Physician - Primary Care

Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Qualifications To qualify for this position, you must meet theBasic 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 • 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: See VA Handbook and Directive 5019. Duties "This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until August 30, 2024. First consideration will be given to all who apply by September 21, 2023. Located in historic downtown Charleston, SC, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is a tertiary care teaching hospital providing the highest-level quality for more than 75,000 Veterans along the South Carolina and Georgia coast. The Ralph H. Johnson VA is rated is the second fastest growing VA in the U.S. for percentage patient growth. For the past three years, the Charleston VA has been rated a 5-Star medical center for quality and efficiency, the highest possible rating according to VA's Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning Value (SAIL) model. The 152-bed hospital includes six outpatient clinics, a 20-bed nursing home, women's health, and the full range of inpatient and outpatient care including Medical and Surgical Intensive Care. The VAMC provides more than 934,000 outpatient visits and approximately 4,300 inpatient stays annually. The VAMC has an annual budget of $525 million and research funding of more than $28 million. For more information, visit www.charleston.va.gov. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized 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, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Subject to change based on agency needs). PCSL Providers - Duties include but are not limited to the following: Performs and records history and physical examinations and records data from clinic visits. Evaluates, consults, develops diagnosis, and manages the primary care panel of patients assigned. Enters progress notes in computerized medical record and completes workload documentation in a timely manner. Provides medical care encompassing acute and chronic medical conditions and all appropriate preventive care for both male and female veterans. Orders diagnostic tests, medications, laboratory tests as medically relevant for each patient. Provides timely follow-up on results and patient inquiries, including and not limited to completion of view alerts, secure messages and other patient communications. Determines medical assessment and develops treatment plans according to accepted protocols. Prescribes medications according to approved formulary, and in accordance with Federal and State Law. Educates patients concerning medical conditions and recommended treatments. (Specific topics include but are not limited to nutritional counseling, need for smoking cessation, need for periodic immunizations and health screening tests, acute and chronic disease management and other preventive health measures). Consults other specialties as appropriate, according to service agreements. Care of female patients may be required as part of ongoing duties both on an ad hoc basis and possibly as a Women's Health Designated Provider."