Physician - Palliative Care Specialist

Palliative Care Physician

The Palliative Care Physician is assigned to the Community Living Center (CLC)/Hospice Section of Geriatrics Rehabilitation Extended Care (GREC) Service, Mann Grandstaff VAMC. The CLC Staff Physician and Palliative Care Specialist will serve in three main settings. In the CLC this physician will work as a team to evaluate and manage the medical care of adults admitted to the CLC for hospice/palliative care. This palliative care specialist will also contribute to and support the growth and development of successful inpatient and outpatient palliative programs which will focus on use of evidence-based practices and with collaboration of the interdisciplinary team to enhance symptom management, clarify goals of care, and implement strategic care plans to increase utilization and access to quality-of-life services for patients with a serious illness. They will work with the interdisciplinary team to complete palliative or hospice consultations including direct patient care for inpatients and have dedicated time for care and management of outpatient Veterans in the palliative program via face to face and telehealth appointments.

Primary duties include:

• Providing in-patient consultation service in palliative care throughout the medical center, providing outpatient consultation service in weekly clinic, and serving as hospice attending of record for patients receiving hospice care in VA Community Living Center and community hospices, if requested.
• Providing hospice care for Community Living Center Hospice patients and serving as clinical subject matter expert support for clinicians caring for patients seeking care focused on comfort within the Community Living Center.
• Providing primary care and Attending oversight for Hospice and Palliative Care (HPC) residents.
• Carrying an agreed-upon panel of outpatients in HPC outpatient clinic.
• Serving on various quality assurance and medical staff committees as assigned.
• Screening consults to HPC concerning Veterans from outside hospitals, community hospice agencies who may need inpatient hospice care and coordinating with interdisciplinary team.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized, may be offered to a highly qualified candidate. Permanent Change of Station: Not authorized. 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. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact View email address on click.appcast.io 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. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. No routine weekend coverage or call expectation with exception of a case by case basis on the rare event of being subject matter expert for hospice and palliative care and patient on complex symptom management plan to support fellow clinicians in acute care and CLC hospice unit.