Physician - Geriatrics Transitional Care Program Medical Director

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.

The Geriatrics Transitional Care Program Medical Director may practice in all settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and telehealth modalities. This physician may practice in all patient demographics, provide trainee education, participate in scholarly activity consistent with academic appointment, and implement several quality improvement projects. This position provides primary care to assigned panel of patients in the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)/nursing home. We are looking for a 1.0 FTEE Geriatric physician as medical director of the transitional care program.

• Join a Geriatrics & Transitional care program established and operational for ~ 20 years.
• One-site practice with geriatric transitional care, geriatrics clinics, PACT/nursing home, trainee education and quality improvement projects.
• Plan and implement next level expansion of Geriatrics Transitional Care program.
• Join a collegial group of physician and advance practice providers.
• Work with an engaged interdisciplinary team.
• Be part of Geriatrics & Extended Care programs supporting Veterans + caregivers with serious illness.
• Opportunities for professional growth with work-life balance.
• Shared after hours on-call responsibility.

Department description: Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) service has programs in outpatient geriatrics, Community Living Center (CLC)/nursing home care, Home-Based Primary Care, Inpatient and Outpatient Palliative Care, hospice care, transitional care, non-institutional care, and State Veteran Home partnership. Geriatrics and HPM fellows, Internal Medicine residents and medical students from Virginia Commonwealth University complete their rotations with GEC faculty.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Recruitment incentive may be authorized for highly qualified applicants.

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): The position may be eligible for the EDRP. Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Monique Head at monique.head@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 incumbent maintains the following responsibilities:

1. Performs day-to-day clinical activities, which may include providing patient care in the Geriatrics Transitional Care Program, all GEC clinics/CLC, including all telehealth modalities, e-consults, and as-needed coverage in other GEC programs.
2. Collaborates daily with the interdisciplinary team (IDT), referral sources and all stakeholders.
3. Participates in program development, quality improvement, and systems redesign projects; required to follow through with projects and show evidence of completed projects.
4. Provides effective leadership to interdisciplinary teams and administrative staff.
5. Supervises clinical staff, to include a nurse navigator, nurse practitioner, physician assistant and administrative/clerical staff.
6. Provides collaborative physician coverage in all GEC programs including non-institutional care programs.
7. Provides guidance and coaching as needed to other Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and/or Nurses in GEC and referral sources.
8. Completes medical records and encounters timely and accurately.
9. Participates in educational activities for all trainees, i.e., curriculum development, bedside teaching, formal didactics, and just-in-time teaching.
10. Assist the service chief in administrative assignments such as timekeeping, recruitment, staff development, performance measures, VISN and the national task force.
11. Participates in Committees, Root Cause Analysis and Quality Improvement projects.
12. Completes Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations and all peer reviews by due date.
13. Completes Medical Center Policy, Standard Operating Procedure and required reports.
14. Completes Talent Management System modules and other required trainings by deadline.
15. Completes and/or assists service chief with regulatory inquiry, including the Joint Commission survey, OIG Review, etc.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, shared on-call for afterhours, weekends and federal holidays.

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.

Medical Center Director/VISN Director: Physicians appointed as directors of medical centers (including facility and regional office center directors, directors of outpatient clinics (Independent) and Domiciliaries) or VISNs must meet the requirements specified in 38 U.S.C. § 7306. The individual assigned at this level will be a qualified Doctor of Medicine with demonstrated leadership ability.

• The medical facility director (includes directors of outpatient clinics (independent) and Domiciliaries) has overall responsibility for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling medical, administrative, and supporting operations of a medical facility which administers a variety of medical care and treatment for a large geographic area. The director is responsible for maintaining and improving the health care facility and VA relationships through active participation in the administrative, educational, community and social events of Federal, state, local and other affiliated organizations involved in health care delivery, Veterans 5 service organizations, and appropriate civic organizations. These duties are geared to the successful accomplishment of the basic patient care mission, and additional missions for teaching and research.
• The VISN or regional office center director has delegated line authority and responsibility for executive level management of a consolidated VA health care and Veterans benefits facility covering a large geographic area. The director has responsibility for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling administrative and supporting operations and for establishing policies and procedures. The director delegates authority as appropriate to subordinate staff for program administration (often statewide), directing program planning, and the formulation and presentation of the annual budget for the facility. The director is responsible for maintaining and improving the health care facility and VA relationships through active participation in the administrative, educational, community and social events of Federal, state, local and other affiliated organizations involved in health care delivery, Veterans service organizations, and appropriate civic organizations. These duties are geared to the successful accomplishment of the basic patient care and Veterans benefits missions.

Preferred Experience:

• Board-eligible or board certified in Internal Medicine/Family Medicine as required by ACGME common program requirements to supervise HPM fellows, Geriatrics fellows, Internal Medicine/Family Medicine residents, medical students.
• Fellowship training in Geriatrics and/or Hospice & Palliative Medicine highly desired.
• Recent & substantial experience in geriatric transitional care program.
• Recent & substantial experience in academic hospitalist/internal medicine practice.
• Recent & substantial experience in program development and multi-disciplinary quality improvement.
• Must be BLS certified and renewed every two (2) years.
• Must register for a DEA number.

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

Physical Requirements:
This position requires comprehensive assessments and complex problem-solving skills, working with patients of many age groups and working with patients who have complex care needs and require care coordination. This role involves working with many stakeholders simultaneously and working often in a fast-paced environment. To perform in a fully successful manner, the incumbent must have the physical ability to perform job-related duties that require lifting, standing, bending, transferring, stooping, stretching, walking/mobility, pushing, or pulling without assistance from another patient care provider or significant other. This physician will have clear distinct speech, visual acuity, hearing acuity, able to use memory-recall, emotional maturity, able to use phone, able to use available technology to complete virtual visits or video visits, able to complete medical records accurately and complete on-call duties. Physicians selected or assigned to HBPC must have a valid license to operate a government vehicle and be able to complete home visits independently.

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.