Career Center

Summary

The Preventive Medicine Physician provides direct preventive medicine care - consultative services - and education for veteran's enrollees at Tennessee Valley Health Care System. Administrative and training tasks include clinic operations - prevention program development and implementation - staff - and resident education.

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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The work is largely office based and in a sedentary setting
• No manual labor is required above ordinary situations
• Incumbent must be capable of using a computer given that all clinical charting is electronic.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• 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
• 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/Scope of Assigned Duties: Provide comprehensive clinical preventive health services for veterans referred by PACT/specialty care - or self-referrals as appropriate - to include but not limited to weight management - tobacco cessation and other lifestyle risk factor modification
• Coordinate and communicate preventive healthcare planning/treatment for veterans with managing physicians using the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and other approved programs
• Provide timely - appropriate documentation to include comprehensive risk factor history - pertinent physical findings - diagnosis - care plan and disposition of the patient to include next steps of care
• Prescribe medications as appropriate - including controlled substances in adherence with DEA - state control substance monitoring programs - and related standards of practice
• Ordering of laboratory or other screening tests - in coordination with PACT and other providers - as needed for provision of preventive medicine care
• Provide education to the patient and family and respond to inquiries and questions by patients appropriate
• Provide care to veterans throughout TVHS in individual and group formats - across a range of modalities including onsite face-to-face appointments - and via telephone - and via telehealth (including secure messaging and real-time video appointments)
• Serve as preceptor for residents (and occasionally students) in the clinical setting in accordance with ACGME guidance for resident supervision
• Conduct preventive medicine related research with residents to meet the research requirements of the training program
• Collaborate with hospital services as needed to meet JCAHO and VHA performance measures related to prevention functions
• Serve as a resource for Employee Occupational Health and collaborate as requested on occupational health issues
• Develop and implement staff education programs in preventive health as needed
• Participate in TVHS Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP) Committee - Whole Health - and/ or other specified committees
• Perform Basic Life Support as necessary
• Consistently communicate and treat customers - (veterans - their representatives - visitors - trainees - and all VA staff) in a courteous - tactful - and respectful manner
• The Preventive Medicine Physician will provide the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures and will handle conflicts and problems when dealing with customers constructively and appropriately
• The Preventive Medicine Physician will protect printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws - Federal Regulations - VA statures and policy and VHA policy
• Proficient use of MS Word or comparable word processing software to execute several office automations functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files
• formatting letters - reports - and memoranda
• Use of MS Excel or other comparable spreadsheet software to develop and change spreadsheets in order to graphically display data
• Collaborate with HPDP core staff in use of data sets and reporting services to identify and address veteran population health needs through prevention programming
• Maximize the use of virtual care modalities such as Home Telemedicine - Video Virtual Connect (VVC) - Secure Messaging - and e-consults to enhance access to care
• Comply with the Medical Center Bylaws and the Rules and Regulations of the Medical Staff
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 7:30 a.m
• - 4:00 p.m.