Physician - Hospice and Palliative Medicine

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 and will remain open until July 20, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be May 25, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every 2 weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.**

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V21CCOEEDRP@VA.GOV, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

Work Schedule: Full-time. Schedule to be determined by supervisor.
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

Major duties include but are not limited to:

Clinical Care:

• Serves as a primary care provider for a panel of Veterans for medical evaluation and treatment and by request from other team members when clinically indicated and collaborating with RN and interprofessional team for patient case management needs. Panel size to be determined by local, regional, and national guidelines. Territory served to be determined and assigned by local and program needs.
• Works with an interprofessional team to deliver primary care to Veterans in their place of living. Includes being available during the tour of duty for phone, video, and face to face visits, conducting solo and/or joint home visits with team members as needed, and providing leave coverage for other providers as needed.
• Participates in CLC on-call rotation for after-hours coverage from home.
• Obtain relevant health and medical history, perform appropriate physical exam including mental status and psychiatric exam as appropriate.
• Formulates appropriate differential diagnosis based on history, physical exam, and clinical findings.
• Formulates and implements appropriate non-pharmacological and pharmacological plan of care. Integrates veteran's goals of care and collaborates with interprofessional team, veteran, and veteran's support system in formulating and implementing plan of care as appropriate.
• Determine the need for and initiate referrals and consultation in accordance with standard of practice and/or specified protocols.
• The individual must have a valid driver's license and be able to drive to home visits.
• Maintain BLS and ACLS certification.

Administrative Support:

• Precepting and collaborating with the nurse practitioners
• Providing back-up ACOS in their absence
• Being familiar with VHA and local policies that may affect patient care programs

Quality and Performance Improvement Support:

• Supporting on-going survey readiness in the CLC, including participation in VA internal surveys and Periodic Performance Review Working with CLC Leadership and staff on quality and performance improvement projects
• Participating in peer review activities and proctoring as required by VASNHCS policies

Medical Center:
The GEC Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician will:

• Work with the CLC Leadership to articulate the mission and vision of the CLC within and across service lines and to assist with strategic planning
• Promote the mission of CLC by serving as a liaison between leadership, other departments/services, the teaching/training programs, and GEC
• Educate and update staff, providers and leadership across the Medical Center about operational and patient care issues specific to CLC
• Assist with the education of resident physicians and other trainees in Geriatrics
• Serve on the VASNHCS medical staff, attend meetings as needed, and uphold the medical staff bylaws, rules, and regulations
• Serve on and/or appoint designees to serve on hospital committees pertinent to GEC
• Work with other services to improve the care provided to frail, elderly or terminally ill Veterans.
• University and Community Duties/Liaisons (not reimbursed by VA)
  • Serve on university committees such as geriatrics and gerontology curriculum committees.
  • Network with aging related entities and organizations in the community.

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.

Additional Requirement:

• Board certification in internal or family medicine with subspeciality eligibility in hospice and palliative medicine and/or geriatric medicine.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in extended care, long term care, home care and/or hospice programs
• Experience in quality and performance improvement
• Experience with interdisciplinary teams
• Completion of a Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellowship

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

Physical Requirements: Applicants must meet physical standards for the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. This is a designated drug testing position. After appointment, you will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Requires lifting 15-44 pounds; pushing (approx. 2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers and both hands; walking and standing from 3-5 hours and kneeling. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors. Hearing aid is permitted.

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.