Career Center

Summary

A Palliative Medicine consultant is a physician who is responsible for improving the palliative medical care delivered by the Palliative Medicine Consultation Team (PCCT).

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: Successful applicants must be board certified in Internal Medicine/Family Practice/Osteopathic Medicine and board certified (or board eligible) in Hospice and Palliative Medicine
• Preferred Experience: (a) have at least 2 years experience in Palliative Medicine or be recently Fellowship trained
• (b) have documented experience supervising and teaching medical students - residents and fellows - (c) have experience and publications in either basic or clinic research - and (d) qualify for appointment as a faculty member in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University at the level of Instructor - Asst
• or Assoc
• Professor
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Physicians should be physically and mentally capable to perform the examinations - formulate the diagnosis and treatment plan.
• Physical activity includes sitting - standing (for up to 2 hours) - walking (up to 2 hours) - heavy lifting (intermittently - 45 lbs or over) - reaching above the shoulder - and repeated bending
• Physician should be emotionally and mental stable and capable of performing the duties of the position.

Duties

• 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 Job Duties: - Provide consultation services in palliative medicine
• - Facilitate clarification of patient and family goals of care
• - Consult with the attending physician and the Interdisciplinary Team to establish a written plan of care at intervals specified in the plan
• - Facilitate access to appropriate supportive care services
• - Education of staff and coworkers
• - Full and appropriate documentation of patient care services to support professional billing for these services
• - Participation in on-call coverage with the interdisciplinary team
• - Daily and weekly participation in interdisciplinary team meetings and clinical huddles to review active cases
• - Assist in the development of standards of care
• - Perform other duties as requested
• - Adhere to the practice of confidentiality regarding patients - families - staff - and the organization The physician works on the Palliative Care Program at the Nashville Campus - and is responsible for supporting comprehensive interdisciplinary palliative care assessment - management and bereavement for older veterans
• Uses MS Word or comparable word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files
• activating printers - inserting and deleting text
• formatting letters - reports and memoranda - and transmitting and receiving e-mail
• Uses MS Excel or other comparable spreadsheet software to develop and change spreadsheets in order to graphically display data
• Uses MS Access or other comparable spreadsheet software to develop and changes spreadsheets in order to graphically display data monthly
• Uses MS PowerPoint or other comparable graphics to develop presentation materials
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8 AM to 4:30 PM