Physician (VISN Chief Surgical Consultant/Integrated Clinical Community (ICC) Lead (Part Time)

Duties

This vacancy will remain open until filled.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Ensures services are in alignment with national VCSC/ICC standards and coordinated with various VISN and VA Central Offices to align with regulatory and quality expectations.
• Exercises a high level of organizational skill, independent judgement, problem-solving ability and content expertise in program development and implementation.
• Possesses full administrative responsibility for developing, organizing, and directing the Surgery ICC, with an emphasis on delivering services across the VISN 6 catchment area
• Communicates directly with the VISN 6 Chief Medical Officer (CMO) ensuring quality and coordination of patient care across the VISN.
• Chairs VISN Surgical Work Group.
• Ensures that current surgical practice across the VISN is in compliance with VHA surgical policy.
• Evaluates critical surgical events at the time they are reported by VA Medical Facilities and advises VISN Director / Chief Medical Officer on appropriate course of action.
• Ensures ongoing review by VA medical facility surgical staff of pertinent data for each VISN surgical program to improve surgical outcomes.
• Collaborates with the NSO, VISN, and VA Medical Facility Leadership to ensure the access and quality of surgical care provided at each VISN facility and to formulate solutions to issues as they arise.
• Conducting VA Medical Facility Site visits and providing reports as required by VASQIP level of concern, upon request of National Surgery Office, and VISN Leadership.
• Provides standing reports/updates to HealthCare Delivery Council on ICC activities, concerns and initiatives especially focusing on quality measures and surgical management within the Surgery ICC space.
• Provides clinical insight and consultation, as appropriate, for non-clinical policies and procedures developed by ICCs.
• Collaborates with medical center facility leadership teams to ensure ICC programs, initiatives and policies are implemented.
• Provides input on ICC budget in collaboration and cooperation with medical center facility leadership.
• Assists the Network and the ICC in appropriately utilizing health care metrics and data to prioritize effort, improve care and direct funding decisions related to Surgery ICC.
• Monitors and promotes compliance with VA regulations and professional standards, working to ensure that facility programs reflect the mission and priorities of the Veterans Health Administration and VISN 6.
• Promotes an effective mix, coordination, and support of clinical surgical programs by evaluating current and potential patient population needs; clinical workload and resources; special program mandates and cost/benefit analyses; making recommendations to the VISN CMO and ELC; and ensuring implementation of approved clinical proposals.
• Works with content experts on surgical and surgical subspecialty clinical guidelines and pathways and provides clinician leadership for the achievement of clinical performance measures.

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

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

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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 Certification in a surgical specialty. Qualifications for appointment to a University Affiliate. Active clinical practice in a surgical specialty.

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).

Education

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 an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or

Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.

For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Financial Disclosure Report:Not required

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.