Physician, Emergency Department with EDRP

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.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until May 7, 2027 or until positions are filled. Eligible applications received will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur.

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 VISN17EDRP2@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

The Emergency Department (ED) Physician physicians will provide emergent and urgent medical care for all patients (any age) who present to the ALMD ED requesting care. The medical care includes stabilization, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of the full spectrum of conditions that fall within the breath of Emergency Medicine as well as Occupational Health as it relates to acute work-related injuries and illnesses. The medical care will be provided in the outpatient setting of the ALMD ED. Physicians are expected to document in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) when available.

All ED physicians are responsible for adhering to the policies and regulations of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), VHA, STVHCS Medical Staff By-laws, STVHCS Policies, and ED Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). All physicians will safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal Regulations, VA statutes, and policy, VHA policy, and STVHCS cyber security.

Physicians will order necessary diagnostic studies to include radiographs, laboratory studies, and EKGs. Physicians will make preliminary interpretations of radiographs and EKGs. Physicians will act on physical exam and diagnostic study findings in a timely manner. Physicians are expected to complete an ED Provider Note on each patient prior to the end of that physician's shift. The ED Provider Note will include: a chief complaint; a history of the present illness; a review of systems, if applicable; past medical history; social history and/or family history; pertinent physical exam findings; diagnostic study results; assessment; plan; and disposition. Prohibited abbreviations will not be used. Physicians will complete the patient encounter associated with that ED visit at the time of note completion. Physicians are responsible for obtaining and documenting written consent (preferably via iMedConsent) as per the Informed Consent for Clinical Treatments and Procedures Policy.

Physicians are responsible for adhering to Universal Protocol policies and procedures to ensure that invasive procedures are performed on the correct patient and at the correct site. Physicians are responsible for documenting procedures in either a separate procedure note or within the body of the ED Provider Note. Except during a code blue, physicians will write prescriptions and enter orders for medications either administered in the ED or dispensed by the pharmacy. Physicians are responsible for completing a medication reconciliation on each patient.

Physicians will coordinate care with consulting (if emergent necessity exists) and admitting providers as necessary (involving the bed flow coordinators/utilization management as per local policy). The ED physician will document when an admitting or consulting provider is called. The ED physician will assist during medical emergencies of admitted patients who remain in the ED. Physicians will transfer patients as medically and administratively necessary. Physicians will complete all documentation required for transfer. Physicians will provide appropriate education to the patient and/or family members regarding the patient's care, illness and its management (discharge instructions); this requirement includes providing the patient with written discharge instructions.

Work Schedule: Full-time; work hours will be scheduled to accommodate the STX Health Care System Emergency Department's compressed tour hours and will be determined by the supervisor.

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 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.
  • For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must confirm that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.
• 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 successfully completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in an accredited core specialty training program (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) leading to eligibility for board certification, OR
  • (2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) leading to eligibility for board certification, OR
  • (3) 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, OR
  • (4) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying 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 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 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.
    • 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 certification or eligibility in emergency medicine preferred.
• Current employment in emergency medicine.

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

Physical Examination: May be required, depending on the needs of the organization.

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.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.