Physician (Cardiology-Interventional)

Veterans Health Administration•Memphis, TN

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr., VAMC in Memphis, TN is recruiting for a full-time Interventional Cardiologist to serve as a Specialty Care physician. This role is accountable to the Chief of Specialty Care for ensuring the most effective delivery of state-of-the-art care by meeting or exceeding compliance standards. The position involves providing consultation on various cardiovascular disease states for diagnosis and treatment in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The physician will share attending call responsibilities, including nights, weekends, and holidays, with other cardiologists. A key aspect of the role is to co-direct a robust clinical program in structural heart disease and peripheral arterial intervention, with the potential to build and direct the structural program if appropriately credentialed. The physician will also lead and manage the Cardiology/Coronary Care Unit (CCU) team during inpatient service, which includes Cardiology fellows, Internal Medicine Residents, Medical students, Pharmacists, and Mid-level providers. Academic responsibilities include giving didactic lectures to Cardiology fellows and participating in journal reviews, Grand Rounds, conferences, and lectures. Administrative responsibility lies within the Cardiology section of the Cath Lab, reporting to the Chief of Medical Service. Clinical oversight and supervision will be provided by a collaborating and supervising physician, with consultations occurring via personal, telephone, or electronic means. Physician co-signature is required for admission history, physical examination, admission plan for new patients, and daily progress notes for established patients. Discharge notes and summaries will also be electronically co-signed. The role involves determining patient suitability for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with specific protocols for patients with multi-vessel coronary disease, proximal LAD involvement, left main, or ostial LAD lesions requiring PCI with surgical standby. Comprehensive patient care includes invasive, non-invasive, consultative, and inpatient/outpatient cardiology services. Specific procedural privileges and certifications required include Moderate Sedation, Fluoroscopy, central venous line insertion and management, intra-arterial lines insertion and management, EKG interpretation, holter monitor interpretation, use of thrombolytic agents, pericardiocentesis, arterial puncture, temporary transvenous pacemaker placement, intra-aortic balloon pump insertion and management, percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiac catheterization and angiography, peripheral arterial interventions, stress test interpretation, and the use of debulking devices such as CSI atherectomy, rotablator, and laser Angiojet. The physician will also be responsible for clinical assessment and evaluation of inpatients and outpatients, health care management of veteran patients with acute and chronic illnesses, ordering and interpreting diagnostic studies, consultations and referrals, patient follow-up, health promotion and disease prevention, patient/family/staff education and counseling, and clinical research. The position includes outpatient clinics for general and interventional cardiology patients and inpatient services including CCU and consultative services, with rounding alongside a team of trainees. Other duties as assigned will also be part of the role.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
Proficient in written and spoken English.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement.
May be required to serve a probationary period.
Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine.
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.
Completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Moderate Sedation Privileges and certification required.
Fluoroscopy privileges and certification.
Central venous line insertion and management.
Intra-arterial lines insertion and management.
Interpret EKGs.
Interpret holter monitors.
Use of thrombolytic agents.
Pericardiocentesis.
Arterial puncture.
Temporary trans venous pacemaker placement.
Intra-aortic balloon pump insertion and management.
Percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiac catheterization and angiography.
Peripheral arterial interventions.
Stress test interpretation.
Debulking devices including CSI atherectomy, rotablator, laser Angiojet for intervention for cardiovascular diseases.
Clinical assessment and evaluation - Inpatients and Outpatients.
Health care management of assigned veteran patients with acute and chronic illnesses.
Ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic studies.
Consultation and referrals; Inpatients and Outpatients.
Patient follow-up, as appropriate.
Health promotion and disease prevention.
Patient, family, and staff education and counseling.
Clinical research.
Outpatient Clinics for general and interventional Cardiology Patients.
Inpatient Services including CCU and consultative services, rounding with a team of Cardiology fellows, Internal Medicine Residents, Medical students, Pharmacists etc.
Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated.

Nice To Haves

Board certification may be required for faculty status in academic training programs.
Residency training approved by ACGME or AOA, or one year of post-medical school training followed by two years of independent practice, or non-US residency training followed by three years of verified independent practice in the US.
Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs) on an intermittent basis, provided they are fully licensed physicians and not using a training license.
Surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.

Responsibilities

Provide consultation on various forms of cardiovascular disease states for diagnosis and treatment in inpatient and outpatient settings.
Share attending call responsibilities, including nights, weekends, and holidays, with other cardiologists.
Co-direct clinical programs in structural heart disease and peripheral arterial intervention.
Build and direct the structural program if appropriately credentialed.
Lead and manage the Cardiology/Coronary Care Unit (CCU) team during inpatient service.
Give didactic lectures to Cardiology fellows and participate in academic activities.
Determine patients suitable for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Provide comprehensive patient care including invasive, non-invasive, consultative, and inpatient/outpatient cardiology services.
Perform procedures requiring Moderate Sedation, Fluoroscopy, central venous line insertion and management, intra-arterial lines insertion and management, EKG interpretation, holter monitor interpretation, use of thrombolytic agents, pericardiocentesis, arterial puncture, temporary transvenous pacemaker placement, intra-aortic balloon pump insertion and management, percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiac catheterization and angiography, peripheral arterial interventions, and stress test interpretation.
Utilize debulking devices including CSI atherectomy, rotablator, and laser Angiojet for intervention for cardiovascular diseases.
Conduct clinical assessment and evaluation of inpatients and outpatients.
Manage the health care of assigned veteran patients with acute and chronic illnesses.
Order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic studies.
Provide consultations and referrals for inpatients and outpatients.
Conduct patient follow-up as appropriate.
Engage in health promotion and disease prevention activities.
Provide patient, family, and staff education and counseling.
Participate in clinical research.
Conduct outpatient clinics for general and interventional Cardiology patients.
Provide inpatient services including CCU and consultative services, rounding with a team of trainees.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive salary
Annual performance bonus
Regular salary increases
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)
Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
Federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
No Physician Employment Contract
No significant restriction on moonlighting
Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement for CME (must be full-time with board certification)