Orthotist-Prosthetist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Baltimore is seeking a Non-Supervisory Orthotist-Prosthetist to deliver highly specialized orthotic and prosthetic services to Veterans.

The role requires mastery of complex clinical work and multidisciplinary collaboration in a VA hospital setting. Qualifications include a CAAHEP-accredited degree or equivalent, current ABC/BOC certification, and strong English proficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in orthotics and prosthetics from CAAHEP-accredited program, or Bachelor's plus post-graduate orthotics/prosthetics certificate from a CAAHEP program.
• Board certification by ABC or BOC as orthotist/prosthetist and maintain CE requirements.
• English proficiency in speaking and writing as required by law.

Responsibilities

• Provide complex clinical and laboratory prosthetic and orthotic services to disabled patients.
• Collaborate with treatment teams across multiple disciplines to develop and implement treatment plans.
• Assess patients, take measurements, casts, or scans to create molds for devices.

Skills

Board-certification requirement

Education

Bachelor's in orthotics & prosthetics

Tools

HCPCS knowledge

Job description

The general responsibility of the Non-Supervisory Orthotist-Prosthetist is to provide the most complex clinical and laboratory prosthetic and orthotic services to disabled patients.

(1) vacancy at Loch Raven VAMC Baltimore and (1) vacancy at Baltimore, MD VA.

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.
• 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.

GS-11 (Full Performance Level)

• Experience Requirement: Completion of 1 year of experience as an orthotist/prosthetist equivalent to the GS09 grade level that demonstrates possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to provide orthotic/prosthetic services in a hospital setting.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. You must demonstrate the following GS 9 KSAs:

1. Ability to attend clinics and participate as a member of the treatment team. This includes knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, physics, and etiology of diseases as well as knowledge of psychology and age-related competencies.
2. Knowledge of the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
3. Ability to conduct clinical patient analyses such as gait, range of motion, life style, etc., for patients with complex but typical conditions.
4. Ability to take necessary measurements, casts, or scans to develop positive molds of the affected area of the body to create orthoses and/or prostheses.

GS 11 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Ability to attend clinics and participate as a fully participating member of the treatment team with considerable influence in the development of the treatment plan. This includes advanced knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, physics, and etiology of diseases as well as knowledge of psychology and age related competencies.
2. Ability to conduct clinical patient analyses such as gait, range of motion, life style, etc., for patients with a wide range of complex medical conditions which include unusual problems or complications, and to design unique or innovative devices to accommodate those conditions.
3. Ability to recognize physical abnormalities, deviations, and complicating conditions with potentially life threatening implications.

Assignments

This is considered to be the full performance level. The orthotist/prosthetist communicates and interacts with physicians, allied health professionals, patients, and caregivers in various interdisciplinary clinical settings, rehabilitation medicine, orthopedics, neurosurgery, vascular care, podiatry, oncology, etc., as a subject matter expert to develop the orthotic and/or prosthetic treatment plan. The work includes complex patient analyses in accordance with established procedures for patients with unusual conditions, multiple complex conditions, interrelated conditions, etc.; assessment of the patient for indications/contra-indications 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; consideration of 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. The orthotist/prosthetist at this level is expected to recognize physical abnormalities, deviations, and complicating conditions with potentially life threatening implications.

Preferred Experience

The preferred candidate for a VHA non-supervisory Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist role possesses at least two years of recent clinical experience providing direct patient care in both prosthetics and orthotics, ideally working with a diverse and medically complex patient population. Active certification by the ABC (or equivalent) is required, along with demonstrated proficiency in patient assessment, device design, fitting, and follow-up care using advanced materials and technologies. Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, educating patients and families, and utilizing electronic health records is highly valued. Knowledge of accreditation standards and a commitment to serving Veterans further distinguish exceptional candidates for this position.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements

Daily intermittent walking, standing, bending, stooping, reaching, and carrying of lightweight items required. Rigid deadlines and need for high degree of accuracy periodically becomes stressful.