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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Physician (Psychiatrist-Mental Health Medical Director) Near Louisville, KY

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 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: Board Certified Psychiatrist

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: Moderate Lifting (15-25 lbs); Moderate Carrying (15-25 lbs); Straight Pulling {up to 2-3 hours); Pushing (up to 2-3 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Walking (up to 1-2 hours); Kneeling (up to 1 -2 hours); Repeated bending (up to 1 to 2 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable; Far vision correctable; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted).

Responsibilities:

This vacancy will remain open until filled.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Demonstrates professionalism, leadership, and clinical excellence and is a valued collaborator across disciplines and medical specialties.
• Contributes to research, process improvement, and the development of programs and services within the Mental Health Service.
• Responsible for development and oversight of policies and procedures for psychiatric care and consultation offered at the RRVAMC.
• Serves as a member of the Mental Health Service leadership team, including providing coverage for the Mental Health Service Chief as needed.
• Oversees all psychiatric and medical care provided within the Mental Health Service by collaborating with and closely working with Section Chiefs and Supervisors of teams/programs that employee Psychiatrists, to ensure that overall treatment of Veterans is delivered in the most thorough, efficient, and effective manner and that current goals are in line with Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and VISN goals. Collaboration will include reviewing workload for proper scheduling and frequency of visits, completing Physician Performance, co-approving Annual Performance Reviews with the Physicians supervisor, participating in program meetings to provide consultation on the above-mentioned work provided by Psychiatry, and rounding to meet with Psychiatrists across the service.
• Peer Review as assigned by Quality Management to the Mental Health Service
• Participates in Mental Health Service meetings, Mental Health leadership meetings, and facility committees as a representative of the Mental Health Service and/or Psychiatry Section as requested (i.e. Academic Partnership Council, Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Peer Review, Peer Utilization Management Review, and Credentialing Committees).
• Responsible for development, implementation, and oversight of operational policies and procedures for Psychiatry.
• Collaborates on all proficiency reports, personnel actions, recruitment and retention, and all related personnel tasks with support and guidance from the Mental Health Service Chief for the Psychiatrists and Physician Assistants within the service. Completes all Market Pay Reviews.
• Provides (directly and/or in collaboration other service supervisors) clinical oversight of all physicians and physician assistants who provide or support provision of psychiatric care.
• Serves as the collaborating physician for any nurse practitioners within the Mental Health Service as necessary.
• Leads the hiring and onboarding of Psychiatrists.
• Leads teams in achieving national objectives such as the Psychotropic Drug Safety Initiative.
• Sets tone of professionalism, collaboration, and clinical excellence among the psychiatry team.
• Will implement a Treatment Resistant Depression clinic.
• Maintains the annual on-call schedule for the inpatient psychiatric unit.
• Any other duties assigned as it relates to scope of practice.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervises the Consult & Liaison program comprised of six Psychiatrists, APRNs, and Physician Assistants. The Consult & Liaison program provides consultation for Veterans inpatient on Medical/Surgical units needing Mental Health care and 24/7 coverage for the Emergency Department for Veterans presenting with Mental Health symptoms.

Clinical Responsibilities (~10-20% of time)

• Provides a full range of psychiatric care and consultation as outlined by clinical privileges. Work is primarily inpatient psychiatry and consult/liaison, in collaboration with the assigned Inpatient and C/L psychiatrists primarily for planned leave.
• Providing care in the future Treatment Resistant Depression clinic and/or overseeing the care provided in the clinic.

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: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Occasional

Job Summary