Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program - 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: Periods of long standing
• Occasional lifting of moderately heavy objects
• Long periods of sitting at a computer station
• The need for high degree of accuracy - potentially stressful situations - and the ability to adapt work plans based on patient status.

Duties

• For Leavenworth Positions only: Contract Buy Out Program: This position may be eligible for the Physician / Provider Contract Buy Out Program (CBOP) - which authorizes VHA to buy out service contracts (Locum agreements - loan repayments - sign-on bonus contracts - Physician-owned practices) in exchange for employment at certain rural or highly rural facilities for a period of obligated service (minimum 4 years)
• For additional information and eligibility requirements - contact the VHA Contract Buy Out Program Manager at vacontractbuyoutprog@va.gov VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized to highly qualified candidates
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact 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 Functions: The hospitalist provides inpatient clinical care to the patients referred to the hospitalist services
• S/he must be available to diagnose - treat - and manage patients with common general adult medical illnesses
• This includes admitting patients and performing a history and physical examination (H&P) - rounding on patients and writing progress notes each day - discharge planning - and the timely completion of discharge summaries
• This care is delivered in close coordination with the ED - specialty providers - nursing staff and social workers to ensure continuous - high quality - effective patient care
• This also requires close communication with PCPs - patients and families - specialists - hospital departments - and administration to ensure effective utilization of hospital resources and a timely discharge
• The hospitalist leads the hospital interdisciplinary team to improve efficiency and facilitate continuum of care for patients from admission through the discharge process
• This scope of care includes general adult medicine - internal medicine consults as requested - critical care management - and the management of complex patients with multiple comorbidities
• The position may also involve professional role modeling to medical students and house staff
• Duties: Demonstrates - by action and attitude - the general performance standards - treating each patient and referring physician as a cherished customer
• Conducts daily hospital rounds on all patients referred to the service
• Completes all electronic and physical documentation on a timely basis
• Communicates regularly with families - referring physicians - specialists - administration - and hospital departments in the care and treatment of patients referred to the service
• Ensures communication with the incoming or outgoing physician (or other provider) regarding significant patient care issues to optimize the continuity of care from day-to-night shift and vice versa
• Contributes to hospital quality improvement activities by actively participating in medical staff activities - participating and serving on a hospital committee as recommended by the chief hospitalist (examples - utilization review - patient safety and quality - antibiotic stewardship - peer review) - and by making suggestions for improvement in processes and supporting change efforts in the hospitalist program
• Assumes responsibility to ensure that all necessary documentation is accurate - complete - and timely - including medical records - billing/coding - and any other such documentation as requested by hospital from time to time
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Six 12's and one 8 hour shift