Physician (Nephrology) - Section Chief

The Physician (Nephrology) - Section Chief will serve as the supervisor of a group of physicians and additional administrative and clinical personnel, in addition to making clinical decisions, provides direct patient care, and is actively involved in the decisions that support the management of resources for the VA Caribbean Healthcare System.

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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 Nephrology Specialty Chief functions under the direct supervision of the Deputy ACOS for Medicine and Specialty Care, in a collaborative partnership with the ACOS for Medicine and Specialty Care , in carrying out the leadership/management responsibilities and operations of the Medicine and Specialty Care which include hospitalized patients and outpatient clinics, in addition to the administrative duties pertinent to the position The overall responsibilities of the Specialty Chief typically include, but are not limited to:

• Ensures that high quality patient care is delivered in a resource efficient manner.
• Promotes the development of health care professionals within their Section through counseling, mentoring, teaching and encouraging self-assessment.
• Fosters a workplace where all individuals can contribute their talents, ideas, and perspectives in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and where employees are informed of their whistleblower rights and protections.
• Promotes and facilitates the organizational engagement of section members through participation in committees, workgroups, and system redesign projects, among others
• Monitors and promotes compliance with VHA regulations and professional standards and ethical conduct.
• Works in a managerial capacity to ensure that the VA Caribbean Healthcare System programs reflect the mission and priorities of the VHA and VA as well as take an active participatory role as a leadership team member, providing counsel in defining and accomplishing the health system's mission and goals pertinent to their scope of practice.
• Assures that all employees reporting under the Specialty follow regulations pertaining to internal and external professional activities as well as conflict of interest considerations.
• Ensure that appropriate systems are in place to review, analyze, and evaluate patient care activities pertinent to their scope of practice and corrective actions are initiated and carried out as needed. This includes monitoring clinic utilization, incomplete encounters, consultation management and physician productivity.
• Monitors and ensures Section staff compliance with agency regulations, medical staff bylaws, VA Caribbean Healthcare System policies, pertinent -Joint Commission standards, and other appropriate regulations as they apply.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 am

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- Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.) in accordance with section 38 U.S.C. § 7402(c). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education- 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.
  • For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must confirm that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.
• Licensure- 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. The Physician must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.
• 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) 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 (4) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of 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..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.
• Board Certification- Board certification is required if the position being filled is required to: (1) supervise medical students or physician residents (including fellows); (2) have faculty status with an affiliated medical school (for example, in joint recruitments with affiliated medical schools); and/or (3) to be board certified by virtue of specific VHA policy (for example, as director of a cardiac catheterization laboratory or Director of Clinical Laboratory Medicine).
• English Language Proficiency- Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).
• Selective Placement Factor (SPF) for locations in Puerto Rico- This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must also be proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position.

Preferred Experience:

• 5 years of experience as a Nephrologist is highly preferred
• Board Certification in Nephrology

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

Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. Potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. May be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. Must be physically, emotionally and mentally competent and able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to yourself or others.

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.