Career Center

Summary

The NJ VA Healthcare System is seeking a Physician - Section Chief - Nuclear Medicine and Imaging to join our leadership team at the East Orange - NJ campus. Will primarily serve as a Nuclear Radiology Section Chief in the Imaging Service - performing all radiopharmaceutical therapies and interpreting a wide range of nuclear medicine and general diagnostic radiology studies. More precisely - in pioneering our general nuclear medicine program using SPECT and PET/CT imaging and nuclear cardiology.

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
• Preferred Experience: Board Eligible or Board Certified Nuclear Medicine Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: In Accordance With VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Duties

• Provide Imaging procedures in the Nuclear Medicine Section of the Imaging Service at the VA New Jersey Health Care System
• Administer radioisotopes to clinical patients or research subjects Supervise the nuclear imaging laboratory - with responsibility for establishing and reviewing imaging procedural protocols Perform routine and emergent reading - interpretation and document of nuclear medicine and radiology reports - for both outpatient and inpatient departments Ensure high-quality imaging and collaborative clinical care and compliance with the standards of accrediting bodies such as the American College of Radiology - Joint Commission - and the Inspector General's Combined Assessment Program Advise collaborating physicians of clinical indications - limitations - assessments - or risks of diagnostic and therapeutic applications of radioactive materials Establish - implement - and enforce radiation protection standards for patients and staff Support the continuing education of technical staff - while stewarding performance improvement of the care and services provided by Nuclear Medicine Radiology Services Monitor and ensure the appropriate and safe handling of radioactive and hazardous materials and/or medical waste is adhered to and that established procedures are effective and up to date Monitor cleanup of radioactive spills to ensure that established procedures are followed and that decontamination activities are conducted thoroughly Keep up to date on various regulations from applicable agencies and verifies that medical activities and operations meet those standards for proper execution Ensure the testing of dosage evaluation instruments and survey meters for proper operation Direct nuclear medicine technologists or technicians regarding dosages - techniques - positions - policies - protocols and projections Prescribe radionuclides and dosages to be administered to individual patients Monitor and maintain quality control of radionuclide preparation - administration - or disposition ensuring that activities comply with applicable regulations and standards
• directs the safe management and disposal of radioactive substances Advise leadership team on the selection of supplies and equipment - as well as participate in recruitment of nuclear medicine professionals Assist in orientation of new employees to the functions of the Service - radiation safety and infection control 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm - with some call