This is a full-time position at the Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS), Fort Harrison. The Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) Specialty Care Service is both a supervisor as well as direct patient care provider responsible for carrying out operations of the Specialty Care Service. The physician is accountable to and reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS).This position directs all Specialty Care Service providers as well as the service Administrative Officer.

Duties

The ACOS Specialty Care is responsible for maintaining professional, technical, and administrative knowledge, competencies, and skill to deliver effective, timely and high-quality medical care to patients at the MTVAHCS. This position will supervise the other physician and mid-level providers in the Specialty Care Service as well as work as a provider in his/her specialty. This position also requires overall supervisory responsibility for the inpatient Hospitalists, Cardiopulmonary section, infectious disease, oncology, the MODs, Path & Lab service, and Radiology Service. Administrative: - Demonstrates ability to appoint and/or build interdisciplinary team members with complimentary skills for maximum team effort/success. -Supervises and evaluates the performance of Physicians, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Physician assistants, and any administrative staff who are assigned to the Specialty Care Service. Coaches staff in team building. Contributes to staff growth and development of effective teams and individuals in the team. - Ensure physician staffing requirements for 24/7, 365 coverage of the Specialty Care Service are met. Responsible to coordinate and supervise the Medical Officer of the Day (MOD) group and ensure that weekend/holiday coverage is scheduled appropriately. - Ensures that providers possess the necessary skills appropriate to patient care in an inpatient/acute care unit. Ensures that all providers maintain continuing education and certifications, including Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Basic Cardiac Life Support. - Responsible for completion of Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE), Focused Professional Practice Evaluations (FPPE) for initial hires and providers needing focused evaluation for cause, performance/proficiency evaluations and pay for performance evaluations for all staff under the ACOS Specialty Care Service's direct supervision. - Develops and implements appropriate policies, procedures, plans, and professional standards that guide and support Specialty Care Service operations. - Responsible for the assessment of service line needs and takes the lead in the development of resource (staff, space, equipment) requests for the Specialty Care Service. Serves as the responsible official for Specialty Care Service Equipment Inventory List (EIL), participates in completion of annual survey of inventory, and report of survey for any damaged, end of life cycle, or missing equipment. - Oversight of Performance Improvement/Quality Assurance/Utilization Review and evaluation to ensure that the four dimensions of care are continuously evaluated and improved: Access. Quality of Care, Customer Service/Patient Satisfaction, and Utilization Management/Efficiency of Care. Research problems that impact the quality-of-care delivery. Ensure the ethical and competent practice of the Specialty Care Service. - Serves on important interdisciplinary boards and committees as appointed by the Chief of Staff. - Supports all existing safety and infection control practices relevant to this position. Contributes to and keeps abreast of new safety and ergonomic practices as they are developed. Clinical: - Serves as a practicing Physician within his/her specialty according to approved clinical privileges at MTVAHCS. - Maintains current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification. - Serves as an integral member of interdisciplinary and hospital committees as appointed by Chief of Staff. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized 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 08:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 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.

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: Physician administrative leadership experience, at least two years as a physician in a hospital, inpatient care or specialty medicine environment and/or supervisory experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position requiresfrequent bending and lifting, and the ability to assist patients with a variety of activities. This position requires the ability to lift and carry up to 15 pounds, reaching above shoulders, use of fingers, both hands required, and hearing (aid permitted). Must be cognitively, emotionally fit and be able to work with other or alone.

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 Montana VA Health Care System 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]