Physician (Medical Director - Home Based Primary Care)

Summary 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. Responsibilities Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) located in North Chicago, Illinois is the nation's only fully integrated facility that supports Active Duty Naval service members, Naval recruits, and our nation's Veterans. Our mission is to 'Ready Warriors and Care For Heroes'. With this, we are actively seeking a highly qualified, board-certified Physician to join our team. The Medical Director, Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC), is a physician who works under the leadership and direction of the Chief of Geriatrics and Extended Care. This position is located in the Geriatrics Medicine Section at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, Illinois. FHCC is more than a single facility; it is a system of facilities throughout Northeastern Illinois that provide medical and dental services to U.S. Military Active Duty, Recruits, Veterans, and eligible beneficiaries. This position will provide clinical oversight for the Home-Based Primary Care Program in the Geriatrics Medicine Section. The HBPC physician serves as a primary care provider for homebound Veterans with complex, chronic, and disabling conditions within the HBPC program. In addition, the physician has clinical supervisory and collaborative responsibilities for an assigned Nurse Practitioner provider participating in the HBPC program. The physician works with the interdisciplinary team to ensure delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, team-based primary care. The HBPC Medical Director should possess at least 5 years of clinical experience and be familiar with a variety of concepts, practices, and procedures in the field. They must possess experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. It is preferred that the incumbent have Geriatric Fellowship training and be board-certified in Geriatric Medicine. Major Duties: Perform all duties and responsibilities associated with the Medical Director position required for the HBPC Program. Collaborate with the HBPC Program Director. Provide comprehensive longitudinal primary medical care to homebound Veterans, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of complex chronic medical, psychiatric, and palliative/geriatric conditions. Conduct home visits and utilize telehealth technologies as clinically indicated to provide care and assess patients' health status in their residences. Collaborate with and provide clinical oversight for the Nurse Practitioner on the HBPC Team. Lead and participate in weekly interdisciplinary team meetings, helping guide patient care planning, risk stratification, and care transitions. Order and interpret appropriate diagnostic tests, prescribe medication, and consult with or refer to specialty services as needed. Participate in advance care planning, supporting Veterans and their families in decisions about goals of care and end-of-life options. Document all medical care and interactions in the electronic health record, ensuring timely and complete medical records. Participate in quality improvement, peer review, program development, and student/trainee education activities as requested. Admit, follow, and discharge Community Living Center (CLC) patients as needed to maintain good patient flow. Collaborate with the GEC nurse practitioners/physician assistants, including case reviews and preceptor reviews. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday. 8:00am to 4:30pm or 7:30am to 4:00pm Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment) Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, 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. 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. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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. Preferred Experience: Board Certification in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine or Geriatrics. At least 5 years of clinical experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical Requirements: Incumbents must be able to perform the duties as a Physician. Moderate lifting (15-44 lbs.), light carrying (under 15 lbs.), use of fingers, both hands required, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement 20/50 one, 20/100 other (glasses permitted), hearing (aid permitted), mental and emotional stability, ability to hear conversational voice (aid permitted), protracted or irregular hours of work. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, and sitting. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must comply with any Employee Health requirements as a condition of employment. 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. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.