Physician (Regular Ft) - Hospitalist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Temple (TX); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary with annual performance bonus

Paid Time Off: 50-55 days per year

Federal health, vision, dental insurance

Malpractice liability protection

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Hospitalist to facilitate patient transfers, admit appropriate patients, and address acute clinical issues. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, hold a Doctor of Medicine degree, and possess a full and unrestricted medical license.

The position emphasizes collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and requires recent inpatient clinical experience. Competitive salary, benefits, and a varied work schedule are provided.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Full and unrestricted license to practice medicine.
• At least one year of recent inpatient experience.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate transfers from outside facilities and admit patients.
• Be available for acute clinical issues.
• Participate in hospital committees and peer reviews.

Skills

Proficiency in spoken and written English

Inpatient clinical experience

Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams

Ability to perform admissions and daily rounding

Education

Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree

Completion of residency training

Job description

Summary

The Hospitalist will facilitate transfers from outside facilities, admit appropriate patients to the hospital, and be available for any acute clinical issues for patients already admitted to Hospital Medicine teams during the tour of duty.

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 completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physicians 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
• Approved residencies are 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 was completed
• OR 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 non‑US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement)
• Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs who would otherwise meet the basic requirements 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; 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 to request 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: At least one year of recent inpatient clinical experience managing a broad range of acute medical conditions in a hospital setting
• Demonstrated ability to perform admissions, daily rounding, discharges, and cross‑coverage efficiently in collaboration with attending physicians
• Familiarity with hospital‑based quality metrics, transitions of care processes, and interdisciplinary teamwork as noted in expectations for hospitalist physician extenders
• Experience with training and teaching residents/fellows
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams (nursing, pharmacy, therapy, case management) to coordinate comprehensive patient care
• Reference information: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting – under 15 pounds; light carrying – under 15 pounds; walking (1‑2 hours); standing (1‑2 hours); ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid may be permitted)

Responsibilities

• Facilitate transfers from outside facilities and admit appropriate patients to the hospital
• Be available for any acute clinical issues for patients already admitted to Hospital Medicine teams during the tour of duty
• Participate in staff meetings, hospital committees, and the peer review process as part of administrative duties
• Maintain VA training requirements and complete documentation in a timely manner
• Participate in the Focused Professional Performance Evaluation and ongoing Professional Performance Evaluation processes
• Adhere to employee health requirements and time/leave management, including logging duty hours and requesting leave in advance
• Manage encounters and consults appropriately, documenting in a timely and appropriate manner
• Oversee relevant performance measures and participate in quality improvement and process improvement projects
• Assist with the possible future hospital‑in‑home program by rounding on patients at home as needed
• Assess patients for admission and disposition, and admit patients to Hospital Medicine teams either independently or with house staff or mid‑level providers
• Staff patients requiring Medicine consultation when urgently needed and be available to staff procedures done during the tour of duty
• Be available for acute medical issues that arise on any patient admitted to the Hospital Medicine service
• Manage codes and serve as code team leader during non‑administrative hours
• Complete educational evaluations for the night float house staff as required by the Internal Medicine Residency Program when covering nights
• Adhere to VA policies and procedures regarding documentation, patient safety, and utilization
• Independently assess patients for admission and disposition as dictated by house staff schedule and regulations
• Manage non‑operative room airway management (NORAM) and function at least at NORAM level 2

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary with annual performance bonus and regular salary increases
• Paid Time Off: 50‑55 days per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays, and possibly 5 days paid absence for CME)
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% VA contribution
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, long‑term care – many programs can be carried into retirement
• Licensure: One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. 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

• Position is mainly daytime, but the hospitalist may be asked to cover nighttime duties
• Typical daytime tour of duty: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Monday to Sunday
• Typical nighttime tour of duty (compressed): 7:00 PM – 7:00 AM, Monday to Sunday
• Other potential shifts include 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, noon to midnight, or variable schedules as available