Summary

The Birmingham VA Health Care System is recruiting for a Physician (Psychiatrist) in the Psychiatry section of Mental Health Service located at the Huntsville VA Clinic. Mental Health Service provides outpatient mental health services to Veterans and their families. Mental Health Services also include inpatient consultation to medical and surgical floors and the emergency room.

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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds)
• Light Carrying (under 15 pounds)
• Walking (up to 1 hour)
• Standing (up to 1 hour)
• Hearing aid permitted
• Ability to perform rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• hearing (aid permitted)
• emotional/mental stability.

Duties

• VA Birmingham health care operates a comprehensive behavioral health program
• We are a regional center of excellence for Veteran-focused mental health care
• Ask a care coordinator about treatment options suited to your unique needs
• The Behavioral Health Department offers both inpatient and outpatient services - including telehealth appointments
• We provide consultation - evaluation - and treatment for a variety of issues impacting emotional well-being
• Our services include: Psychiatry Psychology Services for Veterans who are homeless Treatment for addictive disorders - including residential rehabilitation treatment programs Transition and care management for returning Veterans (OIF/OEF/OND) VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment) Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program
• You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment
• Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application
• Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply
• Learn more
• Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• 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 Duties include - but are not limited to: Providing general clinical psychiatric and addiction services to Veterans - in a variety of locations and modalities including scheduled face to face - walk in - on-call - and Video Teleconferencing (CVT - VVC) services to include Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC's) locations outside assigned duty station
• The population served is not limited to a single location or clinic
• These duties include general psychiatric and addiction care of adult Veterans and may include - but are not limited to - conducting diagnostic evaluations - psychiatric consults - medication management (including medication assisted treatment and detoxification) - and both individual and group psychotherapy
• Provision of enhanced biological treatments such as TMS may be required - if such treatments are available
• The Psychiatrist may be expected to provide direct clinical consultation to multi-disciplinary staff - some at multiple sites - as appropriate
• Consultation liaison services for Birmingham VA Medical Center inpatients and Emergency Room (ER) patients as assigned by the supervisor if employee is located in the Birmingham area
• Back-up video or telephone consultation liaison services for Birmingham VA Medical Center inpatients to in-house mental health providers - Emergency Room (ER) patients or staff while on call
• Work Schedule: Primarily 8:00 a.m
• - 4:30 p.m
• Monday - Friday
• Alternate or compressed schedules may be available
• Night and Weekend back-up rotational on call shared with other providers - for a limited number of times a year
• Telework: Ad-hoc Telework schedule is limited to VA regulations in limited situations and subject to approval by the Mental Health Service Chief.