Physician (Ophthalmologist)

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

We are seeking an Ophthalmologist to join our team in Columbia, MO. At the VA, your work will carry purpose as you provide care to Veterans while enjoying strong federal benefits and stability.

ABOUT HARRY S. TRUMAN VA MEDICAL CENTER, COLUMBIA, MO:

• Truman VA is 120 miles from St. Louis and Kansas City and 30 miles from Jefferson City.
• We have 1,600 staff, provide care for 40,000 Veterans, and the VHA hospital complexity level is 1c.
• Truman VA operates 8 Community-Based Outpatient Clinics.
• Truman VA offers training in nursing, psychology, audiology, social work, dietetics, pharmacy, chaplaincy, health care administration, and optometry, as well as residency training in all major medical and surgical Subspecialties.
• Truman VA is a referral center for heart care services including open heart surgery.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact visn15edrp@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
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
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Ophthalmologist DUTIES:

• Make preliminary diagnosis, direct, prescribe or provide treatment. Arrange for specialized care or patient referral as required.
• Training and familiarity with diagnosis and state-of-the-art management of patients with comprehensive ophthalmic disorders.
• Provide comprehensive ophthalmology care including prevention, health maintenance, early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up services to patients.
• Conduct outpatient clinics, review patients' medications, diet, course of therapy, adherence to management plan and patient observations. Modify management plan as indicated, and instruct and counsel patients as required.
• Performs ophthalmologic procedures on patients including consultation, and ophthalmic care to correct or treat various conditions, illnesses and injuries.
• Perform and supervise retinal laser procedures in the laser room; perform surgical ophthalmologic surgical interventions.
• Document services through appropriate notes, such as History and Physical, Progress notes, and Procedure notes.
• Serves as a consultant to primary care physicians and accept referrals and outpatient consultations from other providers.
• Function in a teaching capacity by educating others (patients, staff, Health Professional Trainees (HPTs)) in the assessment, treatment, management and evaluation of ophthalmologic disorders.
• Refer patients as appropriate; working closely with allied health professionals. Participate in the Surgical Department Quality Assurance and Peer Review programs.
• Attend required staff meetings, communicating up and down the chain of command and helping prepare heads-up and issue briefs related to adverse patient outcomes at the direction of the Section Chief.
• Clinical Management including indirect patient care: open encounter and open consult maintenance, CPRS documentation requirements. Maintains involvement in matters concerning clinic productivity, relevant performance measures, Quality and Patient Safety oversight, as well as process improvements.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Section Chief, Chief of Surgery, and/or clinical leadership to meet the needs of the organization.

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.

Preferred Experience: Board certification in Ophthalmology preferred; board eligibility accepted. Candidate will be expected to supervise Ophthalmology residents and will be expected to meet ACGME eligibility requirements as it relates to supervision of Ophthalmology residents.

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

Physical Requirements: This position requires a pre-employment physical. 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. Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Far visions correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other. 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.