This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with 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 complete review of the EDRP application. 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. Preferred Experience: BC/BE in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine preferred Significant experience clinical experience in primary care, or equivalent clinical background Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: The work is largely office based and in a sedentary setting. No manual labor is required above ordinary situations. Incumbent must be capable of using a computer given that all clinical charting is electronic. ["VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. The Physician will evaluate, diagnose, treat and provide consultation to ambulatory adults outpatients at one of the St. Louis VA Medical Center's Primary Care Clinics. Duties for Primary Care faculty include providing direct patient care in an outpatient setting. There are also opportunities to engage in population health management and quality improvement projects. Prior training or clinical experience is preferred. Primary Care of a panel of primary care patients (male and female) Provide comprehensive assessment, diagnostic work-up and clinic intervention, including comprehensive patient assessment, health history, physical examination, and patient education to Veterans in the Primary Care team setting; outpatients include both scheduled and unscheduled Veterans. Function as an integral part of a Primary Care multi-disciplinary team to coordinate, facilitate, and provide patient care and services. Discriminate between normal and abnormal findings to establish a diagnosis and initiate appropriate response to emergency health problems. Initiate appropriate referrals and consultations to other clinical services. Order and evaluate diagnostic tests as appropriate, recommend treatment and/or referral. Validate the effectiveness of previously implemented medical treatment. Initiate, evaluate, and change orders for medications. Include patient and family in planning care and establishing realistic measurable goals for health maintenance/improvement. Record/document health appraisal information, clinical assessments, treatment decisions, plan of care, ongoing management and therapeutic outcomes, order medications, diagnostic tests and referral consultations where needed for every patient encounter; recording will be accomplished using the electronic comprehensive patient record system (CPRS), and will be completed on the day of the encounter. Respond to computerized \"alerts\" indicating diagnostic test abnormalities and to health line requests from Veterans/family members on the day of receipt (weekends excepted). Follow Performance Measure guidelines, including completion of clinical reminders in CPRS. Access and timeliness standards; prescription order entry, National VA formulary requirements, and customer service standards. Work effectively with patients, families, members of the multi-disciplinary team, and other staff. Demonstrates flexibility in responding to clinic demands, adhere to personal and professional obligations and responsibilities, practice and maintain ethical standards, and sustain a work environment that is harmonious and customer service oriented. Providers will act as surrogates for the patients of their colleagues when their colleagues are on leave/travel. Serving as a resource for nurse practitioners or physician assistants who are also delivering primary care and responds to all staff in the primary care teams regarding patient concerns Teach and train residents as part of the academic partnership with our affiliates. Admit, evaluate, diagnose, treat and provide consultation to adults and geriatric patients admitted to John Cochran Division with both common and complex illnesses of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, metabolic, musculoskeletal, hematopoietic, neurologic eliminative systems and mental health of the human body. Procedures include but not limited to preliminary EKG interpretation, suture uncomplicated laceration, incise and drain abscesses, simple skin biopsy, arthrocentesis, simple wound debridement, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, central line placement and provider performed microscopy (as example fern test, urine microscopic examination KOH to screen for fungal elements and wet mounts). Procedures are authorized for the inpatient ward locations and intensive care units. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases. Education and length of practice are considered through a formal pay-setting process to determine the final compensable salary (Base Pay + Market Pay) 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 - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm (Subject to change)"]
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 (VHA outpatient clinics) 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 of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
