Physician - Medical Director - Primary Care

About the role

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.

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Physician – Medical Director to function in the Primary Care Service. The successful candidate will have a high level of medical knowledge and possesses all the qualities for providing comprehensive and compassionate care for “those who served.” The position calls for excellent interpersonal and leadership skills and offers input into projects pertaining to the development of the clinic.

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 (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 American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in the list published for the year the residency (or fellowship, if applicable) 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 towards this requirement), 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
• 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 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: At least 2 years of recent experience treating the acute and chronically ill in a full‑time primary care setting.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The physical requirements of this position are concerned with the mental and physical ability of the applicant to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and may include requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive primary care services to a defined panel of patients
• Perform history taking, physical examination, ordering laboratories and diagnostic studies, diagnosis and formulation of treatment plans for acute and chronic conditions within the scope of Medicine practice
• Serve as Medical Director overseeing clinic operations and supervising multiple attending providers while maintaining an independent patient panel
• Lead a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) (physician, RN, LPN, and clerical associate) providing direct care for Veterans enrolled in Primary Care
• Assume responsibility for a panel of patients at a specific location; may be asked to assist in patient care or administrative duties at the main hospital or another site
• Provide clinical examination, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, preventive care, and coordination of care for a panel of primary care patients
• Ensure appropriate documentation of patient care in clinical records
• Refer to specialists when additional input and treatment outside the scope of the physician’s experience and training is required
• Monitor PACT teamlet performance to assess adherence to VA standards, assure quality and effectiveness of care, and meet VA performance measures
• Deliver outstanding customer service
• Lead the team in assisting the patient advocate and administration in resolving patient concerns and inquiries
• Exercise medical decision‑making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for a specific group of patients
• Maintain excellent communication skills and relations with staff and community; elicit cooperation from others
• Serve as a member of a larger multidisciplinary treatment team including social work, pharmacy, mental health, nutrition, and on occasion other services
• Perform other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign‑on Bonus): A recruitment incentive may be available to highly qualified applicants
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): EDRP authorized; former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov (EDRP Coordinator) for questions/assistance
• Paid Time Off: 50–55 days per year (26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays, and possible 5‑day paid absence for CME)
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5‑year vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% matching 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 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

Monday – Friday, 8:0