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. Responsibilities This is an Open Continuous Announcement and will remain open until September 2, 2025, or until the position is filled. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Once a selection is made and offer is accepted the announcement will close pending no additional vacancies. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified applicants. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Lashala Goodman- lashala.goodman@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 Central Arkansas Veteran Healthcare System (CAVHS) is recruiting for a full-time Gastroenterologist. The physician will report to the Chief of Gastroenterology and will be expected to cooperate with and participate in medical duties or functions related to quality of care, peer review, serving on facility committees and other performance improvement activities and other duties as assigned. The incumbent is ultimately responsible for the successful performance of patient care related activities in Medicine Service as a Gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists provide diagnostic assessments, medical evaluation, and management including endoscopic procedures as needed. The incumbent will provide oversight of residents, fellows and medical students. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Clinical duties include seeing patients in both outpatient clinic and inpatient service for diagnosing, treating, and management based on standard and customary methods and techniques. Reviewing gastroenterology consults in both outpatient and inpatient settings and staffing with fellows, residents and APPs as needed. Procedural duties include performing diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower endoscopy procedures, polypectomies, variceal banding, PEG placement, esophageal dilation etc.. Responsible for administration and management of moderate/conscious sedation used during procedures. Sharing call coverage and inpatient consult service with other attendings. Participate in section and service meetings, quality assurance programs and chart reviews. Complete all medical record documentation within guidelines and appropriate deadline, including, but not limited to, e-consults, encounters, CPRS documentation, correctly code visits in accordance with coding guidelines, etc.. Complete CME as required to maintain competency in specialized section and medical licensure. Participate in administrative work assignments, including program building as assigned by the Section Chief and the Service Chief. Demonstrates interpersonal skills that enhance the effectiveness and accomplishments of the service. Demonstrates verbal and written communication skills that are commensurate with the responsibilities of the position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Occasional travel may be required for staffing clinic in surrounding CBOC facilities. No overnight travel. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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: Experience in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and/or Esophageal Manometry. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, under 25 pounds Light carrying, under 15 pounds Pushing (8 hours) Reaching above shoulder Use of fingers Both hands required Walking (8 hours) Standing (8 hours) Repeated bending (2 hours) Both legs required 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 Both eyes required Depth perception Ability to distinguish basic colors Ability to distinguish shades of colors Hearing (aid may be permitted) Mental stability Emotional stability Mask Wearing Sitting up to 8 hours Environmental Factors: Outside and inside Excessive noise, intermittent Working closely with others Working alone Protracted or irregular hours of work Working in direct patient care Use of computer Education Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or 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. 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.] NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
