The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affair Medical Center (MED-VAMC) in Houston, Texas is seeking a full­ time physician to serve as the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Care Line Executive and responsible for the successful performance of the SCI Care Line, specifically with regard to customer satisfaction, quality of services provided and efficiency of service delivery.
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. Additional Requirement: The candidate must be board-certified in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. Must demonstrate the following: Outstanding professional ability in the practice of medicine or a medical specialty; and Ability to guide the development and implementation of programs within their respective domain. These programs would include, but are not limited to medical practice, professional standards, personnel issues, and quality and performance improvement. Preferred Experience: 3-5 years of clinical experience in SCI Ability to lead 1 year of supervisory experience preferred Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Functional Requirements Light carrying, under 15 pounds Reaching above shoulder Use of fingers Both hands required Repeated bending Both legs required Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other Hearing without aid Mental and emotional stability Working with detergents and cleansing solutions Environmental Factors Outside and inside Constant noise Working around machinery with moving parts Working closely with others Working alone
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 Incumbent directs all clinical and administrative activities of the SCI Care Line including budget and fiscal management, human resources management, strategic planning, and program management and evaluation, assuring that the clinical and administrative functions are integrated in order to provide optimum utilization of resources. Participates in top management discussions, decisions, policy-making, and provides program direction to other executives, managers, and assigned personnel. Duties include but aren't limited to: Monitors expenditures and proposes reallocation of funds based on shifting program needs. Provides program direction and guidance to subordinate staff, effectively delegating authority and responsibility needed in order to carry out assigned tasks. Incumbent manages quality assurance, practices lean management and guarantees improvement activities for all programs. Responsibilities include such duties as assignment of work, evaluation of performance, solving problems related to the work supervised and determining long-range manpower requirements. Assess/Evaluate adult patients in inpatient and outpatient settings including Telehealth modality. Perform History & Physical examinations. Perform SCI/Rehab consultations including prescription of orthotics, prosthetics, wheelchairs, adaptive equipment, and exoskeleton devices. Request consultations from other VA services and make referrals to Non-VA care. Order and interpret routine diagnostic tests to establish diagnoses. Plan, coordinate, and execute treatment plan. Authority to admit to SCI service. Provide health maintenance and preventative care. Provide patient education. Provide trainee supervision and education. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00-4:30pm with on-call nights, weekends, and holidays.