Acupuncturist

Description:

This position is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Albany VA Medical Center. Acupuncturist role would include treating a wide range of conditions and providing acupuncture alone or as an adjunct to traditional medical care. The acupuncturist role includes stimulation of specific points along the skin of the body using needles with or without the addition of electric stimulation.

Requirements:

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Individual must meet one of the requirements: Master's degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM): OR, Advanced level degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign acupuncture programs meet the requirements in subparagraph 3b if they have a full unrestricted and current license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Certification: Acupuncturists hired in the VHA must be board certified through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The board certification must be current and the acupuncturist must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice acupuncture in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e. Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia. English Language Proficiency: Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. Grade Determinations:

In addition, to the basic requirements candidate must be the requirements for the grade.

For the Acupuncturist, GS-9 (Entry Level):

Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignments: Individuals at this grade level are considered to be entry level and are closely supervised. The employee works under the direction of a journey level or higher acupuncturist or other health care providers licensed to perform acupuncture. The acupuncturist provides professional services in accordance with the established treatment plan. Deviations from regular procedures, unanticipated problems, and unfamiliar situations are referred to more experienced staff for a decision or assistance.

For the Acupuncturist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level):

Experience or Education: Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:

Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled.

OR,

Education: Doctoral degree or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in an acupuncture or oriental medicine.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA):

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

1. Ability to screen referrals and direct veterans to other services as appropriate.
2. Ability to formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis.
3. Ability to formulate an acupuncture treatment plan independently or with other health care professionals.
4. Ability to educate patients on health lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care. This includes the ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds.
5. Skill in the selection and use of the appropriate acupuncture tools and supplies based on needs of the patient.

Assignment: Acupuncturists at this level review and triage acupuncture referrals. The incumbent serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team providing acupuncture treatment as well as further coordination of care for patients referred for acupuncture services. The acupuncturist analyzes medical histories and physical findings to formulate a differential diagnosis based on oriental and western medicine paradigms. Duties include the design and oversight of acupuncture treatment plans as well as a full range of acupuncture services, monitoring the accuracy of needle placement during a treatment. The incumbent communicates with patients about any abnormal or unexpected results or responses to treatment and advises patients regarding lifestyle changes including nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, mind body techniques and other matters related to acupuncture care. The acupuncturist may submit referrals and requests for devices, materials and appliances available and commonly used by the acupuncture profession. Duties include documentation of information related to patient care including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, response to treatment, plan of care, and patient education as well as identification and documentation of appropriate coding for each patient encounter. The acupuncturist provides information regarding the patient consultation to other health care providers. The incumbent manages clinical workload demands. The incumbent serves as a mentor to new staff or less experienced staff and students.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G53, Acupuncturist Qualification Standard

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent may engage in the following activities/positions/tasks as defined: Lifting/carrying up to 45 lbs. intermittently, frequent walking, standing, sitting. Occasional stooping, kneeling, overhead reaching, fine manipulation, pushing, and/or pulling. In addition, occasional operation of a motor vehicle may be indicated.