Career Center

Summary

The Lexington VA Health Care System is recruiting for an Internist or Family Practice Physician with Geriatrics and/or Hospice & Palliative Care experience to serve as a full-time Attending physician for the Palliative Care Consultation Team (PCCT). Selectee's role includes providing coverage in other GEC Programs (Geriatric Outpatient Clinic (GeriPACT) and Community Living Center (CLC) - as needed.

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: Must be BE/BC Family or Internal Medicine
• Preferred: BE/BC Geriatrics or Palliative Medicine
• Highly qualified candidates will be BC Geriatrics or Palliative Medicine and have 2+ years of experience
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• Duties may include but are not limited to: To ensure the adequacy and appropriateness of the medical care provided to patients/residents in HPC programs at the Bowling and Sousley campuses and in consultation with the Palliative Care Consultation Team (PCCT)
• Serves as an Attending Physician for the Palliative Care Consultative Team
• Ensures that Palliative Care Consults are answered timely
• Serves as a member of the Geriatrics & Extended Care Medical Staff - attending assigned meetings - helping to assure adherence to its bylaws - rules - and regulations
• Monitors and evaluates the quality of medical services as an integral part of the overall quality assessments and improvement program and assuring compliance with Joint Commission and Long-Term Care Institute (LTCI) requirements as it pertains to Hospice and Palliative care
• Serves as HPC consultant to the providers throughout GEC programs
• Participates as a member of the CLC Screening committee providing feedback relevant to the Hospice and Palliative care needs of patients referred to the CLC Hospice Unit
• Participates in completion of palliative care consults on CLC based on the needs of the service
• He/she exercises full professional responsibilities for his/her findings - interpretations - decisions - recommendations - and reports in accordance with the clinical privileges this institution provided him/her
• He/she acts with full professional authority within sound administrative practices and policies - as well as broad aims and guidelines established by the ACOS for Geriatrics and Extended Care
• The incumbent functions independently within this framework
• The ACOS for GEC is available for consultation and evaluates the incumbent's performance in terms of the end results achieved
• Furthermore - the ACOS for GEC shall determine the priorities of the persons under his/her supervision according to the needs of the patients of this Medical Center
• Meets the needs of all customers while supporting the Medical Center and Service missions
• Consistently communicates and treats customers (patients - visitors - volunteers - and all Medical Center staff) in a courteous - tactful - and respectful manner
• Provides the customers with consistent information according to established policies and procedures
• Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately
• The incumbent is required to have personal contact with other professionals assigned to this Medical Center and to work effectively with them as primary provider and/or consultant
• Also has contact with other GEC professional staff and personnel
• The incumbent is required to have professional contact with patients and their relatives on an ongoing basis
• The position - therefore - requires that the incumbent be professional - personable - polite - and ethical
• Strict adherence to ethical guidelines regarding confidentiality of patient problems will always be observed
• Participates in coverage of other Geriatric programs such as outpatient clinic to meet the needs of the Service and Community Living Center (CLC)
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Betsy Quinn betsy.quinn@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 Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm - Monday- Friday (Excluding Federal Holidays)