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. Preferred Experience: Board certified or board eligible in Gastroenterology. 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 be able to physically and mentally perform the duties in an inpatient/outpatient setting under normal and emergent conditions. Moderate lifting 15-44 lbs; straight pulling up to 0.25 hours; pushing up to 0.25 hours; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking up to 2 hours; standing up to 4 hours; kneeling up to 1 hour; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; requires depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors required; hearing aid permitted. Environmental Factors include working closely with others. ["The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVACHS) is seeking a Clinical Director of the Gastroenterology Division. Commitment to excellence in patient care and an interest in teaching are essential. A record of contribution to the scientific literature is preferred. In addition to contributing to the clinical mission of the division, the division chief will be expected to participate in a variety of leadership duties. These will include distribution of clinical and educational assignments among the division staff, support of administrative functions of the division, mentoring division colleagues, and supporting division research when feasible. All our division members participate in outpatient clinic services including fellows' clinic and in the inpatient consult service. Our hospitalist service reduces the demands of in-patient care on our subspecialty divisions. The Tucson VA is a tertiary care facility providing a full range of clinical services including complex coronary angioplasty, electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery and Mohs surgery. It has been a flagship quality provider within the VA and was a 2012 winner of the prestigious Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award. We are in a growth area for the VA. Consequently, the VA is open to major capital investment in our facility; we expect to start construction on a new bed tower in 2023.VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of annual paid time offer 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 Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting As the Program Director of the Gastroenterology Division, clinical expertise and administrative leadership skills will be essential. Superb clinical care is always first in the VA mission. We have an advanced endoscopy program with excellent facilities and equipment, should that be an area of interest to a candidate. Our GI division has a long record of making a major contribution to the teaching mission. We expect the GI division chief to promote participation in suitable clinical trials. We have good collaboration with our academic affiliate; for candidates with significant external research funding, we will engage with our University colleagues in support of a competitive position and successful research posture. Naturally, a track record of success in clinical care, education and/or research will be noted in the selection process. The GI Program Director will direct the patient care within the division, ensure appropriate coverage for patients, provide specific guidelines for physician and nurse practitioner performance expectations and oversee recruitment. He/she will ensure a supportive educational environment. He/she will report to leadership of the Medicine Service Line (MSL) and will provide clinical care and planning in an interdisciplinary approach in collaboration with the Chief and Assistant Chief of MSL and other health care professionals. He/she must maintain current American Heart Association BLS and ACLS certification. SAVAHCS is the principal teaching affiliate of the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy; medical students, residents, and fellows rotate at the facility. Therefore, the selected candidate must also be eligible for an appointment with the University of Arizona College of Medicine. This is a great opportunity to provide clinical care in an ethical environment, to work with talented and dedicated colleagues, to train the next generation of GI providers and to advance the frontier of GI knowledge while living in a wonderful city with the cultural enhancements of the state's main University campus. Our medical subspecialists do not have to travel as our Community Based Outpatient Clinics are served remotely via telehealth technologies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.