Summary

The Service Chief of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) at William S. Middleton Memorial Hospital in Madison, WI, which is a Complexity Level 1b facility, is responsible for the supervision, clinical and administrative oversight, and direction of Allied Health Professionals across the services of Physical, Occupational, Recreational, and Speech Therapies and Audiology.

Duties

Service Chief duties include but are not limited to:

Clinical:

• Supervises and assigns work to PM&R professionals (PT, OT, PTA, COTA, TR, SLP, Audiologists), trainees, administrative support, and volunteers in the delivery, support, and/or coordination of treatment and education of patients, families, and co-workers at the William S. Middleton Memorial VA Hospital
• Oversight of PM&R consult management for appropriateness, clinical triage, and clinical review of request for contracted services.
• Oversees coordination of scheduling for all consults for new patients.
• Coordinates with other services in PM&R treatment, treatment scheduling, and delivery of care.
• Serves as a consultant to PM&R staff and other hospital personnel in evaluating and planning rehabilitation treatment.
• Resolves problems that interfere with delivery of PM&R services.

Documentation:

• Performs and provides oversight of consistent and timely documentation of patient encounters in the electronic medical record in accordance with accepted PT/OT/TR/SLP/Audiology practice, Joint Commission, facility, and PM&R Service requirements regarding content and timeliness.
• Performs and provides oversight of competent documentation in CPRS of progress notes and discharge summaries.
• Performs and provides oversight of entering consults to the Prosthetics Service in accordance with PM&RS and local medical center policies.

Education:

• Identifies continuing education needs based on performance of staff and needs of the service.
• Educates other facility personnel in the scope of PM&R services and programs involving a variety of healthcare specialties and providers.
• Will coordinate research studies and will serve as consultant to staff in research initiative.
• Provides leadership and coordination of national and local VA training for VHA and PT staff to ensure staff competency.
• Provides consultation to VA medical centers throughout the system in the area of rehabilitation.
• Attends continuing education related to management and clinical practice to enhance knowledge base and optimize personal practices.

Administrative:

• Performs a full range of supervisory duties that includes: recruitment, interviewing, and selecting PM&R candidates; recommending appointments, advancements, and promotions for permanent staff; and taking disciplinary action when indicated.
• Works closely in a supportive role reporting to the Hospital Chief of Staff
• Works closely with the assigned Chief of Prosthetics in the prescription and ordering of prosthetic items and is responsible for assisting in the development of local and VISN guidelines.-
• Has oversight and direct input on semi-annual and annual performance evaluations for all PM&RS staff at the Madison VA Medical Center.
• Serves as a rating official for PM&RS staff's yearly performance reviews, recommending awards, counseling staff to develop strategies for improvement, or when necessary, assisting in corrective action. Conducts ongoing performance appraisals with direct reports.
• Organizes, supervises, guides and manages clinics in respect to training, work assignments, performance, conduct, and patient welfare.
• Conducts service level meetings and/or in-services on a regular basis to expand the knowledge and disseminate appropriate information to PM&R staff.- Develops, plans, implements, and assists in the planning, development, and implementation of various treatment programs for PM&RS.
• Collects and compiles appropriate data for statistical and narrative reports. Submitting such reports in a timely fashion.- Makes recommendations for equipment and budgetary needs based upon the needs of the PM&R service.
• Assures the cleanliness, maintenance, repairs, and successful operation of all equipment, treatment areas, and operational supplies within PM&R.
• Serves as the PM&R Custodial officer, overseeing all purchasing, maintenance, and turn in of equipment assigned to EIL 280 and 770.
• Responsible for submitting requests for expendable and non-expendable equipment and reviewing the equipment needs and budget with the Administrative Officer.
• Responsible for ensuring that all OSHA standards as well as the facility safety guidelines and infection control policies are being met in the treatment areas.
• Responsible for special assignments associated with the preparation for Joint Commission and other surveys, as applicable, and ensuring that the standards are met.- Responsible for assuring confidentiality compliance as defined in the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act.
• Represent the VA at a national level through lectures, education, and training.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:00am to 4:30pm

Telework: AD-HOC Telework Eligible

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 examinations.
• 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 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

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:

• Citizenship: citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• Education and experience. The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:

(1) Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy AND five (5) years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.

(2) Master's degree in Physical Therapy AND two (2) years of progressively independentexperience as a physical therapist.

(3) Doctorate degree in physical therapy

• Licensure: current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice as an Physical Therapist in a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• English Language Proficiency: spoken and written English language proficiency in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j.

The qualified individual will meet and maintain the qualification requirements for the position, assignment and grade as outlined in the Physical Therapy Qualification Standard, VA Handbook 5005/99, Part II, Appendix G12.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent of the position will meet and maintain physical and drug test program requirements as required by hospital policy. There will be periods of walking and ambulating patients, providing patient transfers, and potential to lift 50 pounds and supporting patients.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

GS-14 Physical Therapist (Service Chief) Experience:

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in multiple professional areas.
• Skill in managing interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution in dealing with arrange of employees, discipline lead(s), and administrators.
• Ability to translate extensive rehabilitation knowledge into local policy development.
• Ability to effectively supervise staff by providing clinical and administrative oversight. This includes ability to manage resources, evaluate employees and assign work.
• Ability to collaborate with strategic planning committees at local, VISN or national levels for new ventures addressing patient care delivery systems, facilities management, system reorganizations, etc.

Preferred Experience: Leadership position in a hospital setting.

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

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

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.

Benefits

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.