Physician (Pain Management)
What you'd do
The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System seeks three physicians to serve as core providers for the National Tele-Pain Addiction Consult Service, PMOS-COE. Applicants must hold an MD or DO, complete an accredited clinical residency, possess a current unrestricted license in any U.S. state, be board eligible or certified in a primary clinical specialty, and maintain clinical competencies. Duties include clinical care, teaching, research, and administration. Term NTE appointment funded by PMOP.
Major duties
Greater Los Angeles, California, offers an extraordinary blend of vibrant urban culture, diverse neighborhoods, and endless economic opportunity, making it an ideal place to live and work. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and sweeping mountain ranges, the region enjoys a year-round Mediterranean climate with world-famous beaches and expansive parks. The area provides endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hiking, surfing, premium dining, and exploring iconic cultural and historic landmarks. The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System serves as a cornerstone of Southern California's veteran care. The system provides comprehensive, innovative medical care, cutting-edge clinical research, and a robust educational program through its strong academic affiliations, including its partnership with UCLA. This progressive healthcare system is dedicated to fostering excellence in pain management and professional growth, making it an outstanding environment for medical professionals to thrive. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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 Major duties of this position include but are not limited to: Serve as a core clinical provider on the National Tele-Pain Addiction Consult (TPAC) Service within the Pain Management and Opioid Safety Center of Excellence (PMOS-COE). Provide telehealth consultations to Veterans referred nationally from VA facilities for complex pain conditions and co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) or opioid use disorder (OUD) presentations. Conduct comprehensive clinical assessments including diagnostic evaluation, risk stratification, and individualized treatment planning across the full spectrum of pain conditions. Initiate and manage pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for pain, including opioid and non-opioid analgesics, adjuvant analgesics, interventional approaches, and multimodal pain management strategies. Manage medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in collaboration with the referring local VA provider, where clinically indicated. Offer same-day access and same-day initiation of treatment consistent with the TPAC bridge clinic model, where clinically appropriate. Collaborate with TPAC inter-professional team members, including Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPPs) and support staff, to optimize clinical workflows and patient outcomes. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. 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. 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 one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences. Exceptions: Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs. In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: Qualified candidates must be Board Eligible or Board Certified in Pain Medicine, Addiction Medicine, or a related subspecialty. Preferred Experience: Fellowship training or post-residency clinical experience in Pain Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Physical Fellowship training or post-residency clinical experience in Pain Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Anesthesiology (pain), Neurology, Rheumatology, Palliative Care, or a related field with significant focus on pain management, addiction medicine, or both. Clinical experience managing complex pain conditions (including musculoskeletal, neuropathic, headache, cancer-related, and post-surgical pain), SUD/OUD, or co-occurring pain and addiction presentations. Familiarity with the intersection of pain and addictive disorders, including awareness of how each condition influences the assessment and treatment of the other. Experience with opioid safety practices including risk stratification, prescription drug monitoring, and naloxone co-prescribing. Experience prescribing or managing MOUD (e.g., buprenorphine, naltrexone) or opioid analgesic therapies, or both. Familiarity with VA EHR platforms (CPRS/VistA) and telehealth-based clinical delivery. Eligibility for a UCLA clinical faculty appointment is strongly encouraged; PMOS-COE will support faculty appointment for candidates who wish to pursue one. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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