Psychiatrist (Assistant Chief of Psychiatry)

Summary The Assistant Chief of Psychiatry Service provides administrative, clinical, and programmatic leadership to ensure achievement of the Medical Center's clinical and educational goals related to Psychiatry Service at all sites of care within the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center (BCVAMC) Health Care Delivery System; serves as a key clinical resource for the Medical Center Director and the Chief of Staff. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Responsibilities The Assistant Chief of Psychiatry Service's responsibilities include providing administrative and clinical support to the Department of Psychiatry within the BCVAMC Health Care Delivery System; working with clinical and administrative leadership and performance measure champions to improve processes to meet the performance measure goals and improve utilization management; reviewing requests for contracts and determining the best way to obtain the required resources; serving as a liaison to outside facilities when needed to effectively coordinate inpatient discharges and share Mental Health care; supervising a wide variety of professional staff; serving on a broad spectrum of Medical Center committees and working groups; providing hands-on clinical work; and providing oversight and administration of all aspects of patient care including any guidance and training for residents and other trainees. The incumbent is directly accountable to the Chief of Psychiatry Service and Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOS-MH) for clinical program activities and overall compliance to VA, VHA and VISN-wide policies and procedures. This includes, but is not limited to the following, along with other duties as assigned: Clinical Work: Provides direct patient care on a rotational basis and clinical oversight in: Mental Health Clinics, Residential units, and Inpatient Mental Health Other specialty areas where qualified to provide clinical patient care, including but not limited to SUD-C and PCT clinical areas. Service Administration: Customer Service Plans the provision of services with a patient-centered vision (in alignment with VHA guidelines and policies) to enhance patient education and shared decision making. Establishes a customer-oriented culture and promotes the hiring of persons who demonstrate the VA's ICARE values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. Quality Improvement Serves as a Mental Health leader for quality improvement initiatives and utilization management related to Psychiatry Service. Plans, coordinates and ensures high quality care through utilization of multiple quality measurement tools. Improves patient outcomes through the implantation of strategies such as clinical practice guidelines and critical pathways, health risk assessments, provider profiling, use of electronic medical records and clinical reminders, and case management. Research and Education Encourages continuing education for all personnel and ensures compliance with performance standards. Creates a climate where continuous learning and professional development is valued. Budget and Fiscal Management Under the direction of the Chief of Psychiatry Service, collaborates with the service Program Managers in the development and execution of the department's strategic and business plan. Collaborates with other Medical Center leaders to develop initiatives and programs in order to ensure coordination of service, reduction of redundancies, and enhancement of cost effectiveness, efficiency and overall productivity. Organizational Stewardship Manages relationships with academic affiliates and supporting services to maximize efficiency and drive highly reliable operations. Provides a clear vision of the future and leads the services through necessary changes. Demonstrates core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. Is guided by accountability and transparency. Team Building Develops a team that is technically competent and understand the interrelationships of all the Medical Center services in achieving the mission. Human Resources Management Responsible for assuring appropriate action in such matters as promotion, selections, rewards and recognition, training, and problem resolution. Responsible for development and implementation of competencies, providing opportunities for continuing education, peer review, career development and professional enrichment for subordinate employees. Communications Demonstrates leadership in addressing ethical issues that impact clients and staff in/or beyond the organization/local health care community. Develops a network of communication systems to ensure the availability of consultative or technical advice to meet the needs of the organization. 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. 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: Physical qualifications required the ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely. Must be able to utilize good body mechanics in lifting or restraining patients. Must have good hearing, eyesight, and physical dexterity. Must be clean and neat in appearance. Must be emotional stable and cooperative. Work is accomplished predominantly in an administrative setting. The clinical surroundings involve working with the acute and chronically physically and mentally ill patients, which may cause discomfort related to negative verbal and physical activities from these patients. Position requires periodic travel from the Medical Center its four Community Based Outreach Centers. Position also may require minimal travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who provide assistance and support to the facility and its Veterans. This position requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as, preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and/or fingers. Work involves regular and recurring exposure to infection and contagious diseases. Infection Control Standard Precautions are required as safety precautions, such as hand hygiene, gloves, gowns or masks, which may be required for personal protective equipment and to promote a safe environment. 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. (Certificate required at time of application.) 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 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): 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. Program 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. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. 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-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm 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.