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. 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. Preferences: Board certification Two years of Primary Care/Family 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: Light lifting, under 15 pounds. Light Carrying, under 15 pounds. Use of fingers. Both hands required. Walking one half hour. Standing one half hour. Kneeling one half hour. Repeated bending one half hour. Both legs required. Environmental Factors Working alone Working closely with others. ["The Alabama Gulf Coast is a great place to live and work! You'll find picturesque, white-sand beaches lining the Gulf of Mexico, exciting, fun-filled outdoor activities to include boating, fishing and championship golf courses, taste-tantalizing cuisine, plentiful shopping, and must-see cultural attractions. Mississippi's Gulf Coast also features unlimited stakes gaming, top-name entertainment, and spectacular stage shows you won't want to miss. With a unique combination of attractions that will please everyone, Alabama's Gulf Coast is undoubtedly \"the\" place to live and work! The physician will be responsible for delivery of primary care to patients enrolled in the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS). The provider will manage scheduled and unscheduled patients in a clinic setting at the medical center. The focus of this position is on the provision of primary care service to veterans, typically between 18 and 70 years of age, enrolled in the Health Care System. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Maybe provided to highly qualified applicants Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Contact Brandilyn.Wsson@va.gov, 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 Major Duties and Responsibilities: Typically assigned a panel of patients to manage. Panel size at this time is determined by utilizing VHA PCMM software. Each provider's panel size is specific to their practice and setting.- Alternative or collateral duties may include management of a subsection of primary care patients, the subsection may be defined either by a disease status (e.g. spinal cord injury patients), or demographic status (women veterans, OIF/OEF veterans, employees etc.). Typically, these duties are designated at the time of joining but occasionally during the course of employment, participation in special projects pertinent to assigned section maybe necessary as the projects become available through strategic or other initiatives.- Duty as a supervising or collaborating physician for one or more mid-level providers. Expected to provide clinical oversight and review the care provided by midlevel practitioners. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday,7:30 AM- 4PM or 8 AM-4:30 PM, Occasional Saturdays"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
