Career Center

Summary

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information - refer to Required Documents below. The C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center VA Healthcare System's Primary Care Service is seeking an experienced and dynamic Physician (Geriatrics)-Hospice and Palliative Care Section Chief. Ideal applicants are those who want to contribute to the achievement of quality care standards - as well as the growth and development of a VA academic hospital program.

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 Geriatrics and Palliative Care Training Programs 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
• Board Certified in both Geriatrics and Palliative Care
• Preferred Experience: Current Hospice and Palliative Care experience for minimum 3 to 5 years
• Current Supervisory experience in VA as Section Chief for minimum 6 to 12 months
• Current experience in managing veterans in inpatient hospice unit for 6 to 12 months
• Experience in working with Hospitalists and doing inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Consultations
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019
• This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health
• This position requires: light to moderate lifting (15 - 44 lbs.)
• light carrying (15 lbs
• and under)
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• both hands required
• walking (up to 2 hours)
• standing (up to 2 hours)
• kneeling (up to 1 hour)
• ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• near vision correctable at 13" to 16"
• far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• depth perception
• ability to distinguish basic colors
• ability to distinguish shades of colors
• hearing (aid permitted)
• emotional stability
• mental stability
• working closely with others
• and working alone.

Duties

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT
• Eligible applicants will be referred until all vacancies are filled
• The Hospice and Palliative Care Section Chief is responsible for providing oversight and leadership of our Community Living Center Palliative Care/Hospice Unit - Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation and Outpatient Palliative Care
• Physician will provide direct patient care - offer support to the provider staff and work with additional interdisciplinary staff
• He/she will work closely with the Chief of Geriatrics - and Chief Nurse for GEC
• In addition - the physician will provide clinical and administrative supervision of GEC Physicians and Nurse Practitioners who provide care at the Bay Pines medical center campus
• Duties include but are not limited to
• Provide administrative (supervisor and section) and clinical oversight of all Hospice Palliative Care (HPC) program
• Provide supervision - as appropriate - of fellows - residents and students conducting direct clinical care
• Deliver in-service training for medical center staff - residents - and medical students
• Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center as appropriate and outcome data as appropriate
• Perform transitional care as a consultant providing face-to-face consultation to patients under the care of the medical center's inpatient and emergency department services as appropriate
• Educate Veterans - staff - and family about Palliative Care - Hospice - and end-of-life issues
• Has direct administrative supervision of the Hospice Palliative Care (HPC) physicians and nurse practitioners
• Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees
• Represents HPC on decision-making committees at the Rehabilitation and Geriatric and Extended Care Integrated Clinical Communities(REC ICC)
• Communicates provider responsibilities and medical care policies - procedures and guidelines to all providers in HPC
• Assists the Chief of Geriatrics on the coordination of HPC services response in the event of critical occurrences of violence at the facility - disasters - and/or mass casualty occurrences
• Managements of Human Resource aspects of the Hospice and Palliative Care relations - performance appraisals - and professional boarding procedures for direct employees
• Required to Evacuate with veterans during Hurricane evacuation
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program
• You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment
• Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application
• Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply
• If you have any questions or concerns - please contact the VISN 8 Compensation Center of Excellence at VISN8CCOE@va.gov
• 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: Monday - Friday
• 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): Eligible Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required