Chief Health Information Officer

PATIENT CARE

• Play key role in using the capability of the VA clinical information systems to assist practitioners in doing the right things for the right patients at the right time.
• Ensures adequate support to measurably improve the quality of data and the transfer of clinical information between providers.
• Ensure valid information is available to the patients and to their health care practitioner.

TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATICS

• Evaluate clinical computing systems; analyze and evaluate the effect of interventions on health outcomes.
• Enable healthcare capabilities and the evolution of technology adjoined to the EHR to deliver quality care by developing, implementing, monitoring, maintaining and optimizing informatics tools and access to them.
• Evaluate, document, analyze, prioritize, and recognize requirements for the improvement of the EHR and other systems in collaboration with the end-user..

DATA WAREHOUSE

• Manage all aspects of Data Warehouse including architecture, database structure, reporting services, training and education and utilization.
• Effectively create, integrate, disseminate and manage data for all enterprise applications, processes and entities requiring timely and accurate data delivery.
• Use Data Warehouse to provide data to management for strategic and operative planning and employ such data to guide management decisions.
• Participate in the Office of Information and Technology (OlT) Regional Data Warehouse committees as well as VHA Data Warehousing committees.

COLLABORATION

• Coordinate information management support for clinical activities within the medical center by participating collaboratively with staff to design, implement, and evaluate the clinical information systems configuration, and the capabilities that will be used. These activities will include the scholarly endeavors of Montana VAMC staff and affiliate trainees.
• Work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Information and Technology (OlT), Biomedical engineering, Medical, Nursing and other clinical staff.
• Participate as a liaison between services and committees, teams and ad hoc work groups.
• Work collaboratively with appropriate leadership to identify strategic opportunities and initiatives that will enhance organizational improvement efforts through the systematic application of informatics principles and tools.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Ensure that all local, VISN and national informatics policies are implemented properly and in a timely manner.
• Develop and manage the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) business architecture, which structures and communicates the VHA healthcare business, and includes descriptions of business behaviors, functionality, processes, and the flow of information that is required to achieve VHA's mission.

EDUCATION

• Maintain high end working knowledge of the electronic health record and the ability to understand a wide range of clinical needs.
• Coordinate institutional compliance with external accrediting organizations.

LEADERSHIP

• Supervise professional and non-professional staff to accomplish the work of the health informatics office.
• Assure that informatics staff under their supervision are appropriately trained and competent to perform their jobs.
• Plan work to be accomplished, set and adjust short-term priorities, and prepare schedules for completion of work.

Contract Buy Out Program: This position may be eligible for the Physician / Provider Contract Buy Out Program (CBOP), which authorizes VHA to buy out service contracts (Locum agreements, loan repayments, sign-on bonus contracts, Physician-owned practices) in exchange for employment at certain rural or highly rural facilities for a period of obligated service (minimum 4 years). For additional information and eligibility requirements, contact the VHA Contract Buy Out Program Manager at vacontractbuyoutprog@va.gov.
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: 8:00-4:30 PM M-F

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: EHRM Experience preferred

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

Physical Requirements: To perform in a fully successful manner, the individual must have the physical ability to perform job-related duties which may require light carrying (under 15 pounds), reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (6hrs); standing (6hrs); repeated bending (2-4hrs); both eyes required; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted); Mental/ Emotional Stability; Ability to perform privileges Independently perform physical exam; Cognitive Stability. A health examination must be successfully completed prior to this assignment and periodically thereafter as required by the Occupational Health Clinic policy. There may be intermittent exposure to blood and body fluids.

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.