This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (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 appointment. 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.

Duties

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be July 24, 2023, with subsequent cut-off each Monday. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator 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 As the Medical Director, the incumbent will: - Serve as supervisor to at least 5 psychiatrists and 3 mid-level providers with the expectation that the team will continue to grow based on clinical needs - Oversee the educational rotations in the ER psychiatry section for learners (e.g. psychiatry residents, PA residents, medical students) - Oversee and monitor the growing number of suicide prevention initiatives required of ER-MH staff - Ensure 24/7 attending coverage of the ER through management of the work schedule along with recruitment and retention efforts for providers - Serving as primary liaison to main ER leadership to facilitate collaborations with ER team around best practices and will continually monitor/develop/revise appropriate policies and procedures for the handling of MH patients in the ER. - Point of contact for coordinating with other MHCL programs to facilitate flow of patients who present with emergent conditions and to also facilitate outpatient follow-up - Assisting in fact findings and other supervisory reviews related to events and employees in MH ER section - Serve as primary coordinator of transfer requests from outside facilities to MHCL. In addition to reviewing specific transfer requests, the ER director would also engage in community outreach to coordinate care with our community partners. - Act as primary liaison with outside law enforcement (ex: CIRT team) and Harris county Probate court regarding legal issues related to involuntary commitment process and assisted outpatient treatment. - Leading quality improvement projects in the MH ER section and monitor SAIL metrics - Ensuring compliance with all Joint Commission and VA directives regarding emergent mental health care. This will include template revisions, chart reviews and collaboration with quality management. - Perform the clinical work of a psychiatrist in the ER to include performing psychiatric evaluations and developing individualized treatment plans including the prescription of medications and coordination with outpatient follow-up care. - Performs other related duties as assigned. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: - The incumbent works under the general supervision of the Mental Health Care Line Executive, who establish objectives and department priorities. - The incumbent is expected to complete work assignments with relative independence and minimal guidance, personally setting the deadlines for work completions. He or she assumes responsibility in work assignments in accordance with regulations and independently and resolves most conflicts by using considerable judgment and interpretation. - Work is reviewed to ensure that overall objectives of the position are met. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 6:30am-3:00pm

Requirements

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: This position requires a medical degree and completion of a psychiatry residency. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15lbs, light carrying, under 15lbs, walking (1 hour), standing (1 hour), hearing (air may be permitted) Environmental Factors: Working closely with others

Education

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.]

Contacts

• Address Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Jessica Dinicola-Ortiz
• Email: [email protected]