Physician (Spinal Cord Injury and Home Care)

Summary This is an open continuous announcement until January 31, 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. The Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D) Center at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital is seeking a full-time Primary Care Physician to direct and lead the Home Care team consisting primarily of Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, and Pharmacy. Responsibilities The Physician will make SCI/D-HC referrals, admission evaluations, and home visits as part of an inter-disciplinary team. The Physician is responsible for assessment and coordination of care in the home and extended care. Patients may be part of those in the Hines catchment area as well as those within a 99-mile radius of Hines. The incumbent will also be required to provide PACT outpatient care and periodic inpatient coverage for Veterans served at the SCI/D Center. The incumbent will participate in the night/weekend on-call schedule rotation for acute SCI/D inpatient wards. Care for those patients admitted for acute medical emergencies to the medical care wards by consultation and recommendations to their attending physicians are required. Population served: Adult/geriatric Veterans and active-duty personnel > 18 years of age with spinal cord injuries or disorders such as multiple sclerosis in the outpatient setting and as needed in the inpatient setting. A smaller number of women are served as well. The SCI/D Home Care (HC) Physician, who may or may not be the SCI/D Home Care Medical Director, in collaboration with the HC team, is responsible for assuming overall medical responsibility for assigned HC patients. Provides direct patient care to eligible Veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder. Provides coordinating care with the SCI Home Care Nurse for outpatient care of the eligible veteran with SCI/D, living in the community. Provides expert medical opinions and recommendations to ambulatory care physicians, hospitalists, or other non-SCI trained sub specialists on the appropriate diagnostic and management options for eligible veterans in the Hines Spinal Cord Injury System of Care. Determining the need for consultation from medical, surgical, or psychiatric or other subspecialty clinics. Determining the need for, and facilitating admission to the hospital and other transitions of care. Visiting the HC patients at home for medical evaluation and treatment when clinically indicated. Providing medical administrative support such as completing physician required orders and forms for the HC patients. Assuming a leadership role in the development and implementation of Home Based Primary Care's (HBPC) process for continuous performance improvement. Collaborate with the Hines HBPC Director and SCI/D Social Work HC Coordinator regarding programmatic updates and best practices for SCI/D HC patient needs. Participate in the development of the individual plan of care at interdisciplinary care meetings for primary care provider assigned panel of patients. Participates and leads team in continual readiness surveys: JCAHO, CARF, Paralyzed Veterans of America. Manages and responds to site survey reports with coordinated follow up and actions plans. Assisting in arranging for continuous physician coverage, including handling medical emergencies. Participating in establishing policies, procedures and guidelines for emergency treatment of residents, transfer of residents when necessary, and the provision of adequate, comprehensive services. Other duties as assigned Administrative Oversight Provides collaborating advice and oversight to the SCI-HC Team and SCI Nurse Practitioner (s) providing care in outpatient clinics of Hines SCI/D Service. Other (specific procedures for specialty area): Perform wound assessments and wound care in collaboration with wound nurses ASIA assessment and scoring Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD treatment and management) Bowel and Bladder Programs 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: 8am to 4.30 pm . Expected to share weekends, Holidays and night calls with SCI Team 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. Additional Requirement: Board Certification in Internal Medicine, Neurology or Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation is the minimum requirement. Additional Board Certification or Eligibility in Spinal Cord Medicine is an advantage. Preferred Experience: Additional Board Certification or Eligibility in Spinal Cord Medicine is an advantage. The individual should have experience in assessment and management of usual medical conditions and complications in individuals with spinal cord injury/disorders including multiple sclerosis in an inpatient and outpatient setting. Experience in the evaluation and a functional assessment of SCI/D individuals is an advantage though not a requirement. The physician may be required to be the collaborating physician with a nurse practitioner in the performance of wound assessments and therapies in the outpatient setting. A familiarity with basic computer skills, especially CPRS is preferred. Qualifications of research interest or publications, and prior faculty position are not required. Completion of a Physical, Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) residency program. Completion of a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Fellowship. Experience working with the spinal cord injury population. Experience working in an acute or subacute rehabilitation facility. Experience leading an interdisciplinary team. Physical Requirements: Walking, bending, stooping, and some lifting in the direct care of patients. There may also be extended periods of sitting. Requires carrying or lifting of objects weighing up to 25 lbs., but occasionally may require work that involves pushing or lifting in excess of 25 lbs. and going up and down flights of stairs. 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. 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. 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. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at vacofairchanceact@va.gov. Applicant written complaints should include the following: Administration name: Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA) or VA Central Office (VACO) (for example, Human Resources Service Center). Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known). Date of contact. Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint. Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) (va.gov) for more information.