Physician (Primary Care)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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.
• Physicians are generally not required to be board certified for employment in VA; however, three circumstances in VA require physician board certification: (1) If the position being filled is required to be a supervisor for medical students or physician residents (including fellows), the LCME, ACGME or AOA standards requiring a particular board certification credential will apply. (2) If the position being filled will have faculty status with an affiliated medical school (for example, in joint recruitments with affiliated medical schools), then a medical school requirement for board certification will apply to the jointly recruited position. (3) If the position being filled is required to be board certified by virtue of specific VHA policy (for example, as director of a cardiac catheterization laboratory or Director of Clinical Laboratory Medicine), then VHA policy requiring board certification will apply.

Preferred Experience: Board Certification

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: Moderate Lifting, 15-44 pounds; Light Carrying, under 15 pounds; Use of fingers; Walking - 2 hours; Standing - 2 hours; Near vison correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vison correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Mental/Emotional Stability required; Working Closely with Others; Working Alone

Responsibilities:

The Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System (NAVAHCS) is seeking multiple Primary Care Physicians for various locations within the facility's network. The incumbents will be members of a multi-disciplinary health care team, collaborating with other members to provide medical care to Veterans. Duties include:

• Ongoing, continuous care of one or more assigned panel(s) of Veterans.
• Utilizing all available tools to enable effective and efficient identification and interventions of individual patients.
• Ensuring appropriate evaluation and access is provided to patients assigned to the patient panel.
• Functioning at the full extent of the team member's relevant clinical privileges, credentials, scopes of practice, elements of practice, certification, or other facility approved documentation of competency.
• Participating in team performance improvements and sustainment activities to optimize team efficiency and care delivery to patients.
• Implementing primary care operations management processes, as appropriate.
• Managing communications and facilitating safe transitions of patients between PACT's site of care and other health care settings, using informal and formal communication methods, as appropriate.
• Providing health education, and health coaching on wellness, disease prevention, chronic care management, and self-management skills to patients and personal supports persons.
• Engaging patient in using health care, encouraging patients to engage personal support persons, receiving input from patient and personal support persons regarding VA care.
• Using formal and informal communicators that are respectful, effective, timely, an bidirectional with all team members (including patient and personal support persons) to convey significant, clinically relevant information for the care of the patient.
• Collaborating with IT staff to develop and implement systematized, electronically supported tools to support PACT care delivery process (e.g. pre-visit reminder calls, post-hospitalization follow-up up calls, recall scheduling procedures, new patient orientation, disease registries and primary care protocols for chronic disease management.
• Ensuring patient's care plan contains medical recommendations for clinically indicated care.
• Offering clinically indicated health care services to patients assigned to PACT, and providing or arranging for care to which patients' consent.
• Providing leadership to the team including shared delegation of appropriate care and care processes to appropriate team members.
• Reviewing available clinical and performance data with team, focusing on continuous improvement of critical team processes.
• Evaluation and treatment, including face to face, telephone, and/or video to home clinics.
• Performing initial and ongoing assessment of patient's medical, physical, and psychosocial status.
• Obtaining and documenting a comprehensive medical/physical history and physical examination.
• Ordering and following-up on appropriate diagnostic tests.
• Reviewing and interpreting laboratory tests and taking appropriate action.
• Referring patients to consultations with specialty clinics,
• Providing medical advice to patients, families, and community health providers by telephone.
• Managing chronic and acute medical problems.
• Entering orders into VA Electronic Medical records for medications, consults, testing, etc.
• Women's Health examinations and counseling.
• Communicating with patients via secure email.
• Timely completion of peer reviews and encounters.
• If Board Certified - Alternate Resident Training Supervisor

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Highly qualified individual may be eligible for a recruitment/relocation incentive in accordance with agency policy.

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): This position is eligible
EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the (EDRP). Contact Natasha L. Brant, natasha.brandt@va.gov, 602-277-5551 x3062 or Miriam A. Ubiles, miriam.ubiles@va.gov, 210-773-7180, the EDRP Coordinators 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: Supervisor's Discretion

Salary : $200,000 - $0