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The Orthotist/Prosthetist Advanced Practitioner is a member of the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center, Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Department. This position is responsible for providing complex clinical and laboratory prosthetic and orthotic services to disabled patients.
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U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
This position is open to all U.S. Citizens.
If you ARE a current federal employee, please apply to the internal announcement CBSU-12779048-25-GH.----------
- Treatment of all amputation levels including upper limb, hip disarticulation levels.
- Serves as an advisor to physicians, therapists and other medical professionals with regard to indications and contraindications of prosthetic and orthotic componentry, prescription criteria
- Authorizes the purchase, fabrication or repair of prosthetic devices;
- Maintains continuous liaison with manufacturers and dealers of prosthetic supplies, inspecting their facilities and services and participating in the award of prosthetic appliance contracts;
- Participates in investigative/research project studies by selecting patients as pilot wearers of newly developed prosthetic items, evaluating the usefulness of such items and compiling of data;
- Gives technical and administrative advice and assistance on prosthetic problems to other facilities.
Functional tasks for the a Orthotist Prosthetist Advanced Practitioner GS-12.
- Follows established regulations and procedures to insure patient privacy.
- Identifies biomechanical condition.
- 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, lifestyle, home/work environment, ability to use the device.
- Takes necessary measurements, casts or scans to develop positive molds of the affected area of the body, which are used to create the orthosis and prosthesis.
- Recognizes physical abnormalities, deviations, and complicating conditions with potentially life threatening implications.
- Assesses patient for indications/contra-indications of appropriate treatment protocols and discusses the assessment with the physician/requesting provider for purposes of developing the overall 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 the 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 fabrication of the device and determines appropriate equipment to be used in fabrication of the device.
- Fabricates components, or selects and modifies components, and assembles these into the finished device. Uses CAD/CAM system as appropriate in this process and performs preliminary alignment.
- Fits the device on the patient, assures preliminary alignment, and performs subsequent dynamic alignment.
- Assesses and modifies fit and function of the device as fabricated and makes appropriate modifications to insure optimum patient outcome.
- Evaluates patient's ability to don/doff the device, provides training to the patient and/or caregiver in its use and maintenance.
- Explains procedures and processes to the patient to reduce anxiety and gain support and cooperation in all stages of the process.
- Maintains the patient's record, including the electronic record, in accordance with established JCAHO/ABC/BOC/Medical Center/VISN policies
- Attends professional and manufacturer's training seminars.
- Completes mandatory training per hospital requirements.
- Maintains professional credentials and/or competency.
- Observes appropriate, established infection control guidelines.
- Follows environmental and occupational safety guidelines.
- Communicates and interacts with physicians, allied health professionals, patient and caregiver in various interdisciplinary clinical settings as a subject matter expert to develop the O/P treatment plan.
- Conducts in-service training for O/P staff, VSO's, as well as staff in other disciplines regarding O/P technologies.
- Provides guidance and direction to lower graded O/P staff.
- Manages the daily operations of a small to medium Lab
- Plans clinical schedule for Orthotics and Prosthetics and assures appropriate staff coverage
- Conducts site surveys of commercial vendors to insure vendor regulatory compliance
- Evaluates the ability of a vendor to provide a product
- Responsible for accreditation compliance
- Develops short & long range plans/goals for the lab in accordance with local, VISN, Headquarters direction 31.
- Develops budget plan for lab
- Manages inventory of stock items, fabrication materials, and components 33. Assures safe workplace considering environmental concerns, OSHA/JCAHO regulations.
- Conducts quality assurance activities.
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- 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.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
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.
A bachelor's degree or higher in orthotics and prosthetics from a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited program
A bachelor's degree or higher in any major along with a post-graduate orthotics or prosthetics certificate from a CAAHEP accredited program
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.
- 1. 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.
- + 2. 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.
- + 4. Ability to provide training to orthotists/prosthetists in new technologies and innovations in devices.
- + 5. Ability to manage and supervise employees. (To be used if the assignment is supervisory in nature.
Education
Receiving Service Credit or 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.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
The first year of continuous service in the same or similar position of a preference eligible in the excepted service is a trial period. The first 2 years of continuous service in the same or similar position of an individual in the excepted service (other than a preference eligible), is a trial period.
At least 60 days prior to the end of each employee's initial probationary or trial period, management officials shall, to the extent practicable, meet to discuss the employee's performance and conduct (based in part on the input from the employee's supervisor), the needs to the agency, and whether their continued employment would advance the public interest, the organizational goals of the agency, and the efficiency of the service.
Within 30 days prior to the end of each employee's probationary or trial period, management officials shall determine whether to finalize the employee's appointment to the Federal service, or whether to terminate their service. Before the employee is terminated, they shall be notified in writing of the effective date of the action.
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
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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.
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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
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To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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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 09/30/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12779047.
- 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.
VISN 19 HR Contact Center
Phone
719-227-4600
Email
V19USAJOBS@VA.GOV
Address
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
08/07/2025 to 09/30/2025
Salary
$88,261 to - $115,213 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Salt Lake City, UT
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
- 0667 Orthotist And Prosthetist
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSU-12779047-25-GH
Control number
842765900
Salary
USD 88,261 - 115,213 /yearly
Yearly based
Remote Job
Worldwide
UT , United States
