Optometrist

About the role

The Staff Optometrist is a licensed independent practitioner responsible for patient care activities in the Eye Clinic. Planning, coordinating and exercising professional judgement in initiating and implementing administrative and clinical decisions are integral components of the position.

Responsibilities

• Exercises independent professional judgment in diagnosing the full range of complex ophthalmic conditions as well as planning and executing the necessary treatment programs to meet complex and frequent changes in treatment objectives.
• Promotes communication/interactions between Eye Clinic team members, patients, and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process.
• Provides clinical supervision to residents and senior students if applicable.
• Refers, when indicated, patients with multiple health problems to other providers within the facility and the VISN. Consults with physicians and others, when requested, to augment the care of their patients as it relates to emergent and traumatic conditions as well as ophthalmic manifestations of systemic conditions.
• Utilizes the general clinical privileges which include ordering diagnostic tests as appropriate, writing prescriptions for medications or other items on the hospital formulary.
• Independently exercises creativity in solving problems without direct supervisory guidance to meet the varying needs of patients while under care in the Eye Clinic and assures that a high degree of quality patient care is provided at all times.
• Administers administrative tasks such as participating in clinical and administrative committee assignments at the direction of the Chief of Staff/Chief, Surgical Care Line, and attending at least 50% of regularly scheduled Medical Staff meetings.
• Participates in required Performance Improvement programs.
• Maintains accurate and timely patient medical record entries in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Also complies with VHA Privacy Policy (HIPPA) requirements.
• Engages in research in basic visual science and clinical optometry to address questions pertaining to anomalies of the human visual system including epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and the evaluation of alternative health care delivery systems to enhance patient care.
• Participates in surveys within the Optometry Section under the auspices of the Surgical Care Line to ascertain patient satisfaction of care provided.
• Participates fully in educational development through staff and section meetings and assumes responsibility for professional development by attending relevant training and regularly reviewing the literature to improve clinical competencies and meeting professional continuing education requirements to maintain current competence and licensure. Assumes responsibility for attendance at at least 50% of the regular Medical Staff Meetings.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

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.

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. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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

• 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.
• 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. The Optometrist must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.
• Residency Training: Optometrists must have successfully completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of VA in an accredited post-graduate training program, or have comparable experience, as described below: (1) Approved residencies are those with accredited or within pre-accredited status by the ACOE, in the list published for the year the residency was completed. OR (2) Two years of licensed clinical optometric practice in the United States consisting of active involvement in the management of medically complex patients.