Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine
• The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification
• (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Additional Requirement: Preferred Experience: 2 years VA experience preferred but not required
• experience with resident supervision preferred but not required, as well as prior work on an interdisciplinary team
• Board certified preferred
• BE acceptable
• Current residents who will be board eligible upon completion of their program are welcome to apply
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity
• This position requires mostly periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients/residents who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on stakeholder needs.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Caronda Slocum, caronda.slocum@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance 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 Work Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Monday-Friday with occasional on-call responsibilities The Durham VA Health Care System is seeking an outpatient psychiatrist to provide a full range of psycho-diagnostic services and psychiatric treatment
• The Psychiatrist will perform psychiatric evaluations and provide ongoing care for a diverse population of patients by age, gender, and military experience, including and post-deployment combat veterans who are mentally ill and have psychosocial issues that may include homelessness, unemployment, and poor family support
• Care is provided as part of a Behavioral health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team
• The psychiatrist may supervise psychiatry residents and will have periodic on-call responsibilities
• CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
• Performs psychiatric evaluations for a diverse population of patients of males, females, geriatric, and post deployment combat veterans who are mentally ill and have psychosocial issues that may include homelessness, unemployment, and poor family support network
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions to units/programs in the Medical Center to which the psychiatrist is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice including diagnostic assessment, medication evaluation and management, suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, and overall care of patients with psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, psychosis, PTSD, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings including the outpatient, inpatient, ED, and hospital ward settings
• The Psychiatrist may serve as a mental health team leader with responsibilities for coordinating consults and triage of specialty clinic referrals
• Participates effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences and collaborates with multidisciplinary team members that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care
• Orders diagnostic tests and consultations, and discriminates between normal and abnormal findings and makes appropriate treatment decisions
• Ensures that the practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with Joint Commission, CARF, VA policies and procedures, clinical practice psychiatric guidelines, VISN standards, national statutes and regulations, medical record documentation, mandatory continuing education, and HIPPA policies
• Participates in supervision and teaching in support of the psychiatric residency program, performs on call duties, and performs other directly related duties as assigned
• ACADEMIC/TEACHING/TRAINING/ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES: Involved in performance improvement and quality assurance initiatives
• Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff
• Involved in the supervision and teaching of psychiatry residents and other trainees assigned to unit as appropriate
• Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in implementation of treatment plan as appropriate regarding their patients
• Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate
• Plans and oversees the completion of personal research programs, designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches
• Other duties as assigned, including taking overnight and on-site weekend call as determined by the facility needs.