Summary The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System, is seeking a Geriatric/Primary Care Physician to provide high quality patient centered care to Veterans under the different services such as Home-Based Primary Care, Hospital In Home, Geriatric PACT clinic and Palliative/Hospice Care. This position is located in Corpus Christi, TX. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive is authorized for a highly qualified candidate. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Responsibilities The Geriatric and Extended Care (GEC) Staff Physician serves within the Geriatrics and Extended Care service line providing high quality patient centered care to Veterans under Geri-PACT clinic in collaboration with the Medical Director and Program Manager. The Physician is responsible for the quality of care provided by the program, the productivity of the program and for the development and implementation of initiatives to meet the Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VCBHCS) mission. The Staff Physician will provide comprehensive care, including diagnoses, and treatment of both acute and chronic conditions. Common diagnoses encountered in GERI-PACT include dementia, frailty, cerebrovascular disease, neurological disease, diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, degenerative arthritis, depression, and congestive heart failure. The Staff Physician will manage patients by completing face to face interdisciplinary team encounters, telemedicine encounters, or telephone encounters. Core duties include obtaining patient histories, performing physical exams, formulating a working diagnosis and developing/implementing a treatment plan according to clinical guidelines and patient's goals and preferences. Other duties are determining disposition to the emergency department, hospital, Assisted Living Facility, Community Nursing Home, Home Health, Home Based Primary Care, and Hospice Care. Other routine duties are ordering lab tests, x-rays, EKG's and other diagnostic procedures, initiating and expediting requests to medical or surgical specialty consults. Other key duties are providing education and counseling to patient and family in preventive care, medical conditions and proper use of medications. The Staff Physician may collaborate with other providers, and specialists in and outside of the VA system to manage or co-manage patients' health. Select mental health, medical and surgical specialty services are available on-site. Other medical and surgical subspecialties services are available through community contracts. In addition to observance of Federal National and Local regulatory, policy, and accreditation requirements governing this Health Care System, this position encompasses the following examples of responsibilities. - Participate in chart reviews, staff meetings, committees, and other process improvement initiatives. - Put in practice medical care advances and practice standards. - Demonstrate effective communication both down to staff and up to leadership, to include patient outcomes and issue briefs. - Adhere to clinic procedures for patient scheduling & access. - Respond to critical lab/diagnostic test result notifications in a timely manner. - Ensure all encounters are closed the same day the visit was made, and complete documentation requirements in CPRS in a timely manner. - Maintain and upkeep credentials required for privileging and re-privileging, and achieve competencies and performance as approved by the professional board. - Assure appropriate oversight of delegated care activities of Nurse Practitioner, Pharm D in your team. - Provide cross coverage to physicians within the approved and recommended privileges by the Professional Standards Board. - Communicate the plan of coverage to the team members when taking leave of absence. - Complete training requirements, employee health requirements and Environmental and Occupational requirements. EDUCATION ELEMENT- Includes teaching and monitoring, coordination of educational programs - educational needs, setting education objectives, conducting educational programs, evaluating educational activities, and documenting. Assist the Medical Directors to carry out educational activities related to UME/GME. To act with full authority and accountability of the operation of the educational programs. Provide orientation to service rotation for program trainees, monitoring and coordination of educational activities, and comply with necessary trainee supervision. Show effectiveness in teaching and evaluation of trainees. Administer and maintain an educational environment conducive to educating the trainees in each of the ACGME competency areas. Prepare and submit all information required and requested by the ACGME; be familiar and oversee compliance with ACGME and Review Committee policies and procedures as outlined in the ACGME Manual of Policies and Procedures. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Board Certified/Board Eligible in Internal/Family Medicine or Geriatrics 5+ years experience in Geriatric/Primary Care setting. Strong customer service skills. Excellent communication skills (written and verbal). Strong skills utilizing electronic medical record. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (6 hours), Standing (6 hours), Both legs required, Both eyes required, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted), Mental/emotional stability, Ability to perform privileges, Independently performs physical exam as appropriate 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.
