Physician - Geriatrics & Extended Care

Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Fredericksburg (VA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center, part of the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, seeks a Geriatrics & Extended Care Physician to join our multidisciplinary team.

The physician may practice in inpatient, outpatient, Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) and telehealth settings, provide care across diverse Veteran populations, supervise clinical staff, and participate in trainee education and quality improvement.

Qualifications

• Must hold a full and unrestricted medical license in the United States.
• MD or DO degree from a school approved by VA.
• Residency training in an accredited core specialty leading to board eligibility.
• Board certification preferred for faculty status.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Preferred experience: Home-Based Primary Care.

Responsibilities

• Provide patient care in inpatient, outpatient, HBPC, and telehealth settings.
• Participate in trainee education and scholarly activity.
• Engage in quality improvement initiatives.
• Supervise clinical staff and coordinate care with the interdisciplinary team.
• Complete HBPC home visits as required.

Skills

MD/DO degree

Medical license

Residency trained

Board certification

HBPC experience

English proficiency

Education

MD or equivalent

Job description

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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education - the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) - in the list published for the year the residency - or fellowship if applicable - was completed
• OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship - first year of residency - or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States
• OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement) - 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
• Exceptions: 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 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
• In rare and unusual circumstances - the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer - who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience - accomplishments - performance - and qualifications warrant such action
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Preferred Experience: 2 years experience as primary care provider in Home-Based Primary Care
• Geriatrics or HPM Fellowship training 2 years experience in Geriatric Primary Care
• Physicians must have successfully completed residency training - approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs - in an accredited core specialty training program as outlined in the title 38 qualification standard for the Physician - 0602 - occupation
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The physical requirements of this position include lifting - prolonged standing - sitting - frequent bending - stooping - walking - reaching - repetitive motion - and climbing stairs
• The mental/sensory requirements include logical thinking - processing - and retaining information - reading - recall - reasoning - complex problem solving - hearing - clear distinct speech - writing - keyboarding - use of a telephone - and use of video connectivity
• This position requires face-to-face patient care - use of available IT software and equipment for virtual visits - and timely and accurate navigation of and documentation in electronic medical records
• The environment's pace can vary from steady to fast-paced requiring handling multiple priorities in a single day - frequent - sometimes intense customer interactions - and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes-noisy environment
• There may be the need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease - illness - and hazardous materials
• This position involved working with patients who have communication difficulties - cognitive loss including dementia - behavioral challenges - altered mentation and caregivers that are stressed
• Collaboration with multiple stakeholders is essential
• This position requires compliance with VHA-mandated vaccinations and meeting employee health requirements
• This position requires valid driver's license to operate a government vehicle and ability to complete home visits independently
• When assigned to HBPC - this position requires driving up to 2-hours one-way in a government vehicle to complete home visit.

Duties

• The GEC Physician may practice in all inpatient - outpatient - Community-Based Outpatient Clinic - Satellite Clinic and Health Care Center settings - including through telehealth modalities
• This physician may practice in all patient demographics - provide trainee education - participate in scholarly activity consistent with academic promotion - and is required to participate in quality improvement activities
• The Fredericksburg Veterans Affairs Health Care Center offers a comprehensive range of outpatient services for Veterans in the Northern Virginia and Central Virginia area - including Primary Care - Rehabilitative - Dental - Medical and Surgical specialty care - basic radiology - and Mental Health services
• The establishment of this new health care center is part of the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and the Veterans Health Administration's initiative to enhance access to care for Veterans - thereby providing them with more healthcare options within their communities and fulfilling the mission to deliver exemplary care to our Nation's Heroes
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• 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 The duties and responsibilities of the Geriatrics & Extended Care Physician include - but are not limited to the following: Performs day-to-day clinical activities - which may include providing patient care in Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) clinics/Home-Based Primary Care - Geriatrics consultation and management in outpatient clinics - all telehealth modalities - e-consults - Palliative Care services - Non-Institutional Care programs - and transitional care team
• Collaborates daily with the interdisciplinary team (IDT) - referral sources and all stakeholders
• Provides effective collaboration and leadership to interdisciplinary teams and administrative staff
• Completes home visits independently when assigned to Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC)
• Supervises clinical staff - including a nurse navigator - nurse practitioner and physician assistant
• Provides collaborative physician coverage in GEC programs including noninstitutional care programs and contract community nursing home programs
• Provides guidance and coaching as needed to other Physicians - Nurse Practitioners - Physician Assistants and other interdisciplinary staff in GEC and referral sources
• Completes medical records and encounters timely and accurately
• Communicates with patients - family members and treatment teams - including community partners and vendors
• Addresses patient/family concerns in a timely manner
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday
• 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM