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) & 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.

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 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: (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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service.

Duties

• Oversight of quality and safety: Review exam requests for appropriateness Prescribe exam protocols and modify as needed for specific clinical indications Provide oversight of technical image quality with feedback to technologists
• Provide clinical oversight of medication administration - including contrast - preps and other medications relevant to the Imaging Service
• Provide oversight and serve as resource for infection control practices
• Participate in MRI safety - and Radiology Quality Assurance committees
• Participate in various aspects of quality assurance such as peer review - protocol review - appropriateness criteria and performance improvement
• Maintains personal dosimetry Reports safety events Image Interpretation and Consultation: Interprets imaging exams including relevant exam comparison and correlation with clinical information in CPRS
• Generate reports that contain pertinent findings and measurements - a description of normal and abnormal structures - discussion of differential diagnoses - recommendations and impression
• Utilizes abnormal diagnostic codes appropriately and communicates/documents verbal notification of results when required
• Support patient care services with reports timely to the care being delivered with the method of communication appropriate to the level of clinical importance or acuity
• Consult with providers on various aspects of imaging such as exam selection - review of results and other support functions
• Meets VHA defined benchmarks for physician productivity
• Participate in clinical conferences such as Tumor Board and others
• Patient Care: Interact with patients to obtain relevant clinical history and physical exam findings within the scope of radiology practice - provide education to patients and support - obtain informed consent - issue disclosures when appropriate - document in CPRS - enter orders in CPRS - and other aspects of physician practice
• Participate in the coordination of patient care: Contact clinical providers as relevant to assure effective patient care - discuss evaluation - management - follow-up and other aspects of coordinated - patient-centered care
• Make timely and definitive notification of time-sensitive results and/or results that have major clinical significance
• Inject contrast agents when needed
• Integrate resources to provide current - optimal care: consult colleagues - research literature - maintain continuing education and other sources of current practice
• Medical Staff Functions: Participate in Imaging and general medical staff meetings - committee assignments - compliance and other components of an organized medical staff
• Education: Support academic affiliations in technologist - radiologic assistant - medical student - resident and other teaching programs that involve the Imaging Service
• Provide clinical experience - cognitive development - and other aspects of effective teaching
• Contract Buy Out Program: This position may be eligible for the Physician / Provider Contract Buy Out Program (CBOP) - which authorizes VHA to buy out service contracts (Locum agreements - loan repayments - sign-on bonus contracts - Physician-owned practices) in exchange for employment at certain rural or highly rural facilities for a period of obligated service (minimum 4 years)
• For additional information and eligibility requirements - contact the VHA Contract Buy Out Program Manager at vacontractbuyoutprog@va.gov
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact david.billingsleyjr@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator 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 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: Full-time - 8:00am to 4:30pm - Monday - Friday - rotating call (or as directed by Radiology Section Chief)