Physician - Home Based Primary Care - Chico

Veterans Health Administration • Chico, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Physician serves as the attending physician for a panel of 100–125 patients in the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) program and acts as the clinical leader of an interprofessional team that includes a social worker, nurse case manager, occupational therapist, dietitian, and psychologist. The physician sees patients face to face in their homes, supplemented by video and telephone visits. Residents and other learners may rotate through the HBPC service, and the physician provides formal or informal education to other team members as needed.

The position is part of the Northern California Healthcare System, which serves veterans across Northern to Central California through 13 care facilities and 10 community-based outpatient clinics. The system’s Hospice and Palliative Care Section provides consultations in hospital and outpatient settings and operates a 16-bed inpatient hospice unit.

The role is based in the Chico area. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an alternative compressed nine-hour tour available that provides every other Friday off. The job requires driving long distances, sometimes over 100 miles, and sitting in a vehicle. The position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. No Physician Employment Contract is required, and there is no significant restriction on moonlighting.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Doctor of medicine or equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved or accredited medical school.
• 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 board-certification eligibility, or an approved alternative training and independent-practice pathway described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Must pass required TB testing and immunization evaluations and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must meet pre-employment requirements, including applicable background/security investigation and onboarding steps.
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing.
• Ability to meet the role's physical requirements, including visual acuity, hearing, clear speech, manual dexterity, and potentially extended periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing; transferring patients and objects may be required.
• Must be able to work effectively in stressful situations, shift priorities based on patient needs, and respond appropriately to potentially combative patients and exposure-control requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in home care, geriatrics, and/or palliative care.

Responsibilities

• Serve as attending physician for a panel of 100–125 patients.
• Act as the clinical leader of the interprofessional HBPC team, including a social worker, nurse case manager, occupational therapist, dietitian, and psychologist.
• See patients face to face in their homes, supplemented by video and telephone visits.
• Provide formal or informal education to other team members as needed.
• Participate in the HBPC service, which may include residents and other learners rotating through.

Benefits

• Sign-on recruitment incentive of up to 25% of salary for eligible candidates.
• Education Debt Reduction Program student-loan reimbursement of up to $200,000, at up to $40,000 per year for one to five years, subject to eligibility and program approval.
• 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 federal holidays, and possible five-day paid CME absence.
• 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 programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible CME reimbursement of $1,000 per year for full-time physicians with board certification.
• Free liability protection with tail coverage.
• No significant restriction on moonlighting.

What This Job Offers

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