Career Center

Summary

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (VAMC) is searching for a full-time academic Heart Failure Cardiologist to fulfill the current staffing needs of our facility. The Cincinnati VAMC is an active teaching hospital that is affiliated with and in walking distance of the University of Cincinnati. The Cardiologist will primarily manage heart failure patients in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. If you are interested in serving our nations veterans - come be a part of the Cincinnati VA team!

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: Must qualify for a faculty appointment at the University of Cincinnati
• Maintain BLS certification and ACLS
• Preferred Experience: Board eligible/board certified in Cardiology
• Training in Heart Failure Strongly Desired (Additional training Heart Failure Training after general Cardiology fellowship)
• Reference: VA Regulations - specifically VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - a physical examination will be conducted based on the physical requirements of the position
• A physical examination prior to placement is required
• Long periods of standing or walking in the operating room setting and outpatient clinic will be encountered
• The mental/sensory requirements include recall - reasoning - problem-solving - hearing - speaking clearly - writing legibly - reading - and logical thinking
• The environment's pace can vary from steady to a sometimes-fast pace requiring handling of multiple priorities - frequent - sometimes intense customer - intense customer interactions - and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes-noisy environment.

Duties

• The Cardiologist will primarily manage heart failure patients in both the inpatient and outpatient setting and participate in some general Cardiology duties - including attending the general Cardiology inpatient consult service - supervising Cardiology fellow continuity clinics - and may assist with reading Echocardiograms - exercise and pharmacologic stress tests - ECGs - and transthoracic echocardiograms - based on training and interest
• Outpatient heart failure clinic duties will include personally evaluating new heart failure consults and follow up patients - as well as working in conjunction with the Heart Failure RN and nurse practitioner
• The multidisciplinary team assists with requests for left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) - cardiac transplant patients - and is expected to collaborate with our VA and/or non-VA advanced therapy partners to provide comprehensive Heart Failure care
• The Cardiologist will be responsible for developing a robust inpatient Heart Failure consultative service that will provide education to newly diagnosed patients and introduce the new patient to the available outpatient services - as well as assist with the management of established complex patients
• The Cardiologist will attend the general inpatient Cardiology consult service and will be expected to supervise and teach a team consisting of CV Disease fellows - Internal Medicine residents and University of Cincinnati medical students
• The Cardiology Consult Team is consulted by all Medical Center teams/units - including the MICU and SICU - and the Cardiologist must be able to manage both ward and intensive care unit level patients
• The Cardiologist will be expected to cover inpatient overnight call during the week when assigned to the consult service and will participate in weekend coverage - which includes making rounds on the consult service patients with the CV Disease fellow and taking overnight call
• Responsibilities: The Cardiologist will - Participate in the cardiovascular care of both inpatients and outpatients
• Be actively involved in the teaching and supervision of fellows - residents - and students - which may include providing didactic educational sessions
• Apply American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and VA guidelines to the management of cardiovascular diseases
• Attend meetings and may be asked to serve on committees
• Perform chart reviews as part of peer ongoing professional practice evaluations as well as point of care audits and participate in the peer review process
• Document patient care data in the electronic medical record - including new consult and follow-up notes within 24 hours
• Possibly participate in clinical video telehealth (CVT)/electronic consultation (E-Consults) to improve access to cardiology care
• WORK SCHEDULE: In general - Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm but acute patient care may require additional time outside of these hours
• Weekend call and inpatient rounds approximately once per month
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• The VA has been named as one of the Top 5 Best Places to Work in the federal government in 2023
• Cincinnati is a family friendly - affordable - metropolitan city with great parks - fine arts - and food scene
• With both an urban energy and southern charm - the Cincinnati region has a vibrant and unique culture that flows from the Ohio River to the things to do - landmarks and events all around town
• With rich cultural offerings - award-winning family adventures - an ever-expanding art scene - a foodie's paradise - and breweries galore - this is one picturesque river region with much to explore! With major league sports - big-city arts - fun festivals and award-winning attractions - it can be hard to decide what to do in our dynamic river region! https://www.frommers.com/destinations/cincinnati 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
• Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.