Physician (Psychiatry) - Chief of Psychiatry

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; West Palm Beach (FL); On-site; USD 240,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

Relocation assistance

EDRP eligibility

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Florida is seeking a Chief of Psychiatry to oversee psychiatry resource utilization, telemedicine support, and decision-support deployment within the Mental Health Service.

The role requires medical licensure, board-eligible residency, and leadership in utilization management and quality of care. You will supervise medical staff, coordinate multi-disciplinary care, and participate in educational oversight and system-wide policy implementation.

Qualifications

• MD or DO degree from an approved school in the United States
• Current full and unrestricted medical license in a U.S. state or equivalent
• Completion of an accredited core specialty residency leading to board eligibility
• Familiarity with VA qualification standards and education loan programs

Responsibilities

• Oversee psychiatry resource utilization and clinical operations
• Lead quality of care audits and performance reporting on a quarterly basis
• Collaborate with hospital leadership and Utilization Management on high-utilizer cases
• Provide administrative supervision of medical staff and supervise PAs/ARNPs
• Coordinate inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services and consults
• Serve as Medical Director for outpatient psychiatric care and assist inpatient services
• Participate in education programs and residency oversight; represent MH services on center committees
• Take on-call psychiatry assignments per rotation and ensure timely progress notes in CPRS

Skills

Clinical leadership

Policy implementation

Utilization management

Mentorship

Education

MD/DO degree

Tools

CPRS

Job description

Summary

Under the administrative direction of the Assistant Chief - Mental Health and Behavioral Science Service - and clinical direction of the Associate Chief of Staff - Mental Health - the Chief - Psychiatry - will oversee many aspects of mental health resource utilization - such as use of psychotropic medications for outpatient and inpatient mental health care; telemedicine support development - deployment of decision support systems - etc.

Under the administrative direction of the Assistant Chief - Mental Health and Behavioral Science Service - and clinical direction of the Associate Chief of Staff - Mental Health - the Chief - Psychiatry - will oversee many aspects of mental health resource utilization - such as use of psychotropic medications for outpatient and inpatient mental health care; telemedicine support development - deployment of decision support systems - etc.

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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Functional requirements may include walking (2 hours) - standing (2 hours) - kneeling (2 hours) - repeated bending (2 hours) - climbing - use of legs and arms - both eyes required - depth perception - ability to distinguish basic colors - hearing (aid may be permitted) - emotional and mental stability.

Duties

• Review operations and assist with implementation of policies and procedures related to mental health medication management - services and resources
• collaborate and participate with institution leadership and Utilization Management staff regarding patients who are "high utilizers" of the Emergency Department and the inpatient behavioral health unit - as well as patients with lengths of stay greater than 7 days to determine appropriate placement and psychopharmacology interventions
• Perform Psychiatry Quality of Care audits to ensure timely and accurate evaluations
• facilitate meetings with staff psychiatrists to provide specific feedback
• Participate in local process development team efforts to assess and improve processes of care and psychiatric services
• develop and present continuing medical education and training materials
• research and revise evidence-based psychiatry practice guidelines
• analyze and report psychiatric practice and performance trends at least quarterly - and function as the subject matter expert - participate in staff meetings and workgroups to ensure proper treatment protocols and standards are maintained
• He/She is responsible for the continuing management of assigned patients - this includes psychiatric examination and treatment
• coordination of medical care with the Psychiatrists - Physician Assistant - Nurse Practitioner - Social Worker - Registered Nurse - Licensed Practical Nurse and Psychiatry Residents assigned to MH&BSS
• coordination of consults
• referral of patients
• and operation of quality management and utilization programs including peer reviews - open and closed medical record reviews and utilization reviews
• The incumbent also serves as the Medical Director for the outpatient psychiatric care and assists with oversight of the Inpatient Psychiatric services
• Related responsibilities include:
• provide administrative supervision of medical staff
• collaboration with the Mental Health Nurse Manager to ensure patient care is conducted in a timely manner working cohesively with an interdisciplinary team to mitigate variances and medically unnecessary extended lengths of stay
• serve as a representative for in-patient Mental Health services on various Medical Center committees
• serving as the back-up Physician Utilization Management Advisor for Mental Health
• arranging ongoing student education and oversight of the Psychiatry Resident program
• collaboration with the Emergency Department to expedite admissions and transfer sub-acute patients to the most appropriate unit and level of care
• Required to take on-call psychiatrist assignments per rotation as assigned
• An essential element is active knowledge of the medical record system (CPRS)
• This shall include using the computerized medical record system for progress notes - orders - and medical record review and completion of such records in a complete and timely manner
• Supervision of physician assistants and ARNPs is a part of physician responsibility
• This shall include annual review of performance with submission of a written report - which summarizes the clinical performance of the individuals(s) directly supervised by him/her
• The incumbent reports to the Assistant Chief - Mental Health Service
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): An incentive is authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): PCS is authorized EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) 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
• Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive 2