Summary

The physician provides direct clinical and administrative oversight for nuclear medicine radiologist and other clinical staff as assigned. Works with the Chief, Radiology Service and other staff as appropriate, supports operations issues resolution in a logical, step-wise fashion. Participates in a forum in which staff identifies, communicate, and resolve issues related to Radiology Service, Medical Center ancillary and support operations, and VISN-wide mandates.

Duties

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Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified candidates

Telework: Eligible up to 100%

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

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide direct clinical and administrative oversight for nuclear medicine radiologist and other clinical staff as assigned. Clinically and administratively oversee a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine section performing both diagnostic and theragnostic procedures
• Work directly with Chief, Radiology Service to assist in ensuring adequate and appropriate staffing and scheduling of diagnostic and theragnostic nuclear medicine procedures. Participate in training and support of nuclear medicine physicians and technical staff.
• Plan for the provision of care, including adequate personnel, diagnostic equipment, and supplies to ensure availability of those procedures which are appropriate to the needs of the facility. Provide timely patient care with acceptable turnaround times. Ensure equitable nuclear medicine physician duty assignments. Provide professional oversight to the nuclear medicine technologists. Maintain an acceptable level of personal clinical productivity. Plan for the provision of care, including adequate personnel, diagnostic equipment, and supplies to ensure availability of those procedures which are appropriate to the needs of the facility. Provide timely patient care with acceptable turnaround times. Ensure equitable nuclear medicine physician duty assignments. Provide professional oversight to the nuclear medicine technologists. Maintain an acceptable level of personal clinical productivity.
• Develop and monitor activities which improve patient safety, performance, and quality. Maintain a safe radiation environment. Ensure patient privacy and confidentiality of patient medical information. Ensure accurate CPT coding. Ensure compliance with all internal and external quality and radiation safety requirements, to include those of federal statues, VA policies/directives, The Joint Commission, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), National Health Physics Program (NHPP) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Represent the Nuclear Medicine Section, and Imaging Service during accreditation, inspection, or investigational surveys in regard to Nuclear Medicine.
• Provide technical expertise input for Nuclear Medicine equipment and contracts. Participate in business planning, supply/equipment acquisition, manpower and budget management for Nuclear Medicine. Represent Nuclear Medicine on hospital committees as appropriate.
• Time will be allotted to administrative duties as assigned by the Radiology Service Chief. When not on administrative duty, the Nuclear Medicine Section Chief will participate in clinical imaging practice including but not limited to: all standard Nuclear Medicine imaging exams including PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and Standard Nuclear therapies and procedures as well as diagnostic imaging including MRI, CT, US, and diagnostic procedures.
• Participate as a representative for Radiology Service at multi-disciplinary conferences
• Modality Specific Protocolling
• Participates in general Radiology call pool as assigned

Work Schedule: 8:00AM-4:30PM, Monday- Friday

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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 examination.
• 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.

Qualifications

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 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.

Preferred Experience:

• Board Certified or eligible in Diagnostic Radiology by the American Board of Radiology
• Board Certified or Eligible in Nuclear Medicine by the American Board of Nuclear Medicine or American Board of Radiology
• Authorized user status with Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Proficient in general diagnostic radiologist capabilities

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Heavy Lifting (45 lbs. and over); Heavy Carrying (45 lbs. and over); Straight Pulling (up to 4 hours); Pushing (1 - 2 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 8 hours); Standing (up to 8 hours); Repeated bending (up to 4 hour); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Hearing (aid permitted).

Education

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.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. 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.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.