Supervisory Acupuncturist

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 below: (1) Master’s degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). OR (2) Advanced level degree in acupuncture or oriental medicine from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. 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). Grade Determinations: Supervisory Acupuncturist, GS-12 Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Examples of the GS-11 experience include review and triage acupuncture referrals; serve as a member of an interdisciplinary team providing acupuncture treatment and further coordination of care for patients referred for acupuncture services; analyze medical histories and physical findings to formulate a differential diagnosis based on oriental and western medicine paradigms; design and oversight of acupuncture treatment plans and full range of acupuncture services, monitoring the accuracy of needle placement during a treatment; communicate 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; submit referrals and requests for devices, materials and appliances available and commonly used by the acupuncture profession; 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; provide information regarding the patient consultation to other health care providers; manage clinical workload demands; serve as a mentor to new staff or less experienced staff and students. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs: 1. Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties including responsibility for work assignments; competency assessments; performance evaluations; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions. 2. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems to develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, productivity within the service. 3. Knowledge of how acupuncture integrates with other healthcare disciplines. 4. Ability to analyze clinical data and make recommendations for corrective actions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within service keeping in line with accrediting bodies and policy. 5. Knowledge related to administrative functions such as, material, supply, and equipment management. Preferred Experience: 2 years of administrative and clinical supervisory experience 5+ years of acupuncture clinical experience Experience in acupuncture education as an instructor or educator Diplomat in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) Licensed acupuncturist with doctorate in acupuncture, or other health related field Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-53, Acupuncturist Qualification Standard GS-0601. 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. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, up to 20 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (1-2 hours); Standing (2-3 hours); Both eyes required; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Mental and Emotional stability.
The Supervisory Acupuncturist position is located at the Audie L. Murphy VAMC in San Antonio, Texas within the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Whole Health System. The acupuncturist has supervisory duties and is responsible for program development, efficient management and coordination, performance improvement and evaluation of the acupuncture program and services within STVHCS. Provide individualized or group acupuncture treatment and educate patients on health lifestyle changes.