Physician - Community Living Center Medical Director

The Community Living Center (CLC) Medical Director is responsible for delivering patient care directly or through the supervision of CLC assigned providers and any assigned medical trainees in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized to a highly qualified candidate.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP).

The CLC Medical Director will provide both administrative and clinical leadership, as well as direct patient care within the CLC, which includes skilled nursing, long-term care, hospice/palliative care, and rehabilitation services.
Duties include but are not limited to:

• Evaluating and managing adults with single or multiple disorders across various subspecialties, with a particular focus on geriatric medicine.
• Delivering direct patient care, including admission history and physical exams, daily patient management, discharge summaries, discharge planning, and family conferences.
• Providing care outside the CLC when needed, such as in community nursing homes, Veterans' homes, or outpatient clinics.
• Arranging for routine and emergency medical coverage across all CLC units.
• Working with the CLC Screening Committee to ensure safe, appropriate admissions, optimal bed utilization, and process transparency.
• Mentoring clinical staff including physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals to ensure quality of care.
• Managing clinical schedules to ensure sufficient coverage and resource use.
• Participating in peer reviews, competency evaluations (including OPPE and FPPE), and chart reviews.
• Contributing to training programs for medical students, residents, fellows, and other trainees. Participation in the HPT educational program is default.
• Participating in billing and coding audits to optimize documentation and reimbursement.
• Providing medical expertise during committee discussions and decisions.
• Representing the department in interdisciplinary meetings and projects.
• Addressing concerns and feedback via the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS-R).

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

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.

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 through Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM
Telework: Ad-hoc only may be approved.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 15% of annual salary every year up to 3 years with a 3-year contractual agreement may be authorized for highly qualified and eligible applicants.
Relocation Incentive: $15,000 lump sum paid up front may be authorized for eligible, highly qualified, current VA employees only.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

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:

• At least three years of clinical experience post-residency in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or related fields.
• One year of leadership experience in a clinical setting.
• Specialization in Geriatrics, Rehabilitation, or Palliative Medicine.
• Experience with skilled nursing facilities or program development
• Prior involvement in education programs with students and residents.

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

Physical Requirements: The role involves extensive walking, standing, or sitting for up to 10-12 hours daily. Providing care in home settings may require bending, lifting, and twisting. Emergency situations may necessitate running or sprinting, and night or inclement weather driving may be required.

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.