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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Physician (Clinical Deployment Team (CDT) Temp/Term) Near Memphis, TN

Qualifications:

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.

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.

Preferred Experience:

• All Specialties
  • Experience in disaster medicine and/or completed advanced training (i.e. fellowship) in disaster or wilderness medicine. This may include experience in medical deployments. Additionally, training and/or experience in critical care medicine is favored.
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
  • Certifications from American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN) are highly preferred: Basic Life Support (BLS) and/or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). (AHA certification preferred.) BLS/ACLS certification is recommended, but not required, for candidates who are board certified in Emergency Medicine (VHA Directive 1177, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, January 4, 2021). The selected employee will be required to receive these certifications prior to assuming clinical responsibilities and ensure current certifications after employment is maintained.
• Emergency Department
  • Board certified in Emergency Medicine.
  • Board certified in Family or Internal Medicine.
  • At least 5 years of recent experience in an Emergency Department.
• Hospitalist
  • Board certified in Internal Medicine.
  • 5 or more years of clinical experience since completion of residency training.
  • Experience and/or training in critical care medicine.
• Primary Care
  • 3 or more years of experience in a Primary Care Setting.
  • Prior experience in the hospital, emergency or trauma setting.
  • Board Certified/Board Eligible in Internal Medicine or Family Practice.

The incumbent will operate under this guidance in addition to what is reflected under the attached Functional Statement or Provider Privileges. This position is part of a VHA Clinical Deployment Team (CDT) which requires readiness for deployment of clinical staff dedicated to the continuity of Veteran healthcare and support to communities in times of crisis. Incumbent must agree to the following requirements/conditions:

• Be able to deploy, within the team's scheduled deployment windows, to any event within 72 hours of notification with the ability to work seamlessly with receiving facility or agencies.
• Maintain readiness for an identified minimum of 2 rotational windows of expected deployable status per calendar year, for up to a month at a time.
• Continuously notify Supervisor of any constraints that may impact deployment to any event within 72 hours, including but not limited to any protected leave entitlements and/or reported injury or illness, by following Supervisor notification processes and VHA Human Resources practices.
• Understand that the tour of duty during a deployment may differ from the normal shift a CDT staff operates when at the assigned facility.
• Work under a high stress healthcare environment, possibly in austere conditions, or in an emergency setting, while maintaining awareness of the critical elements of an emergency deployment by processing information from various sources.
• Understand that CDT may deploy into austere conditions which are defined as: various housing and living conditions to include non-climate controlled, limited privacy sleeping facilities (for example, cots, tents, 'hot-bunking', gymnasiums, or similar), limited shower and laundry facilities, and limited feeding options(such as shelf-stable meals, meals-ready-to-eat, and field kitchens). Work maybe performed in an office setting, indoor and outdoor field site, sometimes in adverse weather.
• Agree to be deployed within their VISN outside of scheduled national CDT deployment windows. VISN deployments may occur at the discretion of the VISN director with the network director keeping in mind the CDT staff's needs for rest, recuperation, and training. CDT staff will not be deployed more than 120 days per year.
• Must be able to provide direct patient care when deployed to an emergency, within the CDT staff's scope of practice/privileges/licensure/functional statement, with there sources available.
• Complete mandatory CDT training courses prior to being deployed.
• Maintain clinical competencies particular to the CDT role by participation in emergency response exercises and code teams.
• Report to Occupational Health for physical fitness assessments for pre-employment and CDT- required pre-deployment reviews.
• Review, during deployments, timecard for accuracy before submitting to facility supervisor for final approval to reduce timekeeping errors.
• The deployment orders will contain details regarding the designated timekeeper.
• Obtain a travel card from the facility and complete all training and reporting requirements associated with the card.
• Other Duties as assigned.

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: 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.

Responsibilities:

Working in Primary Care, Medical-Surgical, Emergency Room (ER), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Clinical Deployment Team (CDT) staff will be allocated among 18 networks for a total of 20 full-time employees per network, including 11 Registered Nurses (RNs), 2 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), 5 providers (including Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, and Advanced Nurse Practitioners) and 2 Social Workers. When they are not deployed, CDT staff will work at an assigned VA facility. Members of the team must:

• Be available to deploy with 72 hours' notice within 2 windows of time per calendar year, for up to a month at a time
• Work in a high-stress environment, possibly in austere conditions or an emergency setting
• Treat or provide direct patient care within the requirements of practice/privileges/licensure
• Participate in CDT training activities and demonstrate readiness to apply professional skills to a range of emergency situations
• Ensure qualifications and required certifications are maintained, including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification
• Maintain CDT physical readiness requirements, vaccinations, and safety precautions related to infection control

Physicians on the CDT may work in one of the following areas:

• Emergency Department - Perform appropriate medical screening exam on all patients checked-in to be seen in the ED using assessment skills to examine patients thoroughly using appropriate clinical, laboratory, and other pertinent data. Provide continuity of care by performing patient hand-off when transferring care of a patient to another physician. Initiate appropriate and timely treatment. Recognizes changes in behavior, symptoms, signs, and other pertinent facts about a patient and has the knowledge to modify, in real time, the plan of treatment. Should be cognizant of capabilities and limitations of the ED and of oneself.
• Hospitalist - Admit and manage inpatients with general adult medical illnesses. Includes performing histories and physical examinations, rounding on patients, writing progress notes, discharge planning and timely completion of discharge summaries.
• Primary Care - Serve on a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and will be responsible for providing medical care in an outpatient setting following PACT principles. May provide medical care using Telehealth for remote patients or travel to other outpatient clinics to cover provider shortage. The patient population ranges from adult to geriatrics. Diagnose, treat, and manage a panel of patients. Provide comprehensive patient-centered primary medical care.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be eligible for highly qualified applicants.
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: May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs

Job Summary