Physician - Transplant Hepatologist

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.

This role blends clinical excellence, program leadership, education, and collaborative team-based care. As a staff Gastroenterologist and Transplant Hepatologist, you will play an integral role within a nationally recognized transplant center within the VA system, collaborating closely with National partners to deliver liver transplant evaluations, optimize Veteran transplant candidates, and ensure continuity of care throughout the pre- and post-transplant journey. In addition, you will lead the Portal Hypertension program and provide comprehensive hepatology care for both hospitalized and outpatient Veterans. Clinical responsibilities also include participation in general gastroenterology clinical services, including but not limited to basic endoscopy. The successful candidate will contribute to the academic missions of education and research through supervision, mentorship, and teaching of trainees from the academic affiliate while supporting scholarly and quality improvement initiatives.

Major Duties include, but are not limited to:

Veteran-Centered Liver Transplantation

• Diagnose and manage the full spectrum of chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis C, NAFLD/NASH, autoimmune liver disease, and alcohol-associated liver disease.
• Coordinate and conduct comprehensive pre- and post-liver transplant evaluations, including medical optimization and longitudinal transplant care in partnership with VA transplant centers.
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary transplant boards and collaborate with hepatology, surgery, psychology, addiction medicine, pharmacy, and social work teams.

Development of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Optimization Program

• Support the design and implementation of a dedicated AUD care pathway for Veterans with alcohol-associated liver disease being considered for transplant.
• Work alongside transplant psychologists and addiction medicine specialists to provide integrated, evidence-based care-including structured behavioral interventions, abstinence monitoring, and relapse prevention plans.
• Provide robust post-transplant monitoring and support protocols tailored to the needs of Veterans, including coordination with VA mental health services and community resources.

Development of Portal Hypertension Program

• Lead the design and implementation of a dedicated program in collaboration with the UPMC transplant hepatology division to improve the diagnosis and management of portal hypertension and its complications.
• Work alongside Interventional Radiologists, Surgeons and other specialists to provide integrated, evidence-based care.

Other Key Duties

• Active participation in the weekly Tumor Board to evaluate and discuss complex oncology cases.
• Attendance at the weekly Transplant Huddle to coordinate care and align on patient management strategies.
• Attendance at the Transplant Selection Committee, and at times leadership of the Committee as the chair's delegated authority, guiding multidisciplinary decisions on transplant candidacy.
• Engagement in the Liver Transplant Multidisciplinary Clinic, working closely with a team of specialists to provide comprehensive patient care.
• Management of a personal Telehealth Clinic, offering remote consults and continuity of care for transplant patients, portal hypertension patients, and general hepatology patients.
• Oversight of post-transplant monitoring and long-term care, ensuring optimal patient outcomes and addressing complications.
• Review and acceptance of referrals from VA referral centers nationwide, ensuring timely access to specialized hepatology and liver transplant services.
• Triage of clinical calls from referring VA facilities, providing expert guidance on the care of veteran patients.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
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: M-F, 8a-4:30p and evening/weekend/holiday on-call

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.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT: Candidates should be board certified in both Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology, with accredited fellowship training in Gastroenterology, fellowship training in Transplant Hepatology, and competence in general GI endoscopy. Candidates should have experience in the supervision and training of medical students and GME residents and fellows. Candidates must be competitive for a faculty appointment at the affiliated University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Faculty track and academic rank will be determined based upon qualifications and experience.

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

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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.