The Employee Occupational Health Physician is licensed to practice medicine and authorized by credentialing, training, and/or experience to provide employee occupational health services in the work environment. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate. 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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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. Preferred Experience and Certifications All Specialties Experience in disaster medicine and/or completed advanced training (i.e. fellowship) in disaster or wilderness medicine. This may include experience in medical deployments. Additionally, training and/or experience in critical care medicine is favored. Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Certifications from American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN) are highly preferred: Basic Life Support (BLS) and/or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). (AHA certification preferred.) BLS/ACLS certification is recommended, but not required, for candidates who are board certified in Emergency Medicine (VHA Directive 1177, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, January 4, 2021). The selected employee will be required to receive these certifications prior to assuming clinical responsibilities and ensure current certifications after employment is maintained. Emergency Department Board certified in Emergency Medicine. Board certified in Family or Internal Medicine. At least 5 years of recent experience in an Emergency Department. Hospitalist Board certified in Internal Medicine. 5 or more years of clinical experience since completion of residency training. Experience and/or training in critical care medicine. Primary Care 3 or more years of experience in a Primary Care Setting. Prior experience in the hospital, emergency or trauma setting. Board Certified/Board Eligible in Internal Medicine or Family Practice. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. 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. ["The Occupational Health Lead Physician will report to the Chief of Ambulatory care stationed in Danville, Illinois. Provides oversight and recommendations to Occupational and Environmental Medicine activities at the VA Illiana HCS. Incumbent may also perform tertiary clinical evaluations of Veterans or employees (with occupational, environmental, and/or military exposures of concern) at VA Iliana HCS if this is supported through necessary credentialing and privileging activities and/or Telehealth Service Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding. The incumbent works as part of a virtual and in-person team, together with patient site and employee site care team members, to provide Occupational Health and Environmental Health care to Veterans and employees. Evaluations may include face to face and virtual care modalities, to include telephone and/or Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) modalities of care. This position may require occasional travel to VISN12 Office locations, to VISN12 VA Medical Centers, to VISN12 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), or to other locations as determined by VHA for training purposes.The Occupation Health Lead Physician will have Supervisor duties that cover the Occupation Health midlevel provider. Major Duties: 1. Providing policy, oversight, and programmatic guidance on medical surveillance issues and occupational and environmental exposures.2. Interpreting applicable regulations and applicable consensus standards.3. Functions as secondary Medical Review Officer (MRO), certification expected within six months of employment and maintenance of appropriate certification thereafter.4. Participates in the Whole Health initiative & Employee Health Promotion & Disease Prevention as a committee member5. Co-chairs with Safety & Occupational Health Specialist the ergonomic evaluation program.6. Serves as a committee member on the Accident Review Board7. Overseeing and establishing performance standards for VHA Employee Occupational Health medical surveillance programs. Examinations and evaluation may be conducted for the purpose of: Initial and subsequent official VA personnel actions Assisting employees in health promotion and disease prevention -Detecting diseases, discussing any detected non-work-related medical findings with the employee, and recommending consultation with a personal health care provider Determining whether the employee is medically able to return to work or resume regular duties without impairing his/her own health or the health of others after a period of injury or illness Pre-placement physical examination to determine the physical, cognitive, and emotional fitness of applicants for appointment Determining medical clearance status Annual health promotion evaluations including screening tests at the request of the employee Special physical examination to determine fitness-for-duty Ordering psychiatric and psychological assessment, as indicated Completion of a medical report for all OWCP cases treated in the facility Provides on-going support to the Emergency Manager for DEMPS physical evaluations VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized for highly qualified candidate 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: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
