Physician - Critical Care (Pulmonary/Sleep Medicine) - Chief

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System's Critical Care Service is seeking an experienced and dynamic Physician (Critical Care/Pulmonary/Sleep Medicine)-Chief. The Chief of Critical and Pulmonology Care directs the care of all patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and Pulmonary/Sleep Clinics.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Eligible applicants will be referred until all vacancies are filled.

"This JOB ANNOUNCEMENT has been AMENDED to update the job title to Physician - Critical Care (Pulmonary/Sleep Medicine) - Chief."

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive/ Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.
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

Duties include but not limited to the following:

• Perform and/or supervise procedures including central line placement, intubation, bronchoscopy, EBUS, thoracentesis and others as required.
• Examine and evaluate each patient for admission to the ICU and notify the admitting physician of assessment and recommendations.
• Perform and document a Critical Care Medicine consultation on all patients.
• Write ICU orders in addition to the admitting physician orders as deemed necessary for optimal care.
• Perform and document subsequent evaluation of all patients in the ICU on daily rounds once every twenty-four hours and as needed.
• Coordinate with the admitting physician and consultants to organize diagnostic and treatment plans for all Intensive Care Unit patients.
• Perform and document diagnostic/therapeutic procedures within the scope of individual clinical privileges.
• Will be actively involved in teaching residents and students, and will periodically direct Noon Conferences for their didactic training.
• Participate in the educational programs for the critical care unit personnel as well as the medical staff.
• Participate in monitoring the quality, safety and appropriateness of patient care.
• Attend ICU Committee meetings. Develop/update ICU policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate ethical conduct and serve as a positive role model to others at all levels of the organization.
• Participate in quality assurance programs and chart reviews.
• Manages both Pulmonary & Sleep Clinics.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
(Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).

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 appointments 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.
• Education: 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.
• License and Registration: 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 in (Critical Care and Pulmonary Training Programs). (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) 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.

• Board Certification: In both Critical Care and Pulmonary.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).

Additional Requirement: BLS certification is required.

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

Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires: light to moderate lifting (15 - 44 lbs.); light carrying (15 lbs. and under); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 2 hours); standing (up to 2 hours); kneeling (up to 1 hour); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted); emotional stability; mental stability; working closely with others; and working alone.

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 an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.