Physician (Cardiologist)

About the role

Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) — a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Former participants are ineligible.

Qualifications

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
• 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 include:
  • Those approved by ACGME or 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 (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States
  • Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position applied for — United States fellowships would be creditable toward this requirement — which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences
• Exceptions: Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs who would otherwise meet the basic requirements are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; they have a "scope of practice" allowing certain restricted duties under supervision. Surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
• In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action
• Proficiency in spoken and written English

Preferred Experience

• Board eligible/board certified in Internal Medicine or Family Practice

Physical Requirements

Applicants must meet the physical standards established for this position. The physical requirements may include the following tasks performed intermittently:

• Moderate lifting (15–44 lbs.)
• Moderate carrying (15–44 lbs.)
• Reaching above shoulders
• Use of fingers
• Walking (up to 6 hours)
• Standing (up to 2 hours)
• Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other
• Hearing aid permitted
• Mental and emotional stability required

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 for more information.

Duties

The W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center is seeking a Physician (Cardiologist) for the Specialty Care section within Medicine Service at the VA Clinic in South Charlotte, NC. All staff physicians assigned to Medicine Service will establish and maintain professional relationships within Medicine Service and with other services and facility management which result in improved patient care.

Administrative

• Provides guidance and support to the nurse practitioners assigned to Medicine Service
• Participates in and attends medical center committees and/or teams as assigned
• Participates in various facility programs designed to enhance and improve the delivery of patient care services, such as Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) teams (as applicable)
• Identifies individual professional learning needs and participates in formal programs, workshops, seminars, conferences, as well as self-directed learning activities; completes facility-wide mandatory education yearly

Clinical

• Provides quality patient-centered patient care to both inpatients and outpatients for adults ages 18–65 and older adults age 65+
• Facilitates the delivery of appropriate patient care in collaboration with other health professionals, medical center staff, and management
• Serves as staff attending for sub-specialty consult service as assigned
• Participates as a peer reviewer when requested
• Participates in multidisciplinary activities involving the treatment plan and discharge plans of patients admitted to the Medicine bed services
• Systematically evaluates patient care programs in all Medicine venues
• Exhibits leadership in initiating changes in patient care programs based on current concepts and findings from research and studies
• Integrates patient care activities on Medicine Services and other patient care programs at the medical center and in the community such as Social Work, Prosthetics, Home Based Health Care (HBHC), and private nursing homes
• Demonstrates expertise in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients
• Completes all medical record documentation in CPRS in a timely manner, including view alerts and encounter completion
• Includes patient/family/significant other/health care provider in establishing realistic, measurable goals related to health education and treatment plan and in planning care on a continuum
• Assists staff in the process of mutual goal setting
• Plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age-specific requirements of the patient
• Develops the initial plan of care and updates the plan, serving as a resource person to less experienced staff, and acts as a leader in developing standards of care
• Assesses veterans by utilizing advanced clinical judgment and physical assessment skills

Research

• Supports the medical center-wide research mission
• Assists in conducting studies regarding treatment modalities, outcomes, and other aspects of patient care
• Encourages participation in clinical research among other staff members

Benefits

• Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Position(s) under this Open Continuous Announcement may be eligible for EDRP — a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an 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 ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Rodney.Belk@va.gov (EDRP Coordinator) for questions/assistance.
• 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

Pay

Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases.

Schedule

Full Time — Monday–Friday, 7:30am–4:00pm.