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. Program 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

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. If currently receiving EDRP the position is qualified for it to continue EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. 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 Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties: General Surgeons' responsibilities include being able to admit, work-up, and treat either surgical or medical patients presenting with illness or injuries of the digestive systems. General Surgeons are responsible for providing the patient with risks, benefits and alternative treatments and securing the informed consent of the patient/family needed before conducting invasive procedures. Surgeons are expected to be competent in laparoscopic cholecystectomies, and other laparoscopic procedures. Routine procedures include cholecystectomy, appendectomy, intestinal resection, colostomy, herniography, breast surgery, lymphadenectomy, and removal of soft tissue and skin tumors, insertion of central lines, portacaths and other procedures. Incumbent evaluates the patient to assess any changes in the physical status, lab values and vital signs of the patient prior to surgery. Appropriate notes are written in the patient's medical records, times, dates, and signed. General Surgeons provide inpatient and outpatient consultations and pre-operative patient and Operating Room evaluations. Work effectively with patients, families, co-workers, and other health care professionals treating them with respect and dignity. The General Surgeons provide patient care which is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. The surgeon must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served within the Surgical Service. The General Surgeons must demonstrate the knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to provide care based upon age-related factors as specified on the competence assessment checklist. In addition to the duties listed un Position Summary, the Associate Chief of Surgery will assist the Chief of Surgery with the following responsibilities: Overall management of the clinical, professional, and administrative activities performed by the staff of the Surgical Service. Develops management strategies and strategic plans for the Service to ensure that the surgical needs of the veteran population are met in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Responsible for resource management including; the purchase of surgical equipment that will insure technical superiority, the management of funds used for daily functions of the service, the management of fee-basis funds. Responsible for human resource management including the responsibility for adjusting staff levels to meet patient care needs. Responsible for the implementation of a planned and systematic process for monitoring and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of care, the utilization of resources, and the risks involved in the care and treatment of patients served by the Surgical Service staff. Responsible for monitoring the clinical/professional performance of all individuals within the Surgical Service with clinical privileges. Recommends clinicians for renewal of privileges based on the individual's documented experience, results of treatment provided, and documented quality/utilization data. Takes an active role in hospital management which includes membership on the Clinical Executive Board, the Professional Standards Board and/or other standing committees which define the Center's mission and goals, allocate resources, and develop the strategic plan for the facility. Serves on hospital committees and/or work groups as requested by Center Management. Meets with the surgical staff at least twice per month, one of which will be devoted to the review of mortality and morbidity. Work Schedule: TBD by Service Chief

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. Additional Requirement: Board Certified or Board eligible in General Surgery Preferred 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: Current Physical with VA Maine Occupational Health

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 Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: Troy Hall
• Phone: 207-623-8411 X4791
• Email: [email protected]