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. 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. Preferred Experience: Five (5) years of experience as a Cardiologist Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Functional Requirements Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds Use of fingers Both hands required Walking (1 hour) Standing (4 hours) Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Ability to distinguish basic colors Hearing (aid may be permitted) Emotional/Mental Stability Environmental Factors Radiant energy Electrical energy Slippery or uneven walking surfaces Working with hands in water Working closely with others Working alone Protracted or irregular hours of work ["VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be approved for highly qualified candidate Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact raja.kadeem@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 Duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Provide Cardiology care for inpatients and outpatients at the facility and select Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Diagnose, treat, and manage patients with cardiac diseases according to standard, usual, and acceptable methods and techniques within their approved privileges at all times. Deliver interventions throughout the full spectrum of Cardiology care, i.e. expected to maintain good diagnostic and therapeutic acumen. Develop strong, collegial working relationships with leaders within the medical center (both clinical and administrative). Oversee the development and implementation of systems redesigns projects, quality improvements and assurance programs of inpatient services. Champion initiatives designed to improve overall quality through the use of evidence-based medicine and peer review. Participate in clinical review processes such as tort claims, peer reviews, management reviews and administrative activities. Perform full general cardiology examinations on established or newly consulted patients, including electronic consultations ( e-Consults) in the Cardiology clinics, inpatient wards or Urgent Care Department for signs or symptoms of cardiac disease. Ensure communication with the hospitalists regarding inpatients and/or potential admissions. Perform Compensation and Pension exams and/or Tort Claim reviews. Interpret echocardiograms (including stress, dobutamine and transesophageal echocardiograms), holter monitor studies, event recorder studies, and electrocardiograms (EKGs). Certified in Nuclear Cardiology. Supervise and interpret exercise stress tests. Complete history and physical exams within 24 hours of admission. Input progress/consult notes for inpatient and outpatient encounters within prescribed timelines. Involved as a leader in the organization's continued accreditation readiness activities. Foster a culture of transparency, communication, collegiality and patient centered interdisciplinary teamwork. Use astute business acumen to optimally utilize resources and adapt to changes, exercising leadership and flexibility. Maintain current medical knowledge and technical skills. Provide leadership and documentation within the Cardio/Respiratory Service that all staff are competent with respect to current privileging. Maintain excellent diagnostic, judgmental, and therapeutic acumen in the care of all veterans. Recognize the need and modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities. Ability to provide accurate and understandable instructions to patients. Understand the importance and is compliant with participating in patient identification and time-out processes. Ability to recognize patient signs of physical distress and monitor the patient's condition. Knowledge of computerized patient records systems, and their application to Cardiology patients, to include approved abbreviations and the format for completion of progress notes. Compliance with maintaining patient confidentiality per HIPAA regulations relative to both written and verbal patient information. Compliance with VHA cyber-security policies and directives. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm; Compressed tour may be available for highly qualified candidate"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
