Pain Medicine Physician (Interventional & Multimodal Pain Management)

Quick Facts

• Role: Physician focused on comprehensive pain evaluation and management (acute, chronic, and cancer-related)

• Care model: Stepped-care, interdisciplinary, multimodal, opioid-sparing; telehealth coordination when appropriate

• Procedures: Privileges-based interventional pain management (injections, nerve blocks, epidural/facet procedures, neuromodulation, intrathecal drug delivery, and other credentialed advanced options)

Description

The role provides comprehensive evaluation and longitudinal management of acute, chronic, and cancer-related pain using an interdisciplinary, stepped-care approach. You will integrate evidence-based pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies with diagnostic and therapeutic interventional procedures, supporting VA’s National Pain Management Strategy and patient-centered multimodal care. When opioids are considered, you must apply CDC 2022 recommendations, including risk-benefit discussions, dosage prudence, follow-up, and risk mitigation, alongside PDMP review and controlled-substance documentation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed pain assessments and focused exams; order and interpret relevant diagnostics

• Formulate individualized treatment plans and provide longitudinal follow-up for efficacy, function, and safety

• Implement multimodal strategies prioritizing non-opioid modalities; apply CDC 2022 opioid requirements when opioids are used

• Query State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) and document results in CPRS

• Prescribe and manage controlled substances per VA directives and DEA regulations; maintain accountability and documentation

• Perform privileges-based interventional procedures (fluoroscopic and/or ultrasound-guided), including:

• Trigger point and soft tissue injections

• Peripheral nerve blocks

• Intra-articular and peri-articular injections

• Epidural steroid injections (caudal, interlaminar, transforaminal)

• Facet-mediated pain procedures (facet injections; medial branch blocks leading to RFA when indicated)

• Sympathetic blocks (stellate ganglion, lumbar sympathetic, celiac/splanchnic)

• Advanced vertebrogenic/spine procedures (e.g., Intracept where appropriately selected)

• Neuromodulation (spinal cord stimulation trial/permanent implant; dorsal root ganglion stimulation when appropriate)

• Intrathecal drug delivery (trial, pump implantation, programming, and longitudinal management)

• Other advanced procedures as credentialed (e.g., where approved or standard of care permits)

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): up to $200,000 (eligibility determined by VA; application required within 4 months of appointment; former EDRP participants are ineligible)

• Competitive salary with annual performance bonus and regular salary increases

• Paid Time Off: 50–55 days/year (26 days annual leave, 13 sick leave, 11 federal holidays; plus possible 5-day paid absence for CME)

• Retirement: traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% contributions

• Insurance: federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care options

• CME: possible $1,000/year reimbursement (board certification required; full-time)

• Malpractice: free liability protection with tail coverage

• Contract: no physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

• Potential eligibility for Physician/Provider Contract Buy Out Program (CBOP) for rural/highly rural facilities with an obligated service period (minimum 4 years)

Work Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00am–4:30pm