Optometrist

About the role

The Optometrist position is located in the Eye Service, Western New York Health Care Systems, in Buffalo and Batavia, NY. This position provides support to the eye clinic, and inpatient services.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the best possible eye care services to our Veteran patients at the Batavia VA Medical Center, Batavia, NY.
• Perform indicated services for conditions in an out-patient clinical setting, including telemedicine.
• Manage ocular disease, including: cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye, ocular emergencies, and other acute or urgent ocular conditions.
• Collaborate regularly with Optometry and Ophthalmology at the Buffalo Eye Clinic as needed for veterans needs and service support.
• Provide consultative reports, as well as refer patients as indicated to primary care physicians, staff, and specialists.
• Provide administrative support to service.
• Timely documentation (notes and encounter forms) is necessary in all areas in accordance with facility policy. All administrative work will be completed in a timely fashion.
• Maintain current knowledge and skills to deliver primary eye care throughout the full spectrum of optometry.
• Identify Veteran concerns and apply discernment and sensitivity when performing tasks required to resolve issues accurately and timely.
• Utilize computerized programs to enter, modify and retrieve sensitive information in the form of electronic medical records. Patient confidentiality will be always maintained per HIPPA requirements.
• Work in a proficient and self-directed manner to accomplish all clinical and administrative duties.

Requirements

• English Language Proficiency: Optometrists appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7402(d) and 7407(d).
• U.S. Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Licensure/Registration: Optometrists must possess a current, full and unrestricted license to practice optometry, and maintain a current registration in a state, territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia that requires successful passage of all parts of National Board of Examiners in Optometry intended for basic licensure.
• Residency Training or Comparable Experience: Optometrists must have successfully completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of VA in an accredited post-graduate training program, or have comparable experience.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement.
• Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.
• Education: Degree of Doctor of Optometry resulting from a course of education in optometry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools or colleges approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are United States and Canadian schools or colleges of optometry listed as accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Licensure/Registration: Optometrists must possess a current, full and unrestricted license to practice optometry, and maintain a current registration in a state, territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia that requires successful passage of all parts of National Board of Examiners in Optometry intended for basic licensure.
• Residency Training or Comparable Experience: Optometrists must have successfully completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of VA in an accredited post-graduate training program, or have comparable experience.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.