Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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
• Privileges/Duties:General psychiatry privileges include - but are not limited to: diagnosis and treatment - (interviewing - mental status examinations - physical and neurological examinations - ordering - performing - and interpreting labs - radiography - and other diagnostic tests - formulation of differential diagnoses and treatment plan) for adults - diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders relevant to psychiatric practice - consultation to other services - evaluation and management of psychiatric emergencies and forensic examinations - crisis intervention - individual and group therapy as well as management of a multidisciplinary therapeutic milieu for acute and/or chronic general psychiatric patients and for specialized populations with addictive disorders and geropsychiatry
• These privileges include admission of patients to the hospital - where it is expected that any necessary appropriate consultative support will be requested
• Where a diagnosis is not clear or treatment does not result in expected outcome - consultation is required
• Preferred Experience: Board Certified Psychiatrist preferred - Board Eligible may apply
• some experience providing psychiatric care to Veterans with wide range of mental health disorders
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Must be able to perform the duties physically and mentally in a hospital setting under normal and emergent conditions
• Heavy lifting 45 lbs
• and over with assistive devices
• Heavy carrying of 45 lbs
• and over with assistive devices
• Reach above shoulder - use of fingers and both hands required
• Walking or standing up to 6 hours per day
• Repeat bending up to 2-4 hours per day
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination
• Near vision correctable and hearing aid permitted.

Duties

• The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) - located in Tucson - Arizona is a Joint Commission-accredited - level 1a complexity teaching hospital - providing tertiary-level care
• The SAVAHCS offers a beautiful 150-acre campus with a full range of medical and mental health services for Veterans - including a 31-bed inpatient psychiatry/substance use acute treatment unit - a 25-bed mental health residential rehabilitation treatment program for substance use disorders (SUD) and PTSD treatment - intensive outpatient programs for SUD and PTSD - homeless programs - and more
• The SAVAHCS operates a 24-hour emergency department and is the host site for various regional referral centers of excellence including the Polytrauma Network Site - the Southwest Blind Rehabilitation Center - and the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MHRRTP)
• The SAVAHCS is the principal teaching affiliate of the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine - Nursing - and Pharmacy
• Annually nearly 1 -000 physician and associated health trainees participate in health care training programs at the SAVAHCS
• Tucson is a great place to live for families - people who enjoy outdoor activities (hiking - cycling - running - etc.) and those who enjoy rich culture and an affiliation with a world class University
• Tucson truly is a city with a friendly - small-town feel
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be approved for highly qualified candidate EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program
• You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment
• Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application
• Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply
• 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) 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 As a Psychiatrist working on the inpatient team - you will provide psychiatric care (diagnosis - treatment - and crisis management) to Veterans with mental health and substance use disorders as part of an integrated team of psychiatric providers - psychologists - social workers - nurses - and clinical pharmacists in the inpatient MH and RRTP units - as well as provide consultation services to the medical/surgical treatment floors and the Emergency Department
• The Inpatient Psychiatrist is responsible for providing psychiatric care for patients on any one of those services on a rotating basis
• The inpatient psychiatrist will care for a panel of inpatients on the 1 West Unit as part of an interdisciplinary care team - rounding daily with psychiatry residents and medical students as well
• At other times - the inpatient psychiatrist may see patients in the medical consultation or emergency department - depending on rotations within the team
• The psychiatrist will learn and become certified in the provision of ECT and potentially other neuromodulation techniques
• The inpatient psychiatrist will be part of a team of 7 providers who will work on 1 west on the weekend days - on a rotating basis
• The team will also provide coverage to the MHRRTP for PTSD when needed
• The work requirements are 80 hours over a 2 week period - to be flexed among the team
• The psychiatrist will participate in teaching and supervising Psychiatry Residents and Medical Students in the inpatient psychiatric unit
• The Inpatient Psychiatrist must be able to obtain affiliate faculty appointment with the University of Arizona College of Medicine
• This team should be ideal for the psychiatrist who appreciates variety and clinical challenges - who derives deep satisfaction from helping the most vulnerable veterans in their most critical situations
• If you enjoy teaching - working on teams - and solving clinical challenges - this position is right for you
• Work Schedule: Full-time - permanent - Monday-Friday - 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM or 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM