Physician (Geriatrics)

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.

Preferred Experience: Board Certified Geriatrician Experience providing inpatient geriatric consultation Clinical experience managing hospitalized older adults with delirium, frailty, multimorbidity, and post-operative complications Experience or strong interest in hip fracture co-management programs Comfort working within interdisciplinary, team-based inpatient care models Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Must be able to physically and mentally perform the duties in an outpatient setting under normal and emergent conditions.

Moderate lifting 15-44 lbs, straight pulling/pushing up to 2 hours per day; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; standing up to 5 hours per day; kneeling up to 2 hours per day; use of both arms and legs; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and up to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted.

Major Duties:

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 11, 2026.

The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be February 24 , 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks.

Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position is filled.

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) is seeking a Board-Certified or Board­Eligible Geriatrician to join the Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) Service Line.

This physician will play a key role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based inpatient geriatric care to Veterans and advancing age-friendly hospital initiatives.

The selected Geriatrician will report directly to the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Geriatrics and Extended Care and will provide clinical coverage for the Inpatient Geriatric Consultation Service and the Inpatient Hip Fracture Program.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be approved for highly qualified applicants.

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): approved Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for 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 your start date.

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.

Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance.

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 This position will be required to perform the following duties but is not limited to: Provide inpatient geriatric consultation services for hospitalized Veterans with complex medical, cognitive, and functional needs.

Serve as a core clinician for the Inpatient Hip Fracture Program, supporting co-management and interdisciplinary care of older Veterans with fragility fractures.

Conduct comprehensive geriatric assessments addressing: Delirium, dementia, and other cognitive disorder Falls, gait instability, and mobility limitations Polypharmacy and high-risk medication use Frailty, functional decline, and sarcopenia Goals of care, advance care planning, and capacity evaluations Participate in interdisciplinary rounds with hospital medicine, orthopedic surgery, nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation services, social work, and case management.

Support safe transitions of care, including discharge planning and coordination with outpatient and home-based services.

Contribute to quality improvement, patient safety, and age-friendly health system initiatives within SAVAHCS Participate in teaching and clinical education of trainees and interdisciplinary staff, as applicable.

Maintain compliance with VA documentation, performance measures, and clinical practice standards. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. No evenings, weekends or holidays.