Physician - Hospice/Palliative Care

Summary The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This is an Open Continuous Announcement. Applications in USA Staffing will be qualified based on the resume submitted and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager every 2 weeks until the announcement is closed, cancelled, or filled. Responsibilities Hospice and Palliative physicians will be responsible for delivery of care to all patients enrolled in VA Medical Center Fargo healthcare system. The provider will manage scheduled and unscheduled patients in the outpatient clinic setting and provide services to patients in hospital and CLC. The providers in the outpatient setting are typically assigned a panel of patients to manage. Panel size currently is determined by utilizing VHA PCMM software. Panel size is determined at the National level, through a complex formula which extracts local information regarding the acuity of assigned patients, available support staff, and the number of exam rooms. Each provider's panel size is specific to their practice and setting. Alternative or collateral duties may include management of a subsection of hospice and palliative care patients, the subsection may be defined either by a disease status (e.g. spinal cord injury patients), or in the CLC or inpatient setting). Typically, these duties are designated at the time of joining but occasionally during employment, participation in special projects pertinent to assigned section may be necessary as the projects become available through strategic or other initiatives. Applying for and keeping inpatient privileges active is optional for primary care providers. When on inpatient duty, the provider is expected to participate in discharge planning and other interdisciplinary patient care plan activities. They must participate in sign-in and out rounds daily. During this time information regarding patient status should be discussed with the oncoming physician/MOD and ensure proper hand off at the end of the shift. Physicians may be assigned duty as a supervising or collaborating physician for a mid-level provider. Physicians are expected to provide clinical oversight and review. Supervising or collaborating responsibilities and performance will be noted in the physician's performance evaluation. Most providers will need to act as surrogates for the patients of their colleagues, when one or more of their colleagues are on leave. Typical work hours are Monday to Friday 8-4.30 PM. Alternative work hours, if desired, should be agreed upon at the time of joining. Each full-time provider is required to work a minimum of 80 hrs per pay period (every two weeks) unless on leave status. All physicians need to follow departmental and VHA policies for leave and attendance and will work within Title 38 appointment guidelines. Currently VHA guidelines do not permit comp time or overtime pay for physicians. However, physicians who are asked to work outside their normal assigned tour of duty may request administrative leave for rest and relaxation. Leaves should be requested in as much advance as possible to minimize patient cancellations. All unscheduled absences must be properly communicated, and patients should be rescheduled within a time frame as specified in the department's policies. Timely documentation is necessary in all areas in accordance with departmental policy. All administrative work should be completed in a timely fashion. Clinical reminders should be addressed as medically appropriate. Quality of care should be able to always meet professional standards. All physicians will always work within their privileges, unless necessitated by an emergency. All physicians will meet the work relative value unit (RVU's) as determined by the national office for primary care providers.VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VHA Physician Total Rewards Work Schedule: May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Available for highly-qualified applicant. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of annual paid time offer 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 Preferred Experience: Hospice fellowship trained, hospice board certification, or one year hospice experience. 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 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. 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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.