Optometrist - Port Richey, United States - Department of Veterans Affairs

Description

Summary


NOTE:
This announcement has been amended to update the salary range to match the new 2024 pay scales.

PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKET.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will remain on file through December 31, 2024. Eligible applicants will be referred each month as vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Learn more about this agency

Help

Overview

• Accepting applications
• Open & closing dates

01/02/2024 to 12/31/2024

• Salary

$72,553 - $186,854 per year

The Professional Standards Board reviews the selected candidate's education and experience and recommends the grade and salary

• Pay scale & grade

VP 00

• Help

Locations

• Port Richey, FL
• Tampa, FL
• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent -* Work schedule

Multiple Schedules -* Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0662 Optometrist

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTC BG

• Control number

Help

This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent facility employees of the Tampa VA Healthcare System and associated outpatient clinics only.

Videos

Help

Duties

In compliance with VA Policy & union requirements/recommendations for Title 38 clinical positions, internal facility employees must receive first consideration prior to hiring managers making selections externally to other applicants.

So, this internal announcement ensures this is met by posting all positions internally to facility employees throughout the year. This announcement does not signify that a vacancy exists at this time.

Should a true vacancy become available in this occupation/specialty, applicants will be reviewed & referred to hiring managers for consideration at that time.

You will receive notification when/if your application progresses to the next stage of recruitment.

You must select the location(s) that you wish to be considered for at your facility. If a vacancy becomes available, you will only be referred for the location(s) you select when you apply. You may select one (1) or multiple locations.

Note that there may not be any current vacancies at the time of this announcement, however, applicants may be considered for future and any additional vacancies that become available until the announcement closes.

The optometrist will provide direct patient care to our unique Veteran population.

Duties and responsibilities include, but is not limited to:

• Maintain an active knowledge of the patient care process of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the medical center and its clinics, an essential element is active knowledge of the medical center records system (CPRS).
• Knowledge of and abide by Medical Center Bylaws, VHA Rules and Regulations and have a familiarization with existing VA specific clinical guidelines.
• Maintain his/her skills at the highest level in all the areas of work which include outpatient clinics and as a consultant.
• Diagnosing, managing and treating refractive conditions, binocular functions, ocular diseases and conditions, ocular complications of systemic disease, etc.
• Responsible for assuring quality consultative and follow up care to patients.
• Conduct him/herself in a professional and courteous manner at all times.
• Referring patients to ophthalmology for diagnosis, treatment and management of systemic and ocular conditions revealed through optometric examinations.
• Assures clinician to clinician communication to ensure smooth receipt or transfer of patients.
• Required to solve patient complaints at the local level, and if warranted be referred to a supervisor.
• Attend mandatory meetings and any other meeting or focus group assigned to. In addition to maintaining the highest quality of care, the physician is also expected to support education, and research activities, as well as, emergency preparedness goals of the Medical Center.
• Conducting clinical evaluations such as: medical & ocular history; visual acuity measurement; pupillary function testing; color vision testing; extraocular muscle function & binocularity testing; refractive & accommodative testing; external examination of the eye & adnexal structures; biomicroscopic evaluation of the ocular adnexa, anterior, and/or posterior segments of the eye, including gonioscopic & fundus lens evaluation; ophthalmoscopic, tonometric, & perimetric evaluations; etc.
• Collaborating with other optometrists, ophthalmologists, nursing staff, technicians & administrators to facilitate operations within the service to meet common goals.
• Performing administrative components of patient care management, including timely completion of progress notes, consults & encounters for all patients, appropriate documentation in medical records, etc.
• Performing as part of a team, with excellent communication skills and interpersonal relationships with all other eye care providers and support staff.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Work Schedule:
Various work schedules available. May require rotating call coverage, weekdays, nights, weekends and/or holidays.

The supervisor will determine the actual work schedule (FT, PT, Intermittent & the hours worked) upon selection based on the needs of the organization.

Telework:
Not Available


Virtual:
This is not a virtual position.


Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized


Financial Discloser Report:
Not required

Help

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

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.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
All applicants must meet the following basic qualifications.

• Citizenship. Must be a citizen of the United States.
• Education. Must have a Degree of doctor of optometry resulting from a course of education in optometry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools or colleges approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.

Approved schools are:
(1) United States and Canadian schools or colleges of optometry listed as accredited by the Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association, in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. -OR- (2) Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia as qualifying for full or unrestricted licensure

• Licensure or Registration. You must possess an active, full and unrestricted license to practice optometry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia; and to maintain a current registration in your State of licensure if this is a requirement of the particular State.
• English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d)
• Physical Standards. Must pass a pre-employment examination. See below for additional information.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet one of the following grade requirements for a specific grade level.

• Associate Grade. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Full Grade. Two years of optometric practice or its equivalent. One year of approved residency training or its creditable equivalent acceptable to the Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association is acceptable in lieu of the 2 years of practice. Candidate must have demonstrated the professional competence and performance necessary to provide independently the full range of clinical optometric diagnosis and treatment for all the most prevalent types of vision dysfunctions and the detection and referral of patients with ocular disease or ocular manifestations of systemic disease.
• Intermediate Grade. Meets the requirements in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) below:(1) Four years of optometric practice or its equivalent. One year of approved residency training or its creditable equivalent acceptable to the Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association is acceptable in lieu of 2 years of practice.(2) The optometrist at this level has successfully passed the examinations of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry(3) Has achieved a high level of professional attainment
• Senior Grade. Meets the requirements for Intermediate grade and the requirements in paragraphs (1) and (2) below:(1) The optometrist at this level possesses such academic stature as would warrant a faculty appointment of a professional level in an approved school or college of optometry.(2) Has demonstrated recognized superior professional attainment
• Chief Grade.

Meets the requirements for Senior grade and must demonstrate a sustained very high level of professional performance with evidence of exceptional professional and/or administrative development by the following:
(1) Has assumed substantial professional and/or administrative responsibilities in which the individual is expected to fully advise and make professional clinical and educational recommendations as to courses of action on problems and considerations of national scope in all areas of optometry. Typically, the optometrist at this level has had responsibility for a major optometric program segment on a nationwide basis and has been consistently called upon to represent the organization in an authoritative manner in matters dealing with development of new and/or revised concepts and programs having a major impact upon the academic, medical, and optometric communities.(2) Outstanding professional attainment.


Examples of such attainment are:
(a) Achievement of outstanding results in research which are regarded as having a major impact on advancing the field.(b) Significant number of noteworthy publications in professional journals.

Reference:
VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G5, Optometrist Qualification Standard

Physical Requirements:
Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health.

This position requires moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching, use of hands and fingers, use of cranes and motor vehicles, walking, standing, bending and climbing.

The incumbent must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or others.

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.

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.

Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required

Pursuant to VHA Directive , 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.

Read more

• Benefits

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other 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.

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.

Veterans' Preference Note:

Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA.

When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.

You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).

If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation.

Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.

Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.