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 The Staff Physician for the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder (SCI/D) Unit is directly accountable to the Chief, SCI/D. The SCI Physician is an active participant and leader in the SCI/D Interdisciplinary Team and involved in the coordination of care to ensure Veterans with SCI/D are receiving the best and most appropriate care. The SCI/D physician is expected to contribute to the clinical, educational, and research missions of the VA, and will have the opportunity to work with highly accomplished interprofessional staff and trainees in a dynamic, collaborative, and supportive environment. Faculty appointment with affiliated institutions can be pursued based on eligibility and interest. Clinical duties may be customized, based on the interests and expertise of the SCI/D physician and the needs of the SCI/D Service. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Provide initial SCI/D care and rehabilitation, SCI/D consultations, inpatient medical care, a outpatient primary and/or specialty care to Veterans with SCI/D in a multidisciplinary environment within the SCI Service Admit, evaluate, diagnose and treat Veterans appropriate to the specialty of SCI medicine Perform specialty procedures as delineated in their clinical privileges Complete documentation in an appropriate and timely manner Develop, implement and document treatment plan for patients Assume professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment, patient care decisions and documentation Provide education to patients, families and caregivers Collaborate with others to develop and implement best practices with the SCI Service Collaborate with other SCI/D staff physicians on clinical duties as needed Work with and teach residents, fellows, medical students and allied health professional trainees Assist the SCI Services in achieving a level of excellence related to inpatient, outpatient, telehealth, primary care, home and community care, inpatients and outpatient consultations and long-term care Advocate for full access to care for patients with SCI Collaborate with Chief, medical staff and rehabilitation specialist to ensure that all Veterans are provided with timely and patient-centered care Attend regularly scheduled programmatic staff meetings as may be required or directed by the Chief of the Service Support VA and SCI/D Service policies and procedures Engage in scholarly activity including research and quality improvement with evidence of annual productivity Provide mentorship and training to SCI/D Fellows and PM&R Residents Participate, on a rotating basis with other staff physicians as second on-call from home, in the after-hours and weekend call coverage of the VA SCI Service Administrative tasks and committee participation as instructed by the Chief of SCI VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be offered to highly qualified, eligible applicants. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHAEDRPProgramSupport@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 Work Schedule: Full Time; Monday - Friday; 8:00AM to 4:30PM 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. 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 in subspecialty relevant to Spinal Cord Injury practice such as PM&R, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Family Medicine and Geriatrics. Preferred Experience: Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Certification or completion of an Accredited Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship or experience with Spinal Cord Injury. Applicants from all specialties relevant to Spinal Cord Injury will be considered. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Evaluation of physical, cognitive, and emotional fitness of candidates for appointment in VA is required prior to appointment. Candidates must be capable of interactions with patients and health care personnel in a caring and professional manner. The candidate must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, to function effectively under stress, to adapt to changing environments, and to display flexibility. 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.
