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
• Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers"
• (PRPs)
• PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis
• PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged
• rather, they are to have a "scope of practice"
• that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision
• Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Physical demands include repetitive body movements including the following: frequent reaching, standing, walking, and lifting of equipment and/or patients to provide patient care
• This position requires extension of the hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction including above or below shoulder level, during the provision of patient care, including retrieval of needed equipment, supplies and to make contact with the patient
• This position requires the maintenance of an upright position to perform duties associated with patient care
• This position is typically non-sedentary, and frequently involves being in the standing position
• This position requires moving about accomplish tasks, such as assisting with patient ambulation and moving one patient area to the next
• This position requires the raising of objects from a lower position to a higher position or the movement of objects horizontally position to position
• Lifting may be done to move a patient from one location to the next, i.e.- from the exam table to the chair, and in the movement of equipment or supplies.

Duties

• The Cardiologist will have training and experience managing advanced heart failure patients with formal heart failure fellowship training preferred
• The Cardiologist participates in inpatient and outpatient quality care, teaching, and research related to cardiovascular diseases
• Candidate will have experience and training in novel advanced pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic heart failure treatment modalities
• Candidate will apply national and VA guidelines to patient screening, surveillance and management of cardiovascular diseases
• Position requires candidate to work as an attending physician, responsible for supervising University of Pittsburgh trainees-Internal Medicine residents and Cardiology fellows
• Duties and responsibilities include: Prescribe appropriate treatments, supervise, teach and provide consultation to other health care providers (nurse practitioners, medical students and residents rotating through cardiology service and cardiology fellows)
• Provide consultations to the medical and support staff on cardiology issues when needed
• Attend Cardiology Inpatient Service, outpatient clinics, EKG, Stress EKG, and performs other procedures as appropriate
• attends staff meetings
• performance of chart reviews
• coordinates with other providers regarding patient care issues
• documents electronic health record
• performs history and physicals within 24 hours of request
• performs outpatient encounters
• documents consult notes
• and processes new and renewal prescriptions
• Perform echocardiography, right heart catheterizations, exercise and pharmacologic stress testing, Holter monitor and electrocardiogram interpretation, diagnosis and management of arrhythmias and Ischemic Heart Disease
• Able to identify, assist with work up of pre- and post- LVAD and heart transplant evaluations
• Co-manage post-heart transplant and post-LVAD patients with other VA and community hospitals
• Take an active role in education and in the evaluation of the patient, deciding treatment/care options
• Serve on service level and/or facility committees as needed and participates in the facility peer review program
• Maintain professional competency, courtesy and flexibility to provide the necessary services of this specialty to our Veteran population
• Participate in the expanded use of clinical video telehealth (VVC and CVT)/electronic consultation (e-Consult) to improve access to cardiology care
• May serve on committees, participates in quality assurance programs, assist facility in meeting established performance measures in the areas of Cardiology and such other duties assigned by the Chief of Medicine
• Work closely with all staff to ensure compliance with National, Network, and local performance standards
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@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: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm - Weekend, evening, and holiday calls may be expected.