Summary

The Hospitalist will facilitate transfers from outside facilities - admit appropriate patients to the hospital - and be available for any acute clinical issues for patients already admitted to Hospital Medicine teams during the tour of duty.

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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education - the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) - in the list published for the year the residency - or fellowship if applicable - was completed
• OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship - first year of residency - or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States
• OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement) - 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
• Exceptions: 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 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
• In rare and unusual circumstances - the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer - who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience - accomplishments - performance - and qualifications warrant such action
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Preferred Experience: At least one year of recent inpatient clinical experience - managing a broad range of acute medical conditions in a hospital setting
• Demonstrated ability to perform admissions - daily rounding - discharges - and cross-coverage efficiently in collaboration with attending physicians
• Familiarity with hospital-based quality metrics - transitions of care processes - and interdisciplinary teamwork - as noted in expectations for hospitalist physician extenders
• Experience with training and teaching residents/fellows
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams (nursing - pharmacy - therapy - case management) to coordinate comprehensive patient care
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting - under 15 pounds
• Light carrying - under 15 pounds
• Walking (1-2 hours)
• Standing (1-2 hours)
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Hearing (aid may be permitted).

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 31 - 2026 or until positions are filled
• Eligible applications received will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur
• Major duties include - but are not limited to: Administrative Duties: - Leadership responsibilities: Participate in staff meetings - hospital committees - and the peer review process
• Demonstrate effective communication to staff and leadership
• - Human Resources (HR): Maintain VA training requirements - complete documentation in a timely manner and maintain credentials required for privileging and re-privileging
• - Staff Management: Participate in the Focused Professional Performance Evaluation (FPPE)/On going Professional Performance Evaluation (OPPE) process
• Adhere to employee health requirements
• Participate in the peer review process
• - Time/Leave Management: Adhere to tour of duty - log duty hours appropriately and request leave in advance
• - Clinical Management including indirect patient care: Manage encounters and consults appropriately - document in a timely and appropriate manner
• Oversee relevant performance measures - and participate in quality improvement and process improvement projects
• - The physician may be asked in future to round on patients at home - as part of hospital in home program is implemented in the future
• Clinical Duties: -The Medical Service hospitalist is a hospitalist responsible for providing care to hospitalized adult patients - identifying health problems - and designing diagnostic and therapeutic plans to meet these needs during their tour of duty
• Duty hours are subject to change based on the needs of service and patient care
• Specific duties include the following but not limited to: - Assess patients for admission and disposition
• - Admit patients to Hospital Medicine teams - either independently or working with house staff providers or mid-level providers
• - Staff patients requiring Medicine consultation if urgently needed (for example - to guide surgical treatment.) - Being available to staff procedures done during the tour of duty
• - Being available for acute medical issues that arise on any patient admitted to the Hospital Medicine service
• - Hospitalists are also responsible for managing codes and are code team leaders during non-administrative hours
• - Completing educational evaluations for the night float house staff as required by the Internal Medicine Residency Program - if covering nights
• Adherence to VA policies and procedures regarding documentation - patient safety - and utilization
• Independently assess patients for admission and disposition when dictated by house staff schedule and regulations
• Hospitalists are also responsible for managing non-operative room airway management (NORAM) and are expected to be functioning at least at the level of NORAM level 2
• Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized 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: This position is mainly daytime however if needed the hospitalist may be asked to cover nighttime duties
• The daytime typical TOD is from 7:00 AM till 7:00 PM Monday to Sunday and the nighttime typical tour of duty (TOD) is compressed from Monday to Sunday 7:00 PM till 7:00 AM
• The hospitalist may be asked to work from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM as needed
• We also have noon till midnight TOD - and some daytime duties may include that TOD
• The incumbent may also be asked to work daytime shifts as needed
• These shifts usually are from 8:00 AM till 4:30 PM
• Variable works schedule may be offered if available.