Supervisory Orthotist-Prosthetist

Supervisory Orthotist-Prosthetist

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): San Juan, Puerto Rico

Salary Range: $88621 - $115213 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Major Duties:

• VA Careers - Prosthetics: https://youtube.com/embed/3NUvF5jjErQ The duties of the Supervisory Orthotist-Prosthetist include, but are not limited to the following: Supervisory responsibilities for all Health Technicians-Pedorthists and Prosthetist-Orthotist in the delivery and/or support of treatment and education of patients and families within the scope of this position. Assignment and evaluation of work to O&P section staff, Prosthetists and Health Technicians-Pedorthist including technical oversight to assure prompt and smooth delivery of services to patients. Consultation with physicians, members of the rehabilitation team and other health professionals through case presentations, and reevaluation of clinics. Participates and advises on matters such as prescription, coding, fabrication and fitting of prosthetic limbs and orthotic technologies. Responds to patients' needs and issues to provide continuity of care in adverse circumstances. Identifies biomechanical conditions. Conducts gait analysis, range of motion, coordination and balance, motor skills, and clinical assessment studies in accordance with occupational principles for unusual conditions, multiple complex interrelated conditions, etc. Interviews patients to determine expectations and lifestyle, home/work environment, and ability to use the device. Identifies subjective and objective information to enable the development of an appropriate orthotic/prosthetic care plan in concordance with diagnosis-specific clinical, functional, and cognitive examination. Monitors patient clinical status and response, noting the baseline function and follow up outcomes, and consider the patient indications/contraindications for appropriate treatment. Discusses assessment with referring physical/providers &/or interdisciplinary team, to develop the overall treatment plans. Takes necessary measurements, casts, or scans to develop positive molds of the affected area of the body, which are used to create the orthotic and/or prosthesis. Recognizes physical abnormalities, deviations, and complicating conditions with potentially life-threatening implications. Communicates with the prescribing physician as needed to verify and/or modify the original prescription and/or treatment plan. Considers 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. Considering the information developed through assessment as well as time management workload considerations, designs custom devices using standard components to optimize patient performance for difficult and complex conditions; may include CAD/CAM systems. Selects materials and components to be used in the fabrication of the device and determines appropriate equipment to be used. Investigates literature for evidence-based treatment options to formulate the treatment plan. Determines and justifies the design details of the orthotic/prosthetic device prescription. Fits the device on the patient, assures preliminary alignment, and performs subsequent dynamic alignment. Educates patients and caregivers and provides disclosure of potential risks, benefits, and limitations in orthotic or prosthetic care. Assesses and/or modifies the fit and function of the device as fabricated and makes appropriate modifications to ensure optimum patient outcome. Educates patient and caregivers and provides disclosure of potential risks, benefits, and limitations in orthotic or prosthetic care. Assesses and/or modifies the fit and function of the device as fabricated and makes appropriate modifications to ensure optimum patient outcome. Educates patient and caregivers and provides disclosure of potential risks, benefits, and limitations in orthotic or prosthetic care. Evaluates the patient's ability to don/doff the device, provides training to the patient and/or caregiver in its use and maintenance, and may also train clinical staff. Explains procedures and processes to the patient to reduce anxiety and gain support and cooperation in all stages of the process. Ensures the patient's ability to wear and use the orthotic/prosthetic device and verifies progress. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 60124F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education A bachelor's degree or higher in orthotics and prosthetics from a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited program. OR A bachelor's degree or higher in any major along with a post-graduate orthotics or prosthetics certificate from a CAAHEP accredited program. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign degree programs must have proof of a minimum of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in orthotics and prosthetics. 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. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. 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).English/Spanish Language Proficiency. Orthotists, prosthetists, or orthotist/prosthetists must be proficient in spoken and written as required. 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 | KSAs) 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. 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. Ability to recognize physical abnormalities, deviations, and complicating conditions with potentially life threatening implications. Supervisory Orthotist/Prosthetist, GS-12 Experience. Completion of one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) as an orthotist/prosthetist functioning as a full member of the clinical team which includes significant involvement in treatment plan development for the most complex types of conditions. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment- specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): Knowledge of regulatory requirements established by the ABC, BOC, the National Committee for Orthotic/Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), the International Association of Orthotists and Prosthetists (IAOP), the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP), Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), etc. * Knowledge of administrative functions including budget development and management, inventory management, space and workload planning, as well as knowledge of the National Prosthetic Patient Database (NPPD), knowledge of the Prosthetic National Software (PNS) package, Decision Support System (DSS), and knowledge of accreditation requirements for orthotic and prosthetic laboratories and certification requirements for individuals. * Ability to analyze data and provide reports using CPRS, Vista, DSS, HCPCS codes and other patient database information. * Ability to provide training to orthotists/prosthetists in new technologies and innovations in devices. * Ability to manage and supervise employees. (To be used if the assignment is supervisory in nature.) Assignments | Supervisory Orthotist/Prosthetist. The orthotist/prosthetist at this level serves as supervisor of an orthotics/prosthetics laboratory assessing, planning, and evaluating the orthotic/prosthetic program at the facility level to ensure proper coordination between the delivery of orthotic/prosthetic services and the overall delivery of health care. Responsibilities include assuring the accreditation of the laboratory, regulatory compliance, and a variety of administrative duties such as developing a budget, managing inventory and resources, overseeing contract employees, supervising assigned staff, etc. The assignment includes performance of the full range of supervisory duties. This includes responsibility for assignment of duties; development of performance standards and performance evaluations; and recommendations for appointment, awards, advancement, and when appropriate, disciplinary action; etc. At this level, the orthotist/prosthetist serves as a consultant within orthotic and prosthetic treatment service and with other facility health care staff in evaluating health care delivery to patients. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/29/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12847906. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-29