Physician - Nephrology (Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized)

The Medical Service Mission is to lead satisfied staff dedicated in providing high-quality, patient-centered care at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), a tertiary training and research Veteran's Hospital. This Renal/Nephrology Physician position supports this mission through direct patient care, administrative dependability, and support of the Section's clinical, educational and research activities and directives.

The Staff Nephrology/Renal Physician is expected to remain privileged and practicing in their specialty field(s). The specific privileges and procedures for a provider are approved by the Professional Standards Board. All physicians must meet the following: Patient Care, Medical/Clinical knowledge, Clinical Judgment, Interpersonal Communication skills, Professionalism and Systems Based Practice, and Clinical Management including indirect patient care.

• Demonstration of patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease, and care at the end of life.
• Demonstration of knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the skillful application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others.
• Demonstration of the use of practice-based learning and improvement including the application of scientific evidence and methods to evaluate and improve patient care.
• Demonstration of interpersonal and communication skills that enable the establishment and maintenance of professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of the health care team.
• Demonstration of behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and understanding and sensitivity to diversity, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession.
• Demonstration of an understanding of the contexts and systems in which health care is provided, and the ability to apply this knowledge to improve and optimize health care delivery.
• Participation in staff meetings and peer review process (expected) and hospital committees commensurate with appointment and interests.
• Assumption and service of clinical directorships and other administrative responsibilities as assigned by the section chief.
• Demonstration of effective communication to staff and up to leadership, including "heads up" (for acute patient poor
  outcomes) and issue briefs as needed.
• Service as Acting Section Chief when the Section Chief is on leave as requested.
• Participation in FPPE/OPPE processes for personal professional practice development and maintenance.
• Participation in the Clinical Pertinence Review process including review of clinical performance of section members as directed.
• Adherence to employee health requirements.
• Adherence to Tours of Duty and Flex Time requirements including accurate and timely reporting of service hours as applicable.
• Development and communication of a clinical coverage plan clinical responsibilities in advance of leave and non-tour hours
  whenever possible.
• Practitioners are expected to provide inpatient and consult service during off tours (nights, weekends, and holidays) as needed by the organization.
• Adherence to CPRS documentation rules and requirements, including copy/paste expectations and supervision of trainees in
  the same
• Adherence to clinic procedures and directives to facilitate patient scheduling & access to specialty services
• Completion of Peer Reviews, Medical Advisory Opinions, Compensation and Pension reviews and other case reviews as assigned by the section chief.
• Participation in VA initiatives and projects including: the Medical Home and Patient Centric Care, System Redesign and process
  improvement, Utilization, Quality, and Patient Safety oversight including safety event reporting as indicated.

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

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: May be authorized for Highly Qualified Individuals
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
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Proficiency in spoken and written English. Physicians appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d).

Preferred Experience:

• Board certified in Nephrology or dual board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine
• Experience working in the VA or any federal system
• Ability to function in a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to provide high quality evidence-based direct patient care
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in teaching and/or clinical research
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in kidney transplantation
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in dialysis medical directorship
• Administrative experience
• Completion of nephrology fellowship training in an ACGME accredited training program

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

Physical Requirements:
Pre-Employment/Post-Employment Physical Examination: May be required, depending on the needs of the organization.

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.