Psychiatrist - Geriatric

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.

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. 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: Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship training. Board certified preferred; BE acceptable. Current fellows who will be board eligible upon completion of their program are welcome to apply.

Preferred Experience: Geriatric Psychiatry Experience

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

Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires mostly periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients/residents who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on stakeholder needs.

Responsibilities:

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

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for qualified applicants
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
.EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact 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: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Monday - Friday - with occasional night and weekend call

GENERAL CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The incumbent provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care primarily to geriatric veterans with mental health concerns.
• Performs psychiatric evaluations for geriatric patients and those with age-related illnesses that contribute to their psychiatric presentation, including dementia, depression, psychosis, and trauma-based symptoms who are mentally ill and have physical concerns, as well as psychosocial issues that may include homelessness, unemployment, and poor family support network, primarily within an outpatient psychiatry setting.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions to units/programs in the Medical Center to which the psychiatrist is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice including diagnostic assessment, medication evaluation and management, suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, and overall care of patients with psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, psychosis, PTSD, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings including the outpatient, inpatient, ED, and hospital ward settings across age, gender, and post-deployment combat status.
• The Psychiatrist may serve as a mental health team leader with responsibilities for coordinating consults and triage of specialty clinic referrals.
• Participates effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences and collaborates with multidisciplinary team members that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care.
• Orders diagnostic tests and consultations, and discriminates between normal and abnormal findings and makes appropriate treatment decisions.
• Ensures that the practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with Joint Commission, CARF, VA policies and procedures, clinical practice psychiatric guidelines, VISN standards, national statutes and regulations, medical record documentation, mandatory continuing education, and HIPAA policies.
• Participates in supervision and teaching in support of the psychiatric residency program, performs on call duties, and performs other directly related duties as assigned.

ACADEMIC/TEACHING/TRAINING/ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Involved in performance improvement and quality assurance initiatives.
• Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff.
• Involved in the supervision and teaching of psychiatry residents and other trainees assigned to unit as appropriate.
• Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned.

CLINICAL COMPETENCE:

• Examinations - Uses assessment skills to promptly examine new patients thoroughly using appropriate clinical, laboratory and other pertinent data.
• Diagnosis - Accurately interprets and evaluates clinical data for the purpose of determining diagnosis and clinical status.
• Therapeutic Ability - Initiates appropriate and timely treatment. Recognizes changes in behavior, symptoms, signs, and other pertinent facts about the patient and can modify plan of treatment when indicated.
• Effectiveness in Emergencies - Acts quickly in recognizing emergency situations and takes timely necessary action.
• Patient Management - Maintains confidentiality of patients and relatives through competence and interpersonal skills.
• Provides patient education of medical conditions, preventive measures, and prescribed treatments.
• Record keeping - Records data from clinic visit, including chief complaints, active problems, medications, physical findings, and results of diagnostic tests

Salary : $1,000