Physician- Geriatrics HBPC 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 physician will dedicate 30-70% of time, daily, ensuring high-quality and safe daily operations our Home-Based Primary Care Program. The major aspects of work are focused on program leadership, program management, quality assurance, performance improvement, and other specific duties and coverage as assigned. The balance of time will be utilized to manage a small panel of HBPC Veterans and to serve in rotation for other clinical assignments within GEC as scheduled or assigned.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized to a highly qualified candidate
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more.

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

Oklahoma City Geriatrics and Extended Care, "GEC" is a robust and well-integrated service with direct and indirect oversight of programs and care environments focused on the care of older Veterans and/or those with significant debility or terminal conditions. GEC provides access to specialty Geriatrics and team-based care through multiple programs and collaborations within and throughout the health care system. Currently, our 31-bed Community Living Center is utilized as a Short-Stay NH location attached to the main building, which receives the majority of its referrals from the hospital and has an average length of stay of approximately 30 days. Our Palliative Care Program now consists of a Consult team, 8 private rooms within the CLC(Palliative Care Unit), a clinic (PALU-PACT), and is the primary clinical site for a Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program.

• Understand, manage, and report data related to/from HBPC (local and national)
• Provide supervision, as appropriate, of fellows, residents and students conducting direct clinical care.
• Serve as a member of the GEC Leaders Group (meeting monthly and ad hoc)
• Work closely with HBPC Program Coordinator, HBPC Nurse Manager, and HBPC Program Support Assistants on overall program management and response to changes and monitoring
• Serve as Chair of HBPC Steering Committee and HBPC Monthly meetings
• Lead and assist with HBPC program development including strategic planning, program leadership, quality improvement, quality assurance, continuous survey readiness, and committee/work groups in collaboration with others
• Understand, manage, and assist with review and revision of HBPC Policy to ensure compliance with VHA guidance
• Assist with response and management of Action Items related to HBPC
• Assist with response and management of emergencies as it relates to HBPC
• Supervise and evaluate all HBPC clinical providers in Oklahoma City and Lawton Serve as one local point of contact and subject matter expert as it relates to home and community based care services for Veterans
• Maintain licensures and certifications requisite for credentials and privileges at the OKC VA HCS at all times
• Meet ethical and professional standards as written in the Medical Staff Bylaws and ensure that work relations are in compliance with facility standards and expectations as written and communicated
• Other duties or cross-coverage as assigned by Associate Chief of Staff to include CLC Consultation, CLC Attending, Palliative Care Attending and on call rotations.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm, on call rotations to include weekends and 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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR
  [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR
  (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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.
  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 or fee-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.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Additional Requirement: Board certified in Geriatrics and Palliative Care

Preferred Experience:

• Current Hospice and Palliative Care experience for minimum 3 to 5 years.
• Current Supervisory experience in VA as Section Chief for minimum 6 to 12 months.
• Current experience in managing veterans in inpatient hospice unit for 6 to 12 months.
• Experience in working with Hospitalists and doing inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Consultations.

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

Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires: light to moderate lifting (15 - 44 lbs.); light carrying (15 lbs. and under); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 2 hours); standing (up to 2 hours); kneeling (up to 1 hour); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted); emotional stability; mental stability; working closely with others; and working alone.

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, or
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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.