Physician (Family Medicine)

Full Job Description

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. 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 Requirements: Board Certified/Eligible Preferred Experience: At least 5 years of clinical experience, ideally in an ambulatory care setting.

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

Physical Requirements: To perform in a fully successful manner, the individual must have the physical ability to perform job-related duties which may require light carrying (under 15 pounds), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking (up to 1 hour), standing (up to 1 hour), and both legs required.

In addition, there may be exposure to the following environmental factors: working inside and outside, working closely with others, and protracted or irregular hours of work.

A health examination must be successfully completed prior to this assignment and periodically thereafter as required by the Occupational Health Clinic policy.

There may be intermittent exposure to blood and body fluids. Major Duties:

The position is located within the Fleet Medicine Directorate of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (JALFHCC) in North Chicago, Illinois.

The JALFHCC is the nation's first fully integrated federal health care facility, integrating Veterans Affairs (VA) with the Department of War (DOW), specifically, the United States Navy (USN) under a single chain of command.

The incumbent performs a variety of duties in a complex 1 C medical facility, which is constantly evolving within a highly competitive geographic area.

The Staff Physician is assigned to one of the clinics within the Directorate for Fleet Medicine. The Physician is educated and trained in the specialty of Family Medicine or Internal Medicine.

S/he is the primary care manager who is responsible for the oversight and care coordination for the patient's needs.

The Physician will address medical issues in a compassionate, comprehensive and integrative manner utilizing a collaborative approach with emphasis on prevention of disease and promotion of health and wellness.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides comprehensive health care for patients utilizing evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines and engage patients actively in their health care.

Assesses, screens and refers patients to specialists at other facilities. Follows-up on referrals, emergency room, urgent care and inpatient hospital visits internal and external to Clinic and FHCC.

Provides health maintenance and preventive services to individual patients as recommended by accepted guidelines.

Engages in proactive population based health management, providing regular surveillance of patients needs for preventive services and management of chronic diseases, leveraging information technology decision support tools and the members of the Medical Home Port (MHP) team.

Responsible for accurate, timely and complete documentation in the patient's electronic medical record ( and hard copy when required), providing appropriate code level and diagnosis of patient visits using CPT and IDC-10 coding standards.

Oversees reporting and completion of required documentations regarding communicable diseases and sexually transmitted diseases to the proper authorities.

Acts as a patient advocate to ensure the patient receives appropriate health care.

Actively contributes to continuous process improvement initiatives to improve access to care, quality of care delivered, experience of care, and to demand manage the utilization of health services by enrollees.

Proactively collaborates and integrates with members of their team, other departments and directorates to achieve optimal care for the patient.

Trains LPN/HM/HT in meaningful and appropriate documentation regarding the patient's visit. Maintains compliance with all directives and regulatory guidance, and polices ( e.g.

DoD, DHA, VHA, VISN, The Joint Commission, AHRQ).

Serves as consultant for other FHCC providers (general medical officers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and independent duty corpsmen) as well as Fleet and Marine Operational Medical Department staff on difficult cases across the primary care spectrum.

Participates in training Navy Corpsmen in delivering primary care to prepare them for deployment forward in support of overseas contingency operations (MHP only).

Completes all clinical documentation within the time frames required, per policy.

The Staff Physician may be assigned collateral administrative duties under the general direction of the supervisor/ department head.

Conserves resources effectively by using supplies and equipment in a responsible manner. Follows all appropriate standard operating procedures related to the equipment, devices, and work practices.

Ither duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3:30pm, Monday to Friday Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment) Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@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.

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