Physician (Geriatrics and Extended Care)

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.

The G&EC Physician position is aligned in the Geriatrics and Extended care (G&EC) Service Line, based at Carl Vinson V AMC in Dublin, GA. The selected physician works under the supervision of the G&EC Service Line Manager. The physician attends team meetings as required. The physician refills/renews medications, takes care of inter current medical problems of inpatients, by conducting daily rounds of wards, attending
inpatients and ordering medications.
The Geriatrics & Extended Care (G&EC) Service Line provides healthcare services in a cost effective institutionalized setting for patients who may be eligible for disease management and coordination of care G&EC targets frail, chronically ill veterans who require care by interdisciplinary health care teams, continuity, coordination of care and the integration of diverse services to cover complex medical, social, rehabilitative and behavioral care needs. These veterans need comprehensive healthcare services on an inpatient setting, as they age, to maximize function, reduce institutionalization and maintain their quality of life.

The Geriatrics & Extended Care (G&EC) Physician is responsible for the overall medical care delivered to inpatients at the Cart Vinson V AMC facility. Medical care includes identifying the patients medical problems, diagnosing and treating appropriately, determining the need for consultation from subspecialty care for specialized medical, surgical or psychiatric services and also determining the need for services that may require transferring patients to toher VA or Non VA healthcare facilities, community nursing homes or discharge when appropriate.

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: Placement in this position is subject to meeting the physical requirements of this position. Pre-placement medical examination is required. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.