Staff Optometrist - Recruitment & Relocation Incentive May be Available

VA North Texas Health Care System is seeking two Optometrists, one for the Dallas VA location and one for the Fort Worth VA location.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified individual.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement & will remain open until July 03, 2026, or until all positions are filled. The first cut-off date is January 29, 2026. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Applicants will remain active for 3 months after their initial application is received and/or updated. After that time, you must update your application through your USAJobs account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period.

-----

Clinical:

• Exercises independent professional judgement in diagnosing the full range of ophthalmic conditions as well as planning and executing the necessary treatments for patients who have illnesses within the scope of optometry.
• The scope of these activities covers all phases of ambulatory care.
• Promotes communication between eye clinic team members, patients, and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process.
• Consults with ophthalmologists and others, when necessary to augment the care of 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 and writing prescriptions for medications or other items on the hospital formulary.
• Demonstrates knowledge of preventive medicine and primary care as related to optometry (e.g. complications of disorders and treatments, side effects of medications used).
• 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 always provided.

Administrative:

• Maintains accurate and timely patient medical record entries in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).
• Complies with all VHA Privacy Policy (HIPPA) requirements.
• Attends regularly scheduled section, surgical service, and medical staff meetings.
• Performs administrative duties at the direction of the ophthalmology/optometry section chief.
• Follows accepted infection control and safety procedures as well as other station policy procedures.

Research:

• Participates, where appropriate, in research in basic visual science and clinical optometry including epidemiological studies, clinical trials and evaluation of alternative health care delivery systems to enhance patient care.

Education:

• 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 meet continuing professional education requirements to maintain current competence and licensure.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 0800 - 1630
Location: One (1) position in Dallas, TX; one (1) position in Fort Worth, TX
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) or Relocation Incentive: May be authorized to highly qualified individual

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

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 Optometrists 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.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.) in accordance with section7402(c) to title 38, United States Code (U.S.C). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. §7407(a).
• 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 and 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. The Optometrist must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current 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, 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
  • Two years of licensed clinical optometric practice in the United States consisting of active involvement in the management of medically complex patients.

Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all basic requirements for the occupation.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with CPRS

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Pushing (0.5 hours); Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (3.5 hours); Standing (4 hours); Both legs required; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted)