Chief of Anesthesia

Chief of Anesthesia at the Iowa City VA Health Care System will ensure the quality of services provided, customer satisfaction, as well as compliance with the standards of accrediting bodies (i.e. Joint Commission and the Inspector General's Combined Assessment Program). Incumbent maintains licensure and credentials sufficient to practice Anesthesiology including diagnostic and medical therapeutic modalities for treatment of diseases, conditions and injuries related to the Anesthesia field.

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.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Physical Requirements: The position will require walking, standing, or sitting for periods of up to or beyond 10 to 12 hours each day. In addition, the incumbent will need to bend, lift, and turn.

You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Responsibilities:

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Ensures anesthesia care is delivered in accordance with hospital policy, meeting or exceeding community standards and VHA national benchmarks.
• Ensures appropriate use of available resources and will be responsible for state-of-the-art standards of care in Surgical Service and collaborates with other services as appropriate.
• Chief of Anesthesia provides the most effective delivery of anesthetic care to our Veterans.
• Participate in and/or manages all aspects of the Anesthesia Program, to include outpatient clinical, surgical and administrative.
• Provide comprehensive anesthesia services, including pre and post-operative services and follow-up care for surgical patients
• The Chief of Anesthesia will be part of a collaborative anesthesia department with independently functioning CRNAs and anesthesiologists.
• Provide anesthesia in the OR and outpatient procedural areas and be part of the call coverage rotation.
• Recommend to administration and medical staff the type and amount of equipment that is needed for administering anesthesia and analgesia
• Develop anesthesia safety rules that follow regulations and standards regarding the safe administration of anesthetics.
• Available for consultation regarding the scheduling of patients for surgery relating to time and place of surgery if a conflict in scheduling occurs.
• Use electronic medical records.
• Work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team including all healthcare providers both in the OR and outside of the to ensure prompt and efficient delivery of patient care services.
• Participate in service level and hospital committees, PI activities, and in-service education programs regarding anesthesia care.
• Perform administrative duties related to patient care management including entering progress notes, histories and physicals, anesthesia consultation notes, discharge summaries and consults, etc.
• The Chief of Anesthesiology is expected to maintain current medical knowledge and technical skills, and provides both leadership and documentation that all anesthesiologists within the Service are competent with respect to current privileging within the Anesthesia Service. He/she is expected to maintain excellent diagnostic, judgmental, and therapeutic acumen in the care of veterans receiving anesthesiology interventions.
• The Chief of Anesthesiology is expected to maintain current medical knowledge and technical skills, and provides both leadership and documentation that all anesthesiologists within the Service are competent with respect to current privileging within the Anesthesia Service. He/she is expected to maintain excellent diagnostic, judgmental, and therapeutic acumen in the care of veterans receiving anesthesiology interventions.

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 annual paid time offer 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
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm, call coverage, Additional work schedule may be discussed during interview process.