Physician (Home Based Primary Care Medical Director)

Veterans Health Administration • Vancouver, WA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Physician serves as the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Medical Director for the VA Portland Health Care System. HBPC is a long-term care program that provides longitudinal, comprehensive, interdisciplinary primary care in Veterans’ homes for people with complex, chronic, and disabling diseases. The position combines clinical and administrative duties and includes maintaining a patient panel, with direct and indirect care proportionate to clinically mapped FTE and other clinical duties. Patient visits require entering Veterans’ homes.

The role includes program oversight across HBPC locations in Washington and Oregon, including periodic site visits that may require daytime and overnight travel away from the primary work station. The physician may drive a government vehicle for patient and site visits and participates in nighttime and weekend call rotation in the Community Living Center. The position requires board certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in the specialty or subspecialty indicated in the announcement.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time, with varying hours. The position is based within the VA Portland Health Care System, which has facilities in Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington, and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. It is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or an 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 program leading to eligibility for board certification, or an applicable alternative training and practice pathway specified in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Board certification by ABMS or AOA in the specialty or subspecialty indicated in the announcement.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Valid driver’s license and proof of insurability; the position requires driving a government vehicle.
• Pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Successful completion of required background/security investigation and onboarding; applicants tentatively selected for testing-designated positions are subject to pre-employment urinalysis.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Complete all application requirements in the announcement’s Required Documents section.

Nice To Haves

• Five years of experience providing Home-Based Primary Care services or Primary Care services.
• Preference for candidates board-certified in internal medicine, family medicine, and/or geriatric medicine.

Responsibilities

• Participate in developing, maintaining, and implementing HBPC performance plans and continuous performance-improvement activities in collaboration with the HBPC Program Director.
• Supervise HBPC Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialists as directed.
• Direct education and research programs relevant to HBPC.
• Provide clinical input and oversight for Patient Treatment Plans unless delegated to an HBPC team physician.
• Develop collaborative partnerships with institutional stakeholders, including Primary Care, Pharmacy, Nutrition and Food Services, and Social Work.
• Collaborate with Rehabilitation and Long Care Division leadership to help achieve institutional goals.
• Monitor and report HBPC performance metrics, including patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, staff productivity, and visit-completion metrics, in accordance with local and national VA standards.
• Conduct periodic site visits to oversee program operations at HBPC locations in Washington and Oregon; visits may require daytime and overnight travel.
• Drive a government vehicle to patient visits and/or site visits as needed.
• Maintain an HBPC patient panel and provide direct and indirect patient care proportionate to clinically mapped FTE and other clinical duties.
• Conduct patient visits in Veterans’ homes.
• Participate in the nighttime and weekend call rotation in the Community Living Center.
• Perform other duties as directed or assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and program approval, with an award of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, including 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays, and possible five-day paid absence for continuing medical education.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible $1,000 per year continuing medical education reimbursement for full-time, board-certified physicians.
• 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