Physician - Sleep Medicine

The Attending Sleep Medicine Physician at the VASLCHCS is an academic physician responsible for carrying out operations of the Sleep Medicine Section of the Specialty Care (Medicine) Service. They provide comprehensive care to Veterans with sleep disorders, supervise trainees, and contribute to the academic mission of the institution.

The position includes clinical, education, research, and administrative duties. The approximate time assigned in each area as of the date of this statement is listed below. This may change over time depending on the needs of the Service and the Medical Center. The time allotment is consistent with information contained in the physician mapping tool that is used to follow physician duties and productivity. The specific allocation within each area (e.g., number of clinics per week and number of months attending on inpatient ward services) is found in the mapping tool.

Clinical Care (30-100% and will vary depending on the candidate):

• Conduct comprehensive evaluations of Veterans presenting with sleep-related issues, including detailed medical histories, physical examinations, and diagnostic testing.
• Interpret diagnostic tests relevant to sleep disorders, such as polysomnography, home sleep apnea testing, actigraphy, and other sleep studies.
• Develop, implement, and oversee individualized treatment plans for Veterans with various sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and circadian rhythm disorders.
• Prescribe and manage therapies, including Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), oral appliances, nerve stimulators, medications, and behavioral interventions.
• Provide ongoing follow-up care to assess treatment efficacy and make necessary adjustments to treatment plans.
• Educate Veterans and their families on sleep hygiene, the nature of their sleep disorders, and the use and maintenance of therapeutic devices.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of sleep medicine services.
• Supervise and train fellows, residents, medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the evaluation and management of sleep disorders.

Academic Activities and Teaching (0-30% and will vary depending on the candidate):

• Provide didactic teaching, including lectures, case conferences, grand rounds, and journal clubs.
• Serve as a mentor to trainees, guiding them in their professional development and research projects.
• Participate in University of Utah Sleep Medicine Fellowship committees.

Research (0-30% and will vary depending on the candidate):

• Engage in clinical and/or translational research related to sleep medicine.
• Develop and implement research protocols, including patient recruitment, data collection, and analysis.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present research at national and international conferences.
• Collaborate with other researchers and institutions on multi-center research initiatives.

Administrative (0-30% and will vary depending on the candidate):

• Participate in local, regional, and national committees and panels as assigned.
• Develop and implement evidence-based clinical guidelines and protocols.

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

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: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

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 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, 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; OR
  • (2) 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
  • (3) 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 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:

• Successful completion of an ACGME- or AOA-accredited fellowship program in Sleep Medicine; OR completion of a formal clinical experience/practice pathway that previously qualified the applicant for, and resulted in, active Sleep Medicine certification by an ABMS, AOA, or ABSM recognized board.
• Active Board Certification in Sleep Medicine (ABMS, AOA, or ABSM) or be within the recognized window of active Board Eligibility.

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.

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.