Physician- Chief of Geriatrics

Summary

The VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 (VISN 10), which includes medical centers and clinics in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.

NICHS serves 8 locations: Facilities include 2 hospitals: Fort Wayne VA Medical Center and Marion VA Medical Center, 6 community-based outpatient clinics in Fort Wayne, Defiance, Huntington, Mishawaka, Muncie, and Peru.

*RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE*

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Duties

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• The incumbent will also serve as a staff Geriatrics Physician and assigned to provide acute evaluation and care for inpatients and outpatients with a variety of geriatric conditions in the inpatient and multiple care settings. The incumbent will perform all services required in the practice of Inpatient (consult) Geriatric medicine. The incumbent will also be assigned to provide care for patients in the Outpatient Geriatric Consultation clinic, as well as supervising resident and fellow trainees in those settings
• Plan and conduct monthly Section meetings with Geriatric Staff Physicians and affiliated staff (as applicable).
• Attend required meetings with the Facility Leadership
• Monitoring overall performance of all Geriatrics staff physicians/NPs/PAs working in Geri PACT, Geriatric Consultation Clinic, and GRACE and provide performance improvement opportunities and/or interventions as appropriate. This includes but is not limited to performing FPPE/OPPEs and ensuring the Provider Activity Report (PAR) tool reflects appropriate data.
• Collaborate with the Chief of PM&RS and Chief of Staff to ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained and well-qualified staff are recruited.
• Maintain an up-to-date schedule which provides appropriate coverage in the Geriatric clinics and the Inpatient Geriatrics Consult Service
• Responsible for the oversight of all aspects of medical care delivered to patients under their care.
• Provide or assist residents, fellows, hospitalists, and/or nurse practitioners in the process of evaluation and treatment of the patient and actively participate in corrective actions against untoward responses to Geriatric Medicine interventions.
• Evaluate the patient to assess changes in physical and mental status during their inpatient stay. A thorough Geriatrics consult note, with the appropriate level of detail, will be entered into the medical record along with an assessment and plan for acute and ongoing care as well as discharge planning. A consult note is written in the patient's chart daily as long as geriatrics is following the patient. Notes also include the concurrence with notes written by the resident or fellow, and other consulting service notes as appropriate, in a manner consistent with the VA guidelines for resident and trainee supervision. Ensure all Geriatrics & related procedure orders are reviewed and signed off before departing the hospital daily.
• Perform outpatient Geriatric evaluations and consultations in the Geriatric Consultation Clinic in a timely manner.
• During scheduled tour hours, the incumbent will be available for all urgent assessments and interventions as part of the Geriatrics consult service care team.
• Maintain appropriate credentials and privileges
• Participate in various hospital committees, GEC and hospital in-service programs, and education programs of the GEC and the hospital. Assist with the enforcement of VA TMS and BLS requirements pertaining to Geriatrics providers.
• Engage in continuous quality improvement by participating in the VA peer review process

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): YES

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. his 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.

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: 730-4pm

Requirements

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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: The incumbent must be a board certified or board eligible physician. Experience in Primary Care Medicine, administration and leadership in operations, planning and supervising in a tertiary care environment is preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

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:

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.]

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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