Summary
Stand ready with VA to help in an emergencyA disaster can strike at any time - an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or global pandemic can leave our Veterans, families, and communities in desperate need of help. That's why the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is creating Clinical Deployment Teams (CDTs) to stand ready to assist. We're looking for clinical personnel to serve on these teams and help transform how we provide health care services in times of great need.
Clarification from the agency
All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
Duties
Working in Primary Care, Medical-Surgical, Emergency Room (ER), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Clinical Deployment Team (CDT) staff will be allocated among 18 networks for a total of 20 full-time employees per network, including 11 Registered Nurses (RNs), 2 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), 5 providers (including Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, and Advanced Nurse Practitioners) and 2 Social Workers. When they are not deployed, CDT staff will work at an assigned VA facility. Members of the team must:
- Be available to deploy with 72 hours' notice within 2 windows of time per calendar year, for up to a month at a time
- Work in a high-stress environment, possibly in austere conditions or an emergency setting
- Treat or provide direct patient care within the requirements of practice/privileges/licensure
- Participate in CDT training activities and demonstrate readiness to apply professional skills to a range of emergency situations
- Ensure qualifications and required certifications are maintained, including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification
- Maintain CDT physical readiness requirements, vaccinations, and safety precautions related to infection control
Physicians on the CDT may work in one of the following areas:
- Emergency Department - Perform appropriate medical screening exam on all patients checked-in to be seen in the ED using assessment skills to examine patients thoroughly using appropriate clinical, laboratory, and other pertinent data. Provide continuity of care by performing patient hand-off when transferring care of a patient to another physician. Initiate appropriate and timely treatment. Recognizes changes in behavior, symptoms, signs, and other pertinent facts about a patient and has the knowledge to modify, in real time, the plan of treatment. Should be cognizant of capabilities and limitations of the ED and of oneself.
- Hospitalist - Admit and manage inpatients with general adult medical illnesses. Includes performing histories and physical examinations, rounding on patients, writing progress notes, discharge planning and timely completion of discharge summaries.
- Primary Care - Serve on a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and will be responsible for providing medical care in an outpatient setting following PACT principles. May provide medical care using Telehealth for remote patients or travel to other outpatient clinics to cover provider shortage. The patient population ranges from adult to geriatrics. Diagnose, treat, and manage a panel of patients. Provide comprehensive patient-centered primary medical care.
VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be eligible for highly qualified applicants.
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: May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs
Conditions of Employment
NOTE: Prior to accepting a final employment offer, all selected applicants will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding deployment responsibilities
- 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.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
- 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).
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
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.
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:
- 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.
The incumbent will operate under this guidance in addition to what is reflected under the attached Functional Statement or Provider Privileges. This position is part of a VHA Clinical Deployment Team (CDT) which requires readiness for deployment of clinical staff dedicated to the continuity of Veteran healthcare and support to communities in times of crisis. Incumbent must agree to the following requirements/conditions:
- Be able to deploy, within the team's scheduled deployment windows, to any event within 72 hours of notification with the ability to work seamlessly with receiving facility or agencies.
- Maintain readiness for an identified minimum of 2 rotational windows of expected deployable status per calendar year, for up to a month at a time.
- Continuously notify Supervisor of any constraints that may impact deployment to any event within 72 hours, including but not limited to any protected leave entitlements and/or reported injury or illness, by following Supervisor notification processes and VHA Human Resources practices.
- Understand that the tour of duty during a deployment may differ from the normal shift a CDT staff operates when at the assigned facility.
- Work under a high stress healthcare environment, possibly in austere conditions, or in an emergency setting, while maintaining awareness of the critical elements of an emergency deployment by processing information from various sources.
- Understand that CDT may deploy into austere conditions which are defined as: various housing and living conditions to include non-climate controlled, limited privacy sleeping facilities (for example, cots, tents, "hot-bunking", gymnasiums, or similar), limited shower and laundry facilities, and limited feeding options(such as shelf-stable meals, meals-ready-to-eat, and field kitchens). Work maybe performed in an office setting, indoor and outdoor field site, sometimes in adverse weather.
- Agree to be deployed within their VISN outside of scheduled national CDT deployment windows. VISN deployments may occur at the discretion of the VISN director with the network director keeping in mind the CDT staff's needs for rest, recuperation, and training. CDT staff will not be deployed more than 120 days per year.
- Must be able to provide direct patient care when deployed to an emergency, within the CDT staff's scope of practice/privileges/licensure/functional statement, with there sources available.
- Complete mandatory CDT training courses prior to being deployed.
- Maintain clinical competencies particular to the CDT role by participation in emergency response exercises and code teams.
- Report to Occupational Health for physical fitness assessments for pre-employment and CDT- required pre-deployment reviews.
- Review, during deployments, timecard for accuracy before submitting to facility supervisor for final approval to reduce timekeeping errors.
- The deployment orders will contain details regarding the designated timekeeper.
- Obtain a travel card from the facility and complete all training and reporting requirements associated with the card.
- Other Duties as assigned.
Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 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.
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.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
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.
Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.
To apply for this position, you must submit a C.V. and/or resume. Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
To apply for this position online complete steps 1 and 2 above by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/30/2024 to receive consideration. Please note, this announcement may close prior to the closing date indicated if the position is filled through other means. If you are unable to apply online before the closing date click here and include the CBTG-12198577-24-ARW in the Notes field.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. We will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
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