Section Chief Gastroenterologist

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 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: The incumbent should be a board certified Gastroenterology physician with advanced clinical experience as well as demonstrated administrative and leadership skills.

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

Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position may involve standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. The work may involve going up and down flights of stairs.

Responsibilities:

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCMENT. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager on a weekly basis.

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Fayetteville VA Medical Center (VAMC), and Chief of Staff, Medicine Service. The successful candidate will serve as the Section Chief for Gastroenterology Section. The incumbent will ensure the quality and timeliness of the services provided, customer satisfaction, as well as compliance with the standards of accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission and the Inspector General's Combined Assessment Program. The incumbent will ensure appropriate use of the available resources and will be responsible for the state-of-the-art standards of care. The incumbent collaborates with other services as appropriate.

The Gastroenterologist, Section Chief is accountable to the Chief of the Medicine Service, for assuring the most effective delivery of care in gastroenterology while meeting and exceeding compliance standards. The Gastroenterology (GI) Physician will provide expert consultation and treatment to patients in the inpatient and outpatient clinical settings, including, but not limited to, specific GI clinics, GI procedures, and for inpatient medical, surgical, and critical care services. In this role, the incumbent will also provide feedback and patient education to the patients and their families and will demonstrate excellence in all facets of patient care and meets or exceeds compliance standards.

He or she will perform the following functions: Evaluate, diagnose, consult, and order appropriate diagnostic studies and treatments for all GI patients assigned under their care. The incumbent will provide consultative evaluations for other services, including general medical wards, surgical wards, and the emergency department, and perform administrative functions and other tasks as assigned by the Chief of the Medicine Service.

The incumbent is expected to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the promotion of health and treatment of critical illnesses. The ideal candidate should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of the health care team. The incumbent is expected to adhere to stated policies and provide timely documentation of clinical notes (e.g., Consult H&Ps, clinic notes, and procedure notes). In addition, the incumbent is expected to coordinate and communicate the treatment plan with inpatient and outpatient health care providers that have requested their consultative services.

Administrative Duties:

• The incumbent will ensure operations and compliance with Veterans Health Administration guidelines for Gastroenterology Section of Medical Service. This will include, but not be limited to, managing the schedules of employees within the cardiology section; ensuring consistent, up to date, call schedule coverage and posting; the holding of at least monthly section meetings; allocation of resources to ensure adequate coverage/availability of clinical programs, testing, and consultation coverage; ongoing assessment of cardiology programs for adequacy and appropriateness of offerings; and direction and development of quality improvement processes and projects.
• Attending required staff meetings, communicating up and down the chain of command and helping prepare heads-up and issue briefs related to adverse patient outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus):
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance):
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Cheryl Lahair at cheryl.lahair@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more.

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 through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Salary : $1,000 - $300,000