Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the Department of Veteran's Affairs. First consideration will go to VISN 22 employees. Selected VHA employee must be located (or willing to relocate) within 50 miles of a VA Facility within the VISN 22 catchment area and have space available for assignment--Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Prescott, San Diego, or Tucson. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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**This is not a remote position and the selected VHA employee must be located (or willing to relocate) within 50 miles of a VA Facility within the VISN 22 catchment area and have space available for assignment--Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Prescott, San Diego, or Tucson.

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

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800 - 1630. (Compressed Schedules may be available based on the needs of the Agency.)

Duties include, but are not limited to :

• Supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and its associated facilities.
• Conducting comprehensive record reviews for the purposes of determining PCAFC eligibility, level of care, and appropriateness for participation per statue, regulation, policy, and guidelines. This is done from a physician's perspective.
• Sustaining expert knowledge of eligibility criteria for the PCAFC and the regulations, statutes, directives and policies that govern or impact the program and decision making.
• Bringing a knowledge of, and ability to interpret the widest array of applicable assessments, tests, and medical records to assist CEAT with case disposition.
• Disability claim review and decision-making, resulting in forensic-style clinical letter writing in compliance with all applicable federal laws, VA regulations, and professional practice standards. This requires substantial independent clinical judgment, in-depth knowledge of complex case presentations, and the ability to expeditiously synthesize medical, psychosocial, and functional information for benefits determinations.
• Participation in inter-professional decision-making teams regarding clinical eligibility and appropriate level of caregiving required.
• Sensitivity to the issues and needs of Veterans and their families, when rendering clinical eligibility determinations.
• Conducting Peer Reviews from a physician standpoint, which may occur at the regional level, to aide in achieving consistency nationally.
• Using professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and practice to evaluate program and/or service activities and implementing broad-reaching evidence-based change.
• Coordinating with VISN CEAT, other Regional CEATs and VACO CSP to develop and implement strategies for PCAFC determinations, appeals process, and performance improvement.
• Demonstrating knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA to track workload and outcomes.
• Maintaining a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with physician, Joint Commission, Program Office and VISN standards.
• Maintaining advanced knowledge and understanding of both the services and benefits available for caregivers from both federal, state and private sector resources.
• Evaluating program progress and outcomes and utilizes data to continuously modify and improve the program and processes.
• Completing all requested reports, data, and maintain reporting requirements with outcomes related to the CSP.
• Ability to coordinate patient care through patient management techniques across the patient care continuum.
• Effectiveness in recognizing emergency/acute situations and intervening in an appropriate and effective manner.
• Keeping supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility.
• Furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment.
• Actively participating in the CSP conference calls and participating in other relevant conference calls and/or meetings as assigned.

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

**This is not a remote position and the selected VHA employee must be located (or willing to relocate) within 50 miles of a VA Facility within the VISN 22 catchment area and have space available for assignment--Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Prescott, San Diego, or Tucson.

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.
• Education. 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.
• Licensure. 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:
  • Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) or
  • Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or
  • 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.
• Board Certification: Physicians are generally not required to be board certified for employment in VA; however, three circumstances in VA require physician board certification:
  • If the position being filled is required to be a supervisor for medical students or physician residents (including fellows), the LCME, ACGME or AOA standards requiring a particular board certification credential will apply.
  • If the position being filled will have faculty status with an affiliated medical school (for example, in joint recruitments with affiliated medical schools), then a medical school requirement for board certification will apply to the jointly recruited position.
  • If the position being filled is required to be board certified by virtue of specific VHA policy (for example, as director of a cardiac catheterization laboratory or Director of Clinical Laboratory Medicine), then VHA policy requiring board certification will apply.]
• English Language Proficiency. Physicians appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7402(d) and 7407(d).

Additional Requirement: Must be board-certified physician in his/her specialty with advanced clinical experience as well as demonstrated administrative and leadership skills.

Preferred Experience: Caregiver Support Program. Disability claim review and decision-making processes, and forensic-style clinical letter writing in compliance with all applicable federal laws, VA regulations, and professional practice standards. This is not an entry-level clinical role. It requires substantial independent clinical judgment, in-depth knowledge of complex case presentations, and the ability to synthesize medical, psychosocial, and functional information for benefits determinations.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
Moderate Lifting, 15-44 pounds; Light Carrying, under 15 pounds; Use of fingers; Walking - 2 hours; Standing - 2 hours; Near vison correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 Far vison correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted)Mental/Emotional Stability required; Working closely with others; Working alone

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.