Career Center

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 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
• Additional Requirement: Board certification in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine with experience in Geriatrics Preferred Experience: Board certification in Geriatric Medicine Fellowship in Geriatrics Two (2) years' experience as a geriatrician after completing geriatric medicine fellowship
• Geriatric medicine expert with knowledge and practice experience in geriatric medicine - dementia care - mental health illness management - rehabilitation - transitions of care - and healthcare systems navigation
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking - standing - stooping - sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements - such as annual TB screening or testing - as a condition of employment.

Duties

• **This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCMENT and will remain open until June 2
• 2025
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be April 14 - 2025 - with subsequent cut-off dates every 2 weeks
• Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not applicable Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact V21CCOEEDRP@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 The Staff Geriatrician will provide both primary and specialty care to older veterans - most commonly with multiple chronic conditions including dementia - in ambulatory care as well as long-term care facilities
• The incumbent takes responsibility for providing geriatric care to eligible Veterans in the Geriatrics outpatient clinics including the primary care geriatrics clinic and the consultation clinic - through face-to-face & telehealth clinics - and E-consults
• The principal duties and responsibilities include - but are not limited to: They will manage proportional panel of geriatric primary care patients
• The incumbent will provide extensive expertise in the treatment of conditions occurring in older patients - including but not limited to (a) medical illnesses such as hypertension - diabetes - coronary artery disease - chronic renal insufficiency - lower urinary tract symptoms - osteoarthritis - and others;(b) geriatric syndromes that are often multifactorial in etiology such as cognitive impairment and dementia
• gait instability - urinary incontinence - functional decline - mood disorders - and polypharmacy
• Performs daily clinical activities - including providing patient care in continuity clinics - Geriatrics consultation and management in outpatient clinics - and occasionally long-term care facilities
• Collaborates daily with the interdisciplinary team (IDT) - referral sources - and all stakeholders
• Provides effective collaboration and leadership to interdisciplinary teams and administrative staff
• The incumbent will be able to provide guidance and coaching to other Physicians - Nurse Practitioners - Physician Assistants and other interdisciplinary staff in GEC and referral sources if needed
• Supervises clinical staff - including nurse navigator - nurse practitioner and physician assistant
• Completes medical records and encounters timely and accurately
• Communicates with patients - family members and treatment teams - including community partners and vendors
• Responsible for teaching and supervising fellows - residents - medical students - and other allied health trainees in clinical settings
• Supports the primary responsibility of Geriatrics clinical activities which is to apply new knowledge and ideas - evaluate their usefulness in a patient care setting - and demonstrate their practicality for exporting throughout the VA system
• Participates in other clinical activities as appropriate to the needs of the medical center and as compatible with the overall time demands of the position.