Diagnostic Radiologist

Summary

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), and 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 are ineligible to apply.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements listed below. 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 physicians 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 allopathic 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.
  • Approved residencies are those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in the list published for the year the residency or fellowship was completed.
  • One year of post-medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA, followed by two years of post-training independent practice in the United States.
  • Non-U.S. residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States, which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided appropriate professional training.
• Exceptions: Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs who meet the basic requirements may be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs) on an intermittent basis. PRPs must be fully licensed and are not considered independent practitioners.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Must be board certified.

Physical Requirements

The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position may involve standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. The work may involve going up and down flights of stairs.

Responsibilities

• Provide interpretation of radiology examinations and procedures for both outpatient and inpatient settings at the Fayetteville, NC VAMC system.
• Ensure the quality and timeliness of services provided, customer satisfaction, and compliance with standards of accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission and the Inspector General's Combined Assessment Program.
• Ensure appropriate use of available resources and maintain state-of-the-art standards of care in Imaging Service.
• Collaborate with other services as appropriate and provide professional guidance for all necessary imaging services.
• Interpret and submit radiology reports for over 100,000 examinations annually, including CT, Ultrasound, Radiography and Fluoroscopy, Bone Density, minor Interventional procedures, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, and possible Mammography exams.
• Provide reading, interpretation, and submission of radiology reports within specified timeframes:
  • All reports must be dictated and verified within 48 hours of the study, excluding weekends and holidays.
  • Stat reports must be verified within one hour of test completion during normal business hours.
• Provide routine and emergent radiology services to all VA patients, including preprocedural evaluations, informed consent, assessment, documentation of findings, and follow-up notes.
• Ensure imaging reports are dictated into the VA Computerized Patient Recordkeeping System (CPRS).
• Maintain confidentiality of all information concerning VA beneficiaries.
• Be available for consultation to Medical Center physicians for all cases performed.

Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Additional service hours for specific exams:

• Emergent and routine CT and diagnostic x-rays on a 24-hour basis at the Ramsey Street location and until 4:30 PM at the Raeford Road location, including weekends and holidays.
• MRI exams from 8:00 AM until midnight at the Ramsey Street location and until 4:30 PM at the Raeford Road location on Monday through Friday.
• Mammography (Raeford Road) and Nuclear Medicine (Ramsey Street) studies until 4:30 PM on Monday through Friday.

Benefits

• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Available to highly qualified candidates.
• Relocation Incentive: Available to eligible candidates.
• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): Contact Cheryl Lahair at cheryl.lahair@va.gov 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 days paid absence for CME).
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
• Licensure: One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. 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.

About the Organization

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology, and physical therapy. In addition, most medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care.