Summary The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center is recruiting for two Physicians (in the Sleep Medicine Section of the Medical Specialty Clinical Service Line and in the Sleep Medicine Center) and has responsibilities for the delivery of Sleep Medicine services assigned by the Clinical Resource Hub. The incumbent reports to the Specialty Clinical Director, for all clinical, administrative, and quality performance matters. Responsibilities The position performs duties in conjunction with VA Mission, Vision, and Values, providing support to National, VISN and Facility Executive Leadership about the CRH program. The position supports the Specialty Section Clinical Director in the management of complex processes and collaborates with different colleagues, services, and program offices throughout the enterprise to ensure relationships between offices as it pertains to Telehealth. The position collaborates and communicates with all stakeholders including but not limited to: Primary Care, Ophthalmology, Optometry, Medical Services, Surgical Services, Vision Rehabilitation/low vision, opticians, optical staff, Nursing, Prosthetics, and Social Work. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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 Duties include, but are not limited to: Provides clinical support to all areas of patient care management, and oversight of sleep health, clinical, educational, and research activities at VISN 7 facilities through the Clinical Resource Hub. Develops care plans according to VA standards of care. Performs complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures requiring skills and competency, as applicable to the assignment. Works to improve quality of care and patient safety by achieving excellence in delivery of Sleep Medicine care to patients. Works to improve and ensure the highest level of patient satisfaction. Assist in improving patient access to care and treatment plan workflows. Evaluating unscheduled patients. Ordering and interpreting diagnostic studies. Participating in quality improvement projects or programs. Carrying out health promotion and disease prevention activities. Initiating and expediting requests for consultations and scheduling special tests and studies. Providing medical education and counseling of patients and their families. Close out patient encounters in a timely manner and following current Medical Center guidelines. Precept clinical and research training of healthcare students and completing evaluation of such students. Adhere to customer service standards regarding relationships with management, coworkers, patients, families, and the public ensuring that the interactions are courteous, respectful, and cooperative in nature and the need and rights of patients and other customers are met while also supporting the VA mission. Follow applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes and protection of sensitive data in accordance with VHA policy and regulations as well as follow Life Safety management procedures and Emergency Preparedness plans. Maintains professional development by: Acquiring knowledge and skills to maintain expertise in area of practice. Sharing medical literature research findings with colleagues to enhance patient care delivery. Participating in educational activities to improve clinical knowledge and enhance role performance. Serving as a clinical preceptor to healthcare students, if applicable. Serving on service level committees or subcommittees when assigned. Participates in recruiting qualified physicians to perform comprehensive and specialized patient care and teaching. Provides education about the tele-sleep program to new sites and helps train new staff. Provides teaching and consultation on staff education and development to VAMC's Tele Sleep clinical staff including residents and fellows, as well as other clinical trainees and clinical staff from other specialties such as primary care. Provides feedback on sleep protocols and the overall Sleep Medicine process. Conducts both scientific research as well as systematic quality improvement endeavors. Responsible for program evaluations as directed by the Clinical Director, Chief of Staff, Medical Center, VISN or VACO leadership, ensuring compliance with appropriate accrediting bodies (such as the Joint Commission, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, etc.). Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Subject to change based on agency needs. 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 eligible/certified in Sleep Medicine. 2 years of clinical experience as a participating Sleep Medicine physician. Previous work experience in a 1A complexity medical center/hospital. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. 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.
