Physician (Medical Director) - Primary Care

Summary

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
• Preferred Experience: One year or more leadership experience is preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
  
  

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized
• EDRP 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 Medical Director (Primary Care) The Blue Team Medical Director is primary care provider for a panel of patients and supervises 2 physicians - 2 PA's and an NP
• The position collaborates with the Blue Team Clinic Manager who manages the day-to-day operations of the clinic
• Duties and responsibilities include - but are not limited to: Provider Supervision & Performance Management Develops and approves provider scheduling grids in compliance with the VAMC Primary Care Scheduling SOP - approving clinic cancellations - leave - and premium pay requests in a timely - ideally daily - fashion
• Ensures adequate coverage of clinic provider functions when providers are on leave
• Performs OPPEs on subordinates and FPPEs as necessary
• seeks peer evaluation by another VAMC Medical Director of equivalent degree when needed - conferring with the ACOS-PC as appropriate
• Meets with each employee twice yearly (recommended) and annually (required) to review performance evaluations - counseling physicians in pursuit of Pay for Performance and NPs/PAs in pursuit of Special Awards for Performance and step increases
• Responds to staff issues and takes corrective action with subordinates per facility policy
• Ensures that Physician Assistants have an assigned supervising physician
• Care Modalities & Access Assures all modalities of care are leveraged - including Video Connect Visits - telephone visits - secure messaging - and face-to-face visits - while managing population empanelment and proactively planning for clinic growth
• Team Configuration & Collaboration Works with the Clinic Manager to assure optimum PACT teamlet configuration - continuity - and coverage - supporting huddles - staff meetings - and performance improvement projects
• Ensures PACT teams collaborate with Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) - pharmacy - Whole Health - and telehealth partners to achieve patient goals
• Ensures PACT positions are staffed with individuals knowledgeable about roles and responsibilities - helping each unit work to maximum potential and top of license
• Fosters a collaborative work environment that maximizes team member potential and creates a safe forum for communication of facility priorities - opportunities - and care updates
• Patient Experience - Complaints & Conflict Resolution Responds to patient complaints and feedback through the Patient Experience office - VSignals - or the Clinic Manager - facilitating productive solutions when conflict arises and intervening when staff feel threatened or harassed by Veterans
• Coaches struggling teams and identifies resources to ensure clinical decision-making - population health management - and disease registry use are at expected levels
• Data - Metrics & Quality Improvement Maintains working knowledge of key data metrics including access data - patient experience data - quality metrics - HEDIS-like indicators - and critical metrics such as alcohol and depression/PTSD positive screens
• Serves as first contact for TMS completion issues and approves training and travel requests in a timely fashion
• Leadership & Organizational Engagement Participates in monthly Primary Care Leadership meetings - fosters relationships across service lines - and serves as back-up at facility-level meetings or during ACOS-PC absence
• Assists with recruitment - onboarding - and training of new employees - and organizes staff meetings and trainings with the Clinic Manager to further organizational goals
• Work Schedule: Week 1: Monday - Friday - 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM - with Friday as the regular day off (RDO)
• Week 2: Monday - Friday - 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM - with Tuesday as the regular day off (RDO).