Job Title

Podiatrist

Duties

The Podiatrist performs the full range of professional care & treatment of the feet, ankles, & associated structures of the legs to include evaluation, diagnosis, medical treatment, & in office minor surgical procedures & treatment of structural & functional anomalies, localized disease processes, trauma, & localized manifestations of systemic disease by medical/physical/mechanical means. The Podiatrist will provide comprehensive care for patients who have illnesses within the scope of Podiatry. Duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Is an expert in the field of General Podiatry, performing diagnoses and treatment for the full range of cases, problems, and injuries encountered in the specialty.
• Applies extensive knowledge and understanding of medical sciences underlying the field of podiatry; pharmacology; and lower extremity biomechanics to perform various routine and complex medical procedures.
• Refers to a staff Surgical Podiatrist for surgical needs in a timely manner.
• Provides conservative care for a vast variety of foot and ankle problems to include foot and ankle imbalances, weaknesses, and deformities.
• Provides treatment that includes manipulation, strapping, casting, referral to Physical Therapy, and design, fabrication, and fitting of balance and orthotic devices. These include the most difficult biomechanical problems including balance and prosthetic devices to accommodate partial loss of a portion of the foot or to better maintain and align gait in the neurovascular deficient patient.
• Examines, diagnoses, and prescribes appropriate footwear, inspects for effectiveness and specifications in accordance with patient need. Prescribes laboratory procedures to assist in diagnosis and interprets results.
• Interprets x-rays for bone and joint pathology, deformities, trauma, and associated soft tissue structural changes.
• Uses fluoroscopy to locate and excise foreign bodies of the foot/ankle, and to examine osseous abnormalities of the foot/ankle.
• Selects, prescribes, and/or applies medical therapy to include topical, oral, and injectable medication and drugs.
• Advise patients on dosage and side effects of medications. Prepare complete medical records, including significant history and physical findings, pre-operative diagnoses and planned procedures.
• Diagnose and treat foot disorders to include the most difficult arising from non-systemic origin.
• Recognize systemic disease and disorders and refer patients for appropriate medical treatment.
• Independently examines, diagnoses, and medically treats non-systemic conditions (ankle and foot sprains, fractures or foot/ankle, benign tumors, cysts, burns, lacerations, puncture wounds, foreign bodies, abscesses, bacterial and mycotic infections, dermatitis, cellulitis, bursitis, tenosynovitis, mycotic nail debridement, myositis, plantar fasciitis, hammer toes, bunion deformities, warts, ingrown nails, pes planus and pes cavus, and hyperkeratotic lesions and wounds of the feet/ankle).
• Consult with professional staff in the treatment of localized manifestations of systemic conditions, or the systemic conditions inducing or complicating foot pathology (diabetic ulcers, chronic wounds, abscesses, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis,).
• Performs multiple minor surgical procedures under local anesthesia on outpatients, to include, but not limited to, excision of pyogenic ingrown nails, foreign bodies, warts including electrocautery of wound, aspiration of ganglionic cysts, incision, and drainage of blisters and debridement of their base if infected.
• Performs injection therapy utilizing local anesthesia and injectable medication for such conditions as calcaneal bursitis, traumatic arthritis, or capsulitis of any of the pedal or ankle joints, tenosynovitis of the foot and ankle, plantar fasciitis, and myositis.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Bargaining Unit: This position is bargaining unit. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.