This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. 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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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. 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 or fee-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. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: - Active driver's license Preferred Experience: -Experience in Geriatrics, Primary Care, Home Care plus or minus Palliative Care. Requires experience and autonomy caring for complex veteran populations in their homes. Requires experience working with an interdisciplinary team. Experience teaching residents, colleagues, and nurses preferred. This Geriatrics Part Time Physician (0.4 FTE) provides coverage for the Community Living Center, Home-Based Primary Care and Palliative Care (the latter if the incumbent has appropriate training/experience). Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: This position requires potentially extended periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. The position requires the ability to cover clinical nursing services and meet physical demand found in the patient care environment. The encumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. Initiates Basic Life Support (BLS) in accordance with current BLS standards to include automatic defibrillation in life-threatening situations. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Micaela Gaytan & Vickie Becoat, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 1 hour for every 10 hours worked of paid time off per year & 1 hour for every 20 hours worked of sick leave 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 Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Work Schedule: Part-time adjustable work hours (based on service need) between the hours of Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm Salary Information: Education and length of practice are considered through a formal pay-setting process to determine the final compensable salary (Base Pay + Market Pay) ["The Geriatric Physician (Part Time) provides medical coverage to services under Geriatrics and Extended Care, including at the Community Living Center (CLC), Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), and Palliative Care. The HBPC physician in collaboration with the HBPC team, is responsible for: (1) Assuming overall medical responsibility for assigned HBPC patients, including ordering and renewing medications, ordering appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic tests/studies, initiating consults and referrals, in accordance with VA policy, VA formulary, Colorado State regulations and scope of practice. Documenting interactions with Veterans (or their appropriate decision maker) and examinations of Veterans per VA policy. (2) Completes or updates Life Sustaining Treatment orders and Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) after discussion with the Veteran or their medical decision maker. (3) Serving, when indicated, as the collaborative physician for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants and serve as back-up for other HBPC primary care providers. (3) Identifying and updating Veteran's medical problems in the electronic medical record. (4) Defining the medical management of Veteran's medical problems. (5) Determining the need for consultation from medical, surgical, or psychiatric or other subspecialty clinics. (6) Determining the need for, and facilitating admission to the hospital and other transitions of care. VA Western Colorado Health Care System Scope of Practice Geriatric Physician (Part Time) (7) Visiting the HBPC patients at home for medical evaluation and treatment when clinically indicated. (8) Providing medical administrative support such as completing physician required orders and forms for the HBPC patients. (9) Being readily available to the team members for collaboration when clinical or program issues arise. (10) Participating in the development of the individual plan of care at interdisciplinary care meetings for primary care provider assigned panel of patients. The CLC physician in collaboration with the CLC team, is responsible for: (1) Assuming overall medical responsibility for assigned CLC patients, including determining level of care for CLC residents. (2) Attending and actively participating in CLC Huddles, care planning meetings, hospice IDT and other Veteran/family meetings as appropriate. (3) Serving, when indicated, as the collaborative physician for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants and serve as back-up for other CLC Medical Providers. (4) Performing history and physical exams on new patient admissions according to policy and ordering appropriate medications, ordering appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic tests/studies, initiating consults and referrals, in accordance with VA policy, VA formulary, Colorado State regulations and scope of practice, (5) Completes and/or updates Life Sustaining Treatment orders after discussion with the Veteran or their medical decision maker. (6) Completing follow up visits for Veterans, including 72 hour visit after admission, weekly visits for Veterans receiving rehabilitation, and at least every 30 days for all other CLC residents. (7) Completing acute/problem visits for Veterans when requested and/or necessary and documenting appropriately per policy. (8) Determining the need for consultation from medical, surgical, or psychiatric or other subspecialty clinics and ordering consults and contacting specialists as appropriate. (9) Determining the need for, and facilitating transfer to the emergency room, admission to the hospital and other transitions of care. (10) Completing a discharge summary, discharge medication reconciliation note and appropriate medication and discharge orders when a Veteran is discharged from the CLC) (11) If covering for the CLC Medical Director, reviewing the medical records of new referrals and determining if the referred Veteran is medically appropriate for admission to the CLC. (12) Being readily available to the team members for collaboration when clinical or program issues arise. Palliative Physician is responsible for: (1) Completes palliative care and/or hospice consultations in conjunction with other palliative care team members, including goals of care conversations where appropriate and addressing symptom management needs. Documents in electronic medical record per policy and recommends and/or orders appropriate medications, in accordance with VA policy, VA formulary, Colorado State regulations and scope of practice (2) Completes and/or updates Life Sustaining Treatment orders and Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) after discussion with the Veteran or their medical decision maker. (3) Communicates palliative care consultation findings with referring Medical Provider, and with Veteran and/or their medical decision maker as appropriate. (4) Determines follow up needs including which palliative care team members need to see the Veteran and/or their medical decision maker."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.