Physician - Pulmonologist (Critical Care Intensivist)

Veterans Health Administration | Fresno, CA

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Posted Date 3/26/2025
Description This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.**This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 26th, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be Monday, March 31, 2025, with subsequent cut-off dates every 2 weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.**

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 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)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

The Staff Physician in the Pulmonary/Critical Care Section in Medicine Service of the Veterans Affairs Central California Health Care System (VACCHCS) is responsible for all aspects of pulmonary and critical care to veteran patients. The incumbent is involved in clinical, educational, and research programs which will involve the supervision and teaching of fellows and residents through the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program. The Staff Pulmonologist will participate in quality assurance/performance measures, research development, and maintaining internal/external organizational liaisons. The incumbent is responsible for participating in a variety of meetings and/or committees within and related to the Medicine Service, facility-wide committees, VISN 21, and our university affiliate UCSF Fresno. The Staff Pulmonologist will have a faculty appointment with UCSF Fresno. The Pulmonologist physician is board-certified in Internal Medicine (ABIM), and Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine.

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
  • Provides care for the full spectrum of pulmonary disorders, is comprised of general and subspecialty pulmonary disorders clinics, inpatient consultative services.
  • Practices independently, using professional judgment and expertise to make decisions about services and treatment provided to veterans and their significant others/family members. Incumbent is given authority to make his/her own work assignments within the program area to which assigned.
  • Consults with the Chief Pulmonologist and the Chief of Medicine as needed and with colleagues to develop knowledge and apply agency policies and practices to new matters. His/her work is reviewed for technical adequacy and conformance with procedures and practices applicable to the subject.
  • Uses initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, and proposed new policies.
  • Practices at an advanced level and independently gathers relevant information to guide practice.
  • Participates and is responsible for ongoing professional performance evaluations in collaboration with the Chief of medicine service (e.g. Ongoing Professional Evaluations (OPPE), Focused Professional Practice Evaluations (FPPE), etc.).
  • Coordinates the clinical care of the medicine patients and collaborate with the other service(s) on the care of their patients.
  • Facilitates communication among primary care physicians, hospitalists, specialists, patients and their families.
  • Provides inpatient consultations and attending responsibilities in pulmonary/critical care/sleep medicine and bronchoscopic procedures in appropriate cases; conduct general pulmonary/sleep outpatient clinics.
  • Responsible for appropriate documentation of clinic notes, consultations and procedures using the computerized patient record; and performing routine/emergency diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
  • Admits, examines, treats, transfers and discharges patients referred to your service that require inpatient care and when appropriate - Perform daily rounds on all assigned inpatients and write daily progress notes.
  • May perform other duties as assigned/required.
To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

Basic Requirements:
  • United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR
    [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR
    (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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.
    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 or fee-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.
  • Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Additional Requirement:
  • Board Certified or Board Eligible in Internal Medicine (ABIM), and Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine.
  • Current BLS provider card issued by American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN).
  • Current Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) provider card.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements:
  • Applicants must meet physical standards for the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. This is a designated drug testing position. After appointment, you will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Requires lifting 15-44 pounds; pushing (approx. 2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers and both hands; walking and standing from 3-5 hours and kneeling. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors. Hearing aid is permitted.
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 course of study was completed. Approved schools are:
  1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
  2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
  3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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.
Salary310,000.00 - 350,000.00 Annual

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