Physician - Intensivist

Veterans Health Administration • Fayetteville, AR

3d

About The Position

The Physician - Intensivist provides care for critically ill patients, including assessment, management, treatment, airway and ventilator management, and management of life-threatening illness and organ failure. The position includes daily ICU rounds, inpatient care at the Fayetteville campus, consultative care for surgical-service patients when requested, and after-hours responses to medical calls from the community living center, behavioral health, and intensive outpatient rehabilitation. The physician coordinates care transitions and works to manage length of stay while supporting quality, safety, and patient experience initiatives.

The role includes academic bedside rounds, with an interest in supervising and evaluating medical residents. The physician works with an interdisciplinary team and counsels Veterans and their families about goals of care and family communication, coordinating with Palliative Care as needed. Required procedures include endotracheal intubation, central and arterial line placement, bronchoscopy, chest tube insertion, PEG tube placement, thoracentesis, and paracentesis.

The physician is responsible for timely, detailed medical-record documentation and completion of patient encounters and orders. Electronic records and orders must be completed and signed before the end of each duty shift; transcribed documents and patient encounter notes must be signed or completed within 24 hours. The role also requires compliance with CPRS documentation procedures, local and national performance measures, established policies, performance goals, and consistent customer service. The physician must review Outlook and VISTA communications before the end of each duty shift.

The stated work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The position offers federal employee benefits and may be eligible for recruitment or relocation incentives and the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program and applicant eligibility requirements.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved or accredited institution.
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Completion of qualifying residency training in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification, or an allowed alternative pathway described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Selected applicants are subject to drug screening, background and security investigation, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Complete the required online onboarding and application requirements; provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Board-certified or board-eligible Intensivist.

Responsibilities

• Assess, manage, and treat critically ill patients, including airway and ventilator management.
• Manage life-threatening illness and organ failure.
• Manage patients efficiently, with attention to length of stay and care transitions.
• Champion inpatient initiatives to improve quality, safety, and patient experience.
• Conduct daily ICU rounds and coordinate patient care.
• Perform academic bedside rounds and supervise and evaluate medical residents.
• Perform patient histories and physical examinations upon hospital admission.
• Provide consultative management of surgical-service patients when requested.
• Respond to after-hours medical calls from the community living center, behavioral health, and intensive outpatient rehabilitation.
• Perform endotracheal intubation, central line placement, arterial line placement, bronchoscopy, chest tube insertion, PEG tube placement, thoracentesis, and paracentesis.
• Work with physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, clinical pharmacists, physical therapists, registered nurses, and support staff to treat Veterans.
• Provide care in inpatient wards, including at the Fayetteville campus.
• Counsel Veterans and families about goals of care and family communication, and coordinate with Palliative Care.
• Provide detailed, timely medical-record documentation and complete patient encounters, notes, orders, and signatures within required deadlines.
• Review Outlook and VISTA email communications before completing each duty shift.
• Follow established policies and processes, CPRS documentation procedures, local and national performance measures, and performance goals.
• Provide consistent customer service to patients, families, staff, and facility management.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan repayment, subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive (sign-on bonus) may be available for highly qualified applicants.
• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, paid federal holidays, and possible paid CME absence.
• Traditional federal pension after five years of vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible $1,000 per year CME reimbursement for full-time physicians with board certification.
• Free liability protection with tail coverage.
• No physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree