Physician (Psychiatry)-Deputy Chief

Summary
Orlando VA Healthcare System's Mental Health Service is seeking an experienced and dynamic Psychiatry Deputy Chief. Ideal applicants are those who want to contribute to the achievement of quality care standards, as well as the growth and development of a VA academic hospital program. You must be an excellent communicator and team player who is adaptable to the needs of a growing medical center.
This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency
Open to current permanent Orlando VA facility employees & Open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees only.
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Duties
Within the context of serving as a member of the Orlando Veterans Administration Healthcare System (OVAHCS), the Deputy Chief of the Psychiatry Section is accountable to the Chief of Psychiatry in management responsibilities, the provision of psychiatric care and the participation in educational and research activities of the Psychiatry Section which includes the Lake Nona Hospital, Lake Baldwin CBOC, Daytona CBOC, Viera CBOC, Clermont CBOC, Kissimmee CBOC, Tavares CBOC, Deltona CBOC. He/She Psychiatrist provides direct evidence-based patient care and tailored to the needs of the Veterans served.
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
Although this position is subordinate to the Chief of Psychiatry, is highly autonomous and requires a sophisticated understanding of the mission, vision, values, and scope of services of VA. Decisions have broad implications and will impact policy as well as practices.
Duties include but are not limited to;

• Responsible and accountable to the Chief of Psychiatry who gives general guidance. He/she exercises independent judgment in carrying out duties and responsibilities.
• Work or provide coverage in different settings, including inpatient (CARE Unit), outpatient Mental Health Clinics, Mental Health Residential and Rehabilitation Treatment Program (DOM), Consultation & Liaison, Substance Abuse clinic, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (CORE), Mental Health/Primary Care Integration, Community Living Center, Home Based Primary Care, resident and medical student teaching and research.
• Serves as a provider of psychiatric care as part of a inter-disciplinary team. This includes psychiatric examination and treatment, coordination of medical care with the Family Physician, Internist, Physician Assistant, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Nurse Practitioner, coordination of consultations, referral of patients, operation of quality assurance and utilization programs including peer reviews, open and closed medical record reviews and utilization reviews
• He/she focuses on the assessment/evaluation and medication management of veterans who suffer from a variety of mental health conditions, including, but not limited to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and other related conditions.
• Provides management of treatment of geriatric patients with disorders, including dementia, and mood disorders.
• Provides clinical assessment/evaluation of veterans with difficult and complex mental health issues, and then selecting from a variety of resources and clinical approaches including non-direct and cognitive behavior therapy, behavior modification, insight-oriented methods, family therapy, relaxation training, medication management, etc.
• He/She also provides comprehensive psychiatric treatment to patients assigned to primary providers in other services.
• As time permits, may participate in research projects. Depending on fluctuating staffing patterns and workloads, may be assigned to other programs within the Psychiatry Service.
• The Incumbent will follow all duties designed by the Chief of Psychiatry that could be changed within a reasonable time and within a psychiatric clinical setting being provided appropriate instructions and coordination

Work Schedule: M-F 8am-430pm (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).
Requirements
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.
• 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. 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 (Psychiatry) 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.
• Board Certified in Psychiatry: Physicians are generally not required to be board certified for employment in VA; however, three circumstances in VA require physician board certification: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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.

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: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, hands and legs, use of cranes and motor vehicles, walking & standing up to 8 hours, bending and climbing and able to hear whisper. The incumbent must be physically, emotionally and mentally stable in order to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or others.
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:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. 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.
3. 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.
Additional information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
Financial Disclosure Report:Not required
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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