Physician (Pulmonary Disease) INCENTIVE OFFERED

Join our team at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, as a Pulmonologist/Intensivist (hereafter PI), providing essential health care services to Veterans. The VA Maine Healthcare System serves approximately 39,000 Veterans annually across 16 counties. Our 67-operating bed facility includes an emergency department, general medical, surgical, and mental health beds, as well as a 100-bed Nursing Home with 50 Skilled and Longer Stay beds, and a 27-bed Dementia Unit.

Located just a short drive from Portland and the scenic Seacoast, Augusta offers a perfect blend of professional opportunities and recreational activities year-round. Enjoy boating in the summer, skiing in the winter, and vibrant fall hikes and walks. Experience the beauty of Maine, rich in culture and activities for all seasons. Explore a career where you can make a difference in a breathtaking location!

In conjunction with the surgical or medical attending physician and other consultants, the PI directs the care of all patients in the Intensive Care Unit at the VA Maine Healthcare System, Togus campus, Augusta, Maine and/or CBOC (Community Based Outreach Clinic) as assigned. The PI provides continuous vigilance; early intervention and ongoing care with the goal to decrease ICU related morbidity and mortality. In addition, the PI proactively communicates with the other members of the team to assure optimal results.

When not scheduled for Intensivist duties, the PI will assume the role of consulting pulmonologist. As such, s/he will perform inpatient and outpatient procedures, inpatient and outpatient consultations, and inpatient and outpatient follow-up care.

The VA Maine Healthcare System is an acute care facility operating 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. While most tours of duty are scheduled during the day, the possibility of working evenings, nights and weekends does exist. On-call and shift changes will be considered based on patient and facility needs. The typical work schedule is Monday-Friday, 08:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., excluding recognized Federal holidays. In addition, one in four call rotation is required.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 08:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Bargaining Unit: This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position.

• 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.

• Board Certification in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine by the appropriate accrediting agencies.
• Current BLS and ACLS certification.

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.

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.