Summary

The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center is currently seeking a Physician (Geriatrician) to provide high quality patient centered care to Veterans for the Community Living Centers - Home Based Primary Care - Hospital In Home - Geriatric Evaluation Management (GEM) Clinic and Palliative/Hospice Care Service. The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information - refer to Required Documents below.

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:

• Citizenship: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) encourages any eligible non-citizens to apply
• Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Education: 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
• Licensure: 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: Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) OR Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) - OR 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
• Language: Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Experience: The individual must qualify to perform duties as a physician - have completed an accredited residency and/or possess experience which has qualified the individual to perform general duties and some specialized functions and procedures without supervision
• Staff physicians may also include attendings who train physician residents assigned in facilities with residency training programs - and consultants who are capable of giving authoritative views and opinions on subjects in their field of medicine
• Preferred Experience: Board Eligible/Board Certified Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Physical demands include repetitive body movements including the following: frequent reaching - standing - walking - and lifting of equipment and/or patients to provide patient care
• This position requires extension of the hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction including above or below shoulder level - during the provision of patient care - including retrieval of needed equipment - supplies and to make contact with the patient
• This position requires the maintenance of an upright position to perform duties associated with patient care
• This position is typically non-sedentary - and frequently involves being in the standing position
• This position requires moving about accomplish tasks - such as assisting with patient ambulation and moving one patient area to the next
• This position requires the raising of objects from a lower position to a higher position or the movement of objects horizontally position to position
• Lifting may be done to move a patient from one location to the next - i.e.- from the exam table to the chair - and in the movement of equipment or supplies

Duties

• The Geriatric & Extended Care Physician in collaboration with the Medical Directors and Program Managers of assigned services is responsible for the quality of care provided by the program - for the productivity of the program and for the development and implementation of programs and initiatives to meet the Wilkes-Barre VAMC mission
• In addition to observance of Federal National and Local regulatory - policy - and accreditation requirements governing this Health Care System - this position encompasses the following responsibilities
• The Practitioner will participate in staff meetings
• communicate administrative medical issues or concerns to the service medical director
• and Participate in the development and implementations of performance improvement put in practice medical care advances and practice standards Arranging physician coverage and communicating the plan of coverage to the plan - team members when taking leave of absence Serving as back up for other GEC providers Participates in chart reviews - peer review and other process improvement initiatives The staff will complete training requirements - employee health Environmental and Occupational Committee requirements The Practitioner will ensure compliance with the leave and attendance requirements and respond to critical lab/diagnostic test result notifications in a timely manner Clinical Management including direct and indirect patient care: ensure all required encounters are closed the same day the visit was made Respond to consults and complete documentation requirements in CPRS in a timely manner including cosigning of students/fellows/resident' notes documentation Provide oversight of non-physician team members Practitioners will participate in the implementation of action and initiatives relevant to improving and meeting performance measures and goals
• participate in the development of the new focus on the Medical Home and Patient Centric Care - Utilization - Quality and Patient Safety oversight - process improvement (system redesign) Provide supervision to non-physician provider within the prescribing authority and achieved competencies and performance as approved by the professional board Participate in maintain safety and environmental standards for the assigned services Provides clinical input and oversight for patients' treatment plans Being readily available to the team members for collaboration when medical or other problems arise Assure that care is provided in a manner - which is in accordance with accepted practices and is evidenced based
• Assure that care is provided in a timely manner and in an appropriate setting Assure appropriate oversight of delegated care activities of Nurse Practitioners - Physician Assistants - Pharm D's and others practicing with a \"scope of practice\" Completes documentation of patient's visit with appropriate encounters in CPRS in a timely manner Facilitate appropriate consultation and implementation of consultant recommendations Address issues related to infection control including skin testing - immunization and infection prevention The Practitioner will provide cross coverage to the different clinical GEC services within the approved and recommended privileges 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 Work Schedule: Monday to Friday - 8am to 430pm