Exercise Physiologist

Full Job Description

Employee will be assigned to Whole Health Service, VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA.

The employee is responsible for the delivery of comprehensive exercise services to Veterans, contributing to prevention, chronic disease management, and lifestyle behavior change programs.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT - Applicants must possess a Bachelor's (or higher level) degree in one of the basic animal sciences or physiology; or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 24 semester hours in the basic animal sciences, of which 10 semester hours were in animal physiology.

(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Evaluation of Education: Courses such as anatomy; cytology; invertebrate and vertebrate zoology; embryology; entomology; animal, dairy, and poultry husbandry; nutrition; genetics; and physiology may be used to meet the 24-semester-hour requirement in the basic animal sciences.

Courses in physiology, animal or human physiology, cellular physiology, or courses that were well oriented toward animal or human physiology, e.g., some advanced courses in biochemistry, are qualifying as animal physiology courses.

Courses in related fields such as cytology and microbiology (including microbial physiology) may also be qualifying, provided the course work dealt directly with the application of scientific principles underlying animal physiology, or with the methodology and techniques applied in animal physiology work.

English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.

You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS - In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must also meet one of the additional requirements as described below to qualify for this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: developing, implementing, and coordinating prescribed exercise programs for patients; administering and interpreting physical performance tests and recording responses to treatment; providing health education to patients; collecting and managing data; and preparing reports.

OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) - Successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree as described above which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

Physical Requirements: The work involves a wide range of physical demands from sedentary work, sitting in a standard office setting, to moderate and heavy physical demands which include the ability to lead exercise demonstrations and transfer patients within patient room and rehab gym settings.

The work will require short periods of standing, walking, bending, crouching, reaching and leading exercise demonstrations.

On occasions, employee must be capable of assisting with transferring patients that may weigh over three hundred pounds.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties:

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Conducts comprehensive fitness and functional assessments including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, balance, and mobility screening, to determine readiness for physical activity participation.

Develops individualized, evidence-based exercise prescriptions for Veterans with chronic medical and mental health conditions, including but not limited to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, etc.

Provides one-on-one and group-based exercise interventions aligned with Whole Health principles and Veteran personal health goals.

Monitors patient responses to exercise, adjusts exercise prescriptions as appropriate, educates patients on safe and sustainable exercise strategies, and documents outcomes in the electronic health record.

Assists in screening, enrolling, and managing patients within Whole Health movement programs.

Designs, implements, and evaluates movement and exercise programs for health promotion disease prevention, weight management, Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) Utilization pilot initiatives, and involvement in innovative initiatives.

Participates in case conferences and team meetings to discuss patient progress and develops comprehensive care plans. Collects and analyzes data on patient outcomes related to exercise interventions.

Prepares comprehensive reports and maintains accurate patient records.

Contributes to research, quality improvement projects, and program evaluations to enhance the effectiveness of exercise programs within the organization.

Educates Veterans on safe, sustainable physical activity strategies to support long-term self-management and independence.

Facilitates the transition of Veterans from rehabilitation services to ongoing exercise participation and community-based movement resources. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized