Spinal Cord Injuries/Disorders includes a 20-bed inpatient; acute care unit, consultation service; Outpatient Clinic, and Home Care Program. Services provided through the SCI/D Center include a comprehensive program involving rehabilitation medicine, orthopedics, neurosurgery, urology, plastic surgery, dental, nursing, psychology, social work, chaplain, pharmacy, dietetics, recreation and vocational services.

Duties

The overall responsibilities of the SCI/D Internal Medicine physician include, but are not limited to: Exchange of information on factors facilitating the achievement of optimal medical outcomes and on barriers to the achievement of optimal medical outcomes.???Participating in and supporting evidence- based practice. Provides medical care to all patient admitted to the SCI/D System of Care including those at the inpatient, outpatient and home care settings. Responsible to providing comprehensive medical recommendations for those patients consult to the Service but who are not part of the SCI/D System of Care and collaborate with physicians performing acute medical services. While practicing in VHA facilities physicians will follow manufacturer's recommendations for use of RME (reusable medical equipment) and all infection control guidelines as they relate to the use of the equipment. Works well with health care and subspecialty care providers from other disciplines and consults with specialty services when indicated through the primary care provider, or with notification of the primary care provider. Maintains own professional qualifications, participates in customer service training, computer training, attends mandated medical center training activities as required and provides resident supervision as directed. Expected to demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others. Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease, and care at the end of life. Ensure practice-based learning and improvement, practitioners are expected to be able to use scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate, and improve patient care. Expected to demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of the health care team. Ensures a quality and effective educational and training program for health professions - students, interns and residents is in place to enhance the quality of care provided to Veteran patients within the VA Caribbean Healthcare System. Enables and supports staff participation in research activities that interface with health care systems, patients and health care specifically quality, access, patient outcomes and health care costs. Must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in his/her assigned service area (s). The individual must demonstrate the knowledge, or the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to provide care based upon age related factors. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm May includes some evenings, weekends, holidays and on-call duties. (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).

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. Board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the SPF must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must also be proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position Preferred Experience: Two or more years of experience in Spinal Cord Injury Disorders. Prior Inpatient Internal Medicine experience Must be fully bilingual-English/Spanish languages Board Eligible/Certified in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Prior Inpatient Medicine experience 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: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, hands and legs, use of cranes and motor vehicles, walking & standing up to 8 hours, bending and climbing and able to hear whisper. The incumbent must be physically, emotionally and mentally stable in order to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or 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 San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Karina Alvarez
• Phone: (925) 260-4805
• Email: [email protected]