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. Learn more.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized to Apply 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 The Hospice and Palliative Care (H&PC) Physician is an integral part of the H&PC program at Togus VA which includes an integrated inpatient and outpatient program. The H&PC Physician works closely with the Palliative Care Team consisting of H&PC Medical Director, Nurse Practitioner, Hospice Unit Nurse Manager, RN Coordinator, Social Worker and Chaplain to provide: Care of patients in the 12-bed hospice and palliative care unit Participation in Hospice On-call program Inpatient consultative services in the acute hospital and long term care areas Outpatient consultative services in the geriatric and specialty care clinics Telemedicine consultative services for patients unable to travel to Augusta Management of patients in hospice home care. Supervision and training of H&PC fellows in collaboration with Maine Medical Center Provide clinical assistance, policy interpretation and consultation on program and program evaluation/accountability issues through guidance materials, training workshops and verbal or written communication to the VA Maine clinical community. Maintain up to date with the National VA Hospice and Palliative Care Program to ensure compliance with national initiatives. Represent the VA Maine Palliative Care Program in local and VISN and national Hospice and Palliative Care work groups, meetings and conferences. Report Palliative Care Program updates to GEC Leadership as needed/requested. Work in collaboration and communication with treatment teams at Togus Medical Center to promote measurable improvement in palliative care. Provides care in accordance with local, VHA National Hospice and Palliative Care Programs, VHA directives, VHA regulatory requirements and National Consensus Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care and Preferred Practices of the National Quality Forum. Monitors and shares best palliative care practices both within VHA and in the private sector through collaboration with the Community Health Nurse and the Hospice Veterans Partnership. Develops and participates in quality improvement in collaboration with GEC and the H&PC Director. Participates actively with other members of the Geriatric team, which includes providing occasional coverage within the Community Living Center. Services to be performed include but are not limited to: Performs outpatient examinations Provides O.P. and I.P. consultation service related to end of life care to the medical staff Provides consultation for pain management to medical staff Liaison with VA and community hospice agencies Participate with the Hospice Veterans Partnership Attends bed huddle and weekly grand rounds Participates in hospice after-hours on-call program Available to the oncology outpatient clinic for consultation on a weekly basis. Participates in quality assurance programs and chart reviews Completes medical records including (but not limited to): history and physical exams within 24 hours of admission progress notes daily for inpatients and for each encounter on outpatients consult notes within 24 hours of evaluating patient new or renewal of prescriptions Work Schedule: TBD

Requirements

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 eligible or Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine Preferred Experience: 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: NA

Education

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. 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.
3. 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.]

Contacts

• Address Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: Troy Hall
• Phone: 207-623-8411 X4791
• Email: [email protected]