Physician - Gastroenterologist

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 Central Arkansas Veteran Healthcare System (CAVHS) is recruiting for a full-time Gastroenterologist. The physician will report to the Chief of Gastroenterology and will be expected to cooperate with and participate in medical duties or functions related to quality of care, peer review, serving on facility committees and other performance improvement activities and other duties as assigned. The incumbent is ultimately responsible for the successful performance of patient care related activities in Medicine Service as a Gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists provide diagnostic assessments, medical evaluation, and management including endoscopic procedures as needed. The incumbent will provide oversight of residents, fellows and medical students.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement and may be extended beyond the current closing date until the position is filled. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals, as additional vacancies occur and/or on an as-needed basis during the duration of the announcement. Once a selection is made and offer is accepted the announcement may close pending no additional vacancies.

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

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified applicants.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact lashala.goodman@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

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Clinical duties include seeing patients in both outpatient clinic and inpatient service for diagnosing, treating, and management based on standard and customary methods and techniques.
• Reviewing gastroenterology consults in both outpatient and inpatient settings and staffing with fellows, residents and APPs as needed.
• Procedural duties include performing diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower endoscopy procedures, polypectomies, variceal banding, PEG placement, esophageal dilation etc..
• Responsible for administration and management of moderate/conscious sedation used during procedures.
• Sharing call coverage and inpatient consult service with other attendings.
• Participate in section and service meetings, quality assurance programs and chart reviews.
• Complete all medical record documentation within guidelines and appropriate deadline, including, but not limited to, e-consults, encounters, CPRS documentation, correctly code visits in accordance with coding guidelines, etc..
• Complete CME as required to maintain competency in specialized section and medical licensure.
• Participate in administrative work assignments, including program building as assigned by the Section Chief and the Service Chief.
• Demonstrates interpersonal skills that enhance the effectiveness and accomplishments of the service.
• Demonstrates verbal and written communication skills that are commensurate with the responsibilities of the position.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Occasional travel may be required for staffing clinic in surrounding CBOC facilities. No overnight travel.

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:

• Experience in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and/or Esophageal Manometry.

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

Physical Requirements:

• Moderate lifting, under 25 pounds
• Light carrying, under 15 pounds
• Pushing (8 hours)
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Walking (8 hours)
• Standing (8 hours)
• Repeated bending (2 hours)
• Both legs required
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• Both eyes required
• Depth perception
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Ability to distinguish shades of colors
• Hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Mental stability
• Emotional stability
• Mask Wearing
• Sitting up to 8 hours

Environmental Factors:

• Outside and inside
• Excessive noise, intermittent
• Working closely with others
• Working alone
• Protracted or irregular hours of work
• Working in direct patient care
• Use of computer

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.