Physician - Nephrologist

Veterans Health Administration•Little Rock, AR

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans' Hospital seeks applicants for a position as a full-time combined clinical nephrologist, clinician scientist, and clinical educator. In addition to the skillset of a clinical nephrologist, the applicant should have experience serving as principal investigator for large multicenter clinical trials and development of curriculum to serve the educational mission of training nephrology fellows. As a member of the Department, you will be expected to combine the clinical practice of a nephrologist with the analytical skills of a clinician scientist and educator. Duties included, but not limited to the following: Diagnose and manage kidney-related conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury (AKI), glomerulonephritis, and electrolyte imbalances in both hospital and clinic settings. Provide outpatient care to patients with kidney disease. Additionally, the applicant will be responsible for oversight of advanced practice nurses and nephrology fellows. Demonstrate technical competence in the application of point-of-care ultrasound including image acquisition, interpretation, and application of findings in patient management. Participate in nephrology section and service meetings monthly, quality assurance programs monthly and chart reviews of peers. Complete all medical record documentation within guidelines. Ensure correct billing code visits in accordance with coding guidelines. Completes CME as required to maintain competency in the Nephrology section and medical licensure. Completes HIPAA, Privacy and Security, and other mandatory VA training in a timely manner. Participate in administrative work assignments, including program building as assigned by the Section Chief of Nephrology and the Service Chief of Medicine. Serve as a local director of clinical trials related to nephrology. Oversee all clinical trials in the Section of Nephrology, including trials in which you are not the principal investigator (PI). Mentor junior clinician scientists in performance of clinical trials and investigator-led research. Be primary investigator (PI) on large, multicentered clinical trials, investigator led research, and local quality improvement projects. Apply for grant funding at the intramural and extramural levels. Show a strong record of publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts. Serve as a reviewer or a member of the editorial board for journals publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts. Serve in the educational mission to train nephrology fellows. Serve as site director for the nephrology fellowship at CAVHS. Serve as course director for education of nephrology fellows in the use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) at the bedside. Records of competency through performance of the techniques during nephrology fellowship training or training through a certified post-graduate course are required. Work to develop new and innovative curriculum for nephrology fellows and advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). Give invited lectures at the local, national, and international level.

Requirements

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.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
You 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.
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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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.
Exceptions: 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 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.
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.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Board certified in Internal Medicine
Board certified in Nephrology
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 degree was granted.
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Experience as a dialysis center director
Exceptional skills in critical care nephrology, especially with the use of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and modalities of anticoagulation during CRRT
Experience or training with the use of plasma exchange and aphaeresis techniques
At least 12 months of experience in performing administrative duties including coordination of care between physicians and nurses, review of adverse events, review and address patient experiences and complaints
Performance of ultrasound evaluation of kidneys, bedside echocardiogram, and arteriovenous fistula evaluation
At least 12 months of experience in teaching and education of trainees including medical students, residents, and nephrology fellows.
Previous history of employment in academic medicine and educational teaching experience of medical students, residents, and nephrology fellows is required
Previous experience as an investigator on a clinical trial

Responsibilities

Diagnose and manage kidney-related conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury (AKI), glomerulonephritis, and electrolyte imbalances in both hospital and clinic settings.
Provide outpatient care to patients with kidney disease.
Oversight of advanced practice nurses and nephrology fellows.
Demonstrate technical competence in the application of point-of-care ultrasound including image acquisition, interpretation, and application of findings in patient management.
Participate in nephrology section and service meetings monthly, quality assurance programs monthly and chart reviews of peers.
Complete all medical record documentation within guidelines.
Ensure correct billing code visits in accordance with coding guidelines.
Completes CME as required to maintain competency in the Nephrology section and medical licensure.
Completes HIPAA, Privacy and Security, and other mandatory VA training in a timely manner.
Participate in administrative work assignments, including program building as assigned by the Section Chief of Nephrology and the Service Chief of Medicine.
Serve as a local director of clinical trials related to nephrology.
Oversee all clinical trials in the Section of Nephrology, including trials in which you are not the principal investigator (PI).
Mentor junior clinician scientists in performance of clinical trials and investigator-led research.
Be primary investigator (PI) on large, multicentered clinical trials, investigator led research, and local quality improvement projects.
Apply for grant funding at the intramural and extramural levels.
Show a strong record of publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Serve as a reviewer or a member of the editorial board for journals publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Serve in the educational mission to train nephrology fellows.
Serve as site director for the nephrology fellowship at CAVHS.
Serve as course director for education of nephrology fellows in the use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) at the bedside.
Work to develop new and innovative curriculum for nephrology fellows and advanced practice registered nurses (APRN).
Give invited lectures at the local, national, and international level.

Benefits

Competitive salary
annual performance bonus
regular salary increases
50-55 days of paid 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) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting