Physician - Chief of Radiology

The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center is seeking a well-qualified Physician with demonstrated leadership skills, clinical excellence, and commitment to education to serve as the facility's Chief of Radiology.

Day tour for work hours- Hours negotiated with the selected candidate.

The overall responsibilities/duties include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for all aspects of Radiology Services throughout the Jesse Brown VA hospital and Community-based outpatient clinics.
• Planning for the provision of care, including adequate personnel, diagnostic equipment, and supplies to ensure availability for those procedures which are appropriate to the needs of the facility.
• Serve as a general diagnostic radiologist, utilizing a PACS system with voice recognition for the different types of radiology examinations that are covered by the Radiology Service (MRI, CT, Diagnostic Ultrasound, general radiology, fluoroscopy (GI/GU examinations) and potentially interventional radiology procedures.
• Monitoring and ensuring that Radiology Service compliance with agency and facility policies, medical staff bylaws, Joint Commission standards and other applicable regulations.
• Responsible for establishing and applying imaging protocols, reviewing imaging requests, utilization management, ensuring appropriate patient preparations and medication are ordered, technical oversight and feedback for the technologists performing the examinations, overall safety of imaging patients including oversight of contrast administration and response to adverse patient reactions.
• Development of, and adherence to, standard procedures and protocols related to the provision of care in Radiology Service.
• Provides consultative service for referring providers, provide comparative reports as requested and participate in clinical conferences and committees.
• Participates in quality control/quality management activities including department and facility level quality and systems redesign projects and peer review activities.
• Supports patient radiation dose reduction programs, including those currently in effect and as required by VHA.
• Responsible for supervising other LIP's and staff in the Service, and for ensuring that staff are performing to the highest standards of clinical care excellence, time, efficiency, professional and ethical behavior.
• Develops strong, collegial working relationships with facility's Service and Section Chiefs (both clinical and administrative) to support patient access, flow and experience throughout the facility.
• Jesse Brown VA medical Center is affiliated with the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine. The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center is integrally involved in teaching and research activities at the affiliates. Teaching responsibilities may include resident mentorship during clinical rotations at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and outpatient clinic precepting.
• Participates in clinical review processes, management reviews and administrative activities as the facility, VISN and/or National level as directed by the Chief of Staff or designee.
• Working closely with others and working alone
• Other duties as assigned.

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

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: Day tour for work hours- Hours negotiated with the selected candidate.

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.

Preferred Experience: Board Certified Radiologist

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

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. however, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

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.