Memorial and Promise Act (Jason's Law). The incumbent is accountable for the clinical, administrative, educational, and quality oversight of the Pain Management program across both the Downtown and Uptown campuses, applying the VHA Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM) and integrating pharmacologic, procedural, behavioral, rehabilitation, and Whole Health approaches to Veteran pain care. The Medical Director reports to the Chief of Staff through the Chief of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and serves as the physician member of the facility Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMOP) Triad. Clinical Duties Maintains an active clinical practice providing comprehensive pain evaluation and management to Veterans, including complex chronic pain, cancer pain, post-surgical pain, and acute-on-chronic pain presentations. Applies the VHA Stepped Care Model for Pain Management, integrating biopsychosocial assessment, pharmacologic management and non-pharmacologic modalities including Whole Health approaches (acupuncture, yoga, tai chi/qi gong, health coaching) in coordination with the Whole Health program. Performs pain-related procedures within credentialed scope of privileges (e.g., trigger point injections, joint injections, prolotherapy injections, PRP injections, and Botox injections) as clinically indicated and appropriate to facility capability. Provides consultative services to Primary Care, Specialty Care, Mental Health, Palliative Care, and Community Living Center (CLC) providers on complex pain patients. Ensures compliance with the Interdisciplinary Safe Opioid Prescribing Committee (or facility equivalent) charter. Reviews and adjudicates institutional and clinical disclosures involving opioid or pain-related adverse events. Serves as reviewing official for pain-management-related JPSR entries and RCA panels Additional Duties Serves on facility-level committees including MEC, Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T), Opioid Safety Committee, Pain Management Committee, and Cancer Committee (as applicable). Participates in VISN 7 Pain Management calls and national VHA PMOP Program calls. Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of PM&R or designee. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Subject to change based on Agency Needs.

Requirements

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. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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.

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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.