Career Center

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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
• Board-certified (or board-eligible - if a recent graduate) physician in either Anatomic Pathology or Clinical Pathology - with significant training and expertise in Medical Microbiology - such as completion of a Medical Microbiology Fellowship Training Program
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Must be able to physically and mentally perform the duties in a clinic setting under normal and emergent conditions and while working closely with others
• Light lifting 15-44 pounds
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• both hands required
• standing (up to 1 hour)
• near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• far vision correctable in one eye up to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• both eyes required
• depth perception required
• ability to distinguish basic colors
• ability to distinguish shades of colors.

Duties

• The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System (VANEOHS) in Cleveland - OH is seeking a full-time MD/DO Microbiology Director to provide operational oversight of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory for the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service
• The incumbent will be a board-certified (or board-eligible - if a recent graduate) physician in either Anatomic Pathology or Clinical Pathology - with significant training and expertise in Medical Microbiology - such as completion of a Medical Microbiology Fellowship Training Program
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact brandon.hughes2@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 The Director oversees the Laboratory and provides technical expertise - strategic direction - and leadership within the lab to foster a culture of continuous improvement
• Position responsibilities will include responsibility for managing Clinical Microbiology Laboratory operations - adhering to best practices - and assuring quality control and regulatory compliance within the Microbiology Section
• The Director will possess expertise to quickly evaluate the science around novel infectious diseases and participate in incorporating tools to diagnose and treat them at the local level
• The Director will also interface with clinical teams - guiding healthcare providers as needed on optimal diagnostic tools and treatment choices for Veteran patients - educating medical trainees/laboratory scientists/technicians/other health care team members - lending expertise to relevant hospital-wide quality assurance programs such as antimicrobial stewardship - and advising/participating when requested in relevant research programs at VA
• The Cleveland VAMC is a large tertiary-care academic medical center serving all of Northeast Ohio with academic affiliations with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC) - MetroHealth Hospital - and the Cleveland Clinic healthcare system
• Non-citizens may apply
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm with a rotational call schedule.