Summary This position may be 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 an 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 EDRP application review. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply. Responsibilities In conjunction with the surgical or medical attending physician and other consultants, the Pulmonologist/Intensivist (hereafter PI) directs the care of all patients in the Intensive Care Unit at the VA Maine Healthcare System, Togus Campus, located in Augusta, Maine and/or one of the CBOC (Community Based Outreach Clinic) as assigned. The PI provides continuous vigilance; early intervention and ongoing care with the goal to decrease ICU related morbidity and mortality. In addition, the PI proactively communicates with the other members of the team to assure optimal results. When not scheduled for Intensivist duties, the PI will assume the role of consulting pulmonologist. As such, s/he will perform inpatient and outpatient procedures, inpatient and outpatient consultations, and inpatient and outpatient follow-up care. Specific Intensivist Responsibilities: (on rotation): Examine and evaluate each patient soon after admission to the ICU and notify the admitting physician of assessment and recommendations. Perform and document a Critical Care Medicine consultation on all patients. Write ICU orders in addition to the admitting physician orders as deemed necessary for optimal care. Perform and document subsequent evaluation of all patients in the ICU on daily rounds once every twenty-four hours and as needed. Coordinate with the admitting physician and consultants to organize diagnostic and treatment plans for all Intensive Care Unit patients. Participate in the Rapid Response Team (RRT) per hospital policy. Perform and document diagnostic/therapeutic procedures within the scope of individual clinical privileges. Respond to all cardiac and respiratory arrests in the ICU, assuming the role of the Code Team Leader. Sign out to the oncoming physician to assure an informed transition of care. Complete off-duty summary notes when leaving ICU service. Assist in the appropriate transfer of patients within the Medical Center and, as possible, with transfer to other facilities. Participate in patient care rounds daily with the charge nurse, pharmacy, dietary, case management, respiratory care, pastoral care ICU nursing staff. Specific Pulmonologist Duties: Diagnoses, treats, and manages patients with pulmonary diseases according to accepted standards of care. Performs outpatient Consultations in Pulmonary Clinic (10 to 15 patients per day). Provides inpatient Pulmonary Consultations Performs invasive procedures for which s/he has been granted privileges. Performs Compensation and Pension exams and/or reviews as requested. May admit ICU patients critically ill with pulmonary diseases and/or requiring assisted ventilation. Interprets pulmonary function tests. With appropriate skills, may participate in Sleep Medicine Program. Administrative Duties: Participate in the educational programs for the critical care unit personnel as well as the medical staff. Participate in monitoring the quality, safety, and appropriateness of patient care Attendance at ICU Committee meetings is mandatory. Participate in developing and updating policies and procedures specific to the ICU. Demonstrate ethical conduct and serve as a positive role model to others at all levels of the organization. Participates in quality assurance programs and chart reviews. Attends Medical Service staff meetings and Medical/Dental staff meetings. Completes medical records in accordance with Bylaws and Rules and Regulations of the Medical Staff. Participates in Medical Staff committee assignments. Performs other duties assigned by the Chief of Medicine. Work Schedule: The VA Maine Healthcare System is an acute care facility operating 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. While most tours of duty are scheduled during the day, the possibility of working evenings, nights and weekends does exist. On-call and shift changes will be considered based on patient and facility needs. The typical work schedule is Monday-Friday, 08:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., excluding recognized Federal holidays. In addition, one in four call rotation is required. Requirements Conditions of Employment Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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. 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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. Additional Requirement: Board Certification in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine by the appropriate accrediting agencies. Current BLS and ACLS certification. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical activity includes sitting, standing (up to 2 hours), walking (up to 2 hours), heavy lifting (45 pounds or over), reaching above the shoulder, and repeated bending. Incumbent should be emotionally and mentally stable and capable to perform the duties of the position. 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.
