Summary 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. Responsibilities The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System in Cleveland, OH is seeking one full-time MD/DO Anatomic Pathologist to join the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service. Eligible candidates must be board certified in Anatomic Pathology. Prior hematopathology experience is preferred. Clinical duties involve signing out surgical, cytology, as well as hematopathology cases. In addition, the candidate will collaborate with outpatient clinics, inpatient units, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center to ensure that seamless and coordinated care is provided to patients. Teaching and research opportunities as well as academic appointments will be coordinated through Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. 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. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Potentially available for highly-qualified candidates Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Contact visn10hredrpslrp@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases. Education and length of practice are considered through a formal pay-setting process to determine the final compensable salary (Base Pay + Market Pay) 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 Duties include but are not limited to: Performing surgical pathology gross, microscopic, and final diagnosis rendering along with coding of clinical reports with pathology in rotation with other pathologists. Provide intraoperative consultation to surgical services. Perform fine needle aspiration biopsies, provide diagnoses in rapid onsite evaluation for CT guided and EBUS guided fine needle aspiration biopsies, provide diagnoses on gynecologic and non-gynecologic cytology specimens. Perform bone marrow readings, diagnose lymphomas and reporting flow cytometry. Perform review and interpretation of serum and urine protein electrophoresis. Share responsibilities in performing autopsies and with trainees. Participate in prospective peer review and retrospective review of 10% cases when needed. Additional responsibilities may include oversight of a section of the laboratory, providing clinical consultation services and oversight of the QA/QI, Performance, and dashboards for of the department. Participate in Multidisciplinary on-site interdepartmental conferences as needed, such as tumor board etc. Supervision of pathology trainees in surgical pathology and clinical pathology. Teaching and supervision of rotating medical students, pathology residents on regular basis and clinical fellows and laboratory technical staff as needed. Provide consultation to Medical Center and laboratory staff in matters of test utilizations, technical and result interpretation. Provide support and educational interactions to pathology staff (technicians, transcriptionists, technologists, supervisors, lab managers and administrative staff) Inform the Chief of service for leave approval, tour of duty, time off from regular tour of duty or any related issues. Meet turnaround time requirements for cases as defined by VHA pathology policy and performance measures. Alternative or collateral duties may include management of a subsection of pathology lab/sub-section. Maintains patient privacy and medical record in accordance with VHA policies. Fulfilling all requirements related to CAP, The Joint Commission (TJC), and VHA pathology policies and procedures. Pathologists are responsible for providing Comprehensive Pathology Care for Veterans. All physicians are responsible to have read the Medical Staff Bylaws and to comply with the Bylaws. Act as surrogates for the pathology cases of their colleagues, when one or more of their colleagues are on leave. Any task as designated or delegated by the Chief of Pathology. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm with a rotational call schedule. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship 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. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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 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. Must have board certification. 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: Hematopathology 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: 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. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
