Join Our Team as a Non-invasive Cardiologist at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Austin, TX

The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) is excited to announce an exceptional opportunity for a dedicated Non-invasive Cardiologist to join our team on a full-time, permanent basis in Austin, Texas. This role is integral to our specialty cardiology clinic, where the successful candidate will play a key part in delivering high-quality care to our veterans.

Key Responsibilities: In this position, you will engage in a variety of cardiology services, primarily focusing on specialty clinic duties in Austin. Your responsibilities will encompass all modalities of echocardiography, including performing and interpreting transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE). Additionally, you will be involved in EKG and event monitor interpretation, as well as conducting various types of stress testing. Weekend call duties will be based at our inpatient location in Temple, Texas, providing opportunities for collaboration with residents and fellows in a vibrant learning environment. Occasional assignments at other CTVHCS locations may also be required.

Preferred Qualifications: We are seeking candidates who are board certified or eligible in Cardiovascular Disease with a focus on non-invasive cardiology. Experience working closely with residents and fellows is highly preferred, as is board certification in echocardiography.

Working Conditions: This role offers a Monday through Friday schedule from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with flexibility for extended hours and occasional weekend work as needed. Successful candidates must be willing to accommodate irregular hours and potentially be transferred to other related services or locations.

Compensation and Benefits: At CTVHCS, we offer a competitive salary range between $270,000 and $348,000, alongside an annual performance bonus and regular salary increases. Our generous Paid Time Off package includes 50-55 days of annual leave, comprising 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays, plus the possibility of a 5-day paid absence for Continuing Medical Education (CME).

Additional benefits include:

• Recruitment Incentive: May be authorized.
• A traditional federal pension with a 5-year vesting period, accompanied by a federal 401K with up to 5% contributions from the VA.
• Comprehensive insurance options for health, vision, dental, life, and long-term care, many of which can be carried into retirement.
• A reimbursement of up to $1,000 per year for CME expenses for full-time board-certified specialists.
• Malpractice coverage with tail coverage provided at no cost.
• Flexibility without significant restrictions on moonlighting.
• Licensing Requirements: Applicants must possess one full and unrestricted medical license from any U.S. state or territory.

Location Insight: Austin, the capital of Texas, is a dynamic city situated on the eastern edge of the American Southwest. Known for its rich history dating back to the 1830s, Austin has evolved into a vibrant cultural hub that offers a unique blend of urban and outdoor lifestyles. Named after Stephen F. Austin, the “Father of Texas,” the city is renowned for its live music scene, excellent restaurants, and welcoming community.

Contact Us: For more information about this exciting opportunity, please reach out to Corina Sanchez, Physician & Provider Recruiter, at Corina.Sanchez@va.gov.

We look forward to welcoming a new Non-invasive Cardiologist into our Central Texas Veterans Health Care System team, where you can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our veterans while enjoying the charm and vibrancy of Austin, TX.

The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS), accredited by the Joint Commission, is comprised of two large Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers located in Temple and Waco, a large stand-alone outpatient clinic in Austin, four community based outpatient clinics located in Brownwood, Bryan/College Station, Cedar Park, and Palestine plus a rural outreach clinic in La Grange.

The system is one of the largest integrated health care systems in the United States and provides a full range of services including medical, surgical, psychiatric, and rehabilitation with inpatient medical/surgical hospital beds, a hospice unit, and community living center (CLC) beds.  Located on its Waco campus, CTVHCS has one of the largest inpatient psychiatric facilities and one of only 12 Blind Rehabilitation Centers in the country. CTVHCS serves a Veteran population of more than 252,000, covers 35,243 square miles and 11 congressional districts in 39 counties.

In fiscal year (FY) 2013, CTVHCS treated 98,242 Veteran unique patients and recorded 8,925 inpatient admissions. Outpatient workload totaled 1,120,995 visits. CTVHCS collaborates with Fort Hood, the largest military base in the world with the biggest troop commitment to Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). CTVHCS provides transitional medical services and conducts PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) research -- the signature illnesses of these conflicts.

CTVHCS has affiliation agreements with Texas A&M College of Medicine/Baylor-Scott and White Healthcare System, the University of Texas Southwestern/Seton Healthcare Network, and the Texas Department of State Health Services. More than 250 Residents and Fellows are trained annually at CTHVCS, plus more than 150 medical students per year. For the 2013 school year, CTVHCS received authorization for 100 graduate medical education slots for residents and fellows. CTVHCS has 113 separate affiliation agreements across the country with over 217 training programs—with the majority in Associated Health Programs; i.e., nursing, physician assistants, psychology, radiology techs, social workers, and more—resulting in just over 1,500 trainees per year completing the programs. We have added totally new training programs in Infectious Disease, Endocrinology, Preventive Medicine, ENT, Cardiology, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Orthopedics, Pathology, Radiology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. As well as added additional positions in Pulmonary, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, Family Medicine, and Neurology. Of the 343 CTVHCS medical staff, 168 have faculty appointments with Texas A&M College of Medicine.

The main CTVHCS Campus is at the Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center in Temple, Texas. On the Temple Campus is a full-service, 189-bed teaching hospital that serves as the medical/surgical referral center for all CTVHCS campuses as well as providing outpatient services to Veterans across the 32-county service catchment area. Also located at the Temple Campus is a 262-bed domiciliary, a new 80-bed Community Living Center (CLC) which includes a 20-bed hospice unit, and an 8-bed Trauma Recovery Unit. A 160-bed State Veterans Home also resides on the Temple Campus grounds as well as an $11.5 million VA Research Institute which attracts world-class researchers to the Central Texas area. A new cardiac cauterization suite was completed in the summer of 2013 and is now operational.

Research Service at CTVHCS supports the national goal of advancing medical research programs that address Veterans' needs. CTVHCS participates in research supported by the VA Office of Research and Development, as well as from external sources such as Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, non-profit foundations, and pharmaceutical companies. Forty-three principal investigators work on more than 131 active human, animal, or safety studies at CTVHCS. CTVHCS received a full 5-year accreditation by The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) effective September 9, 2011. In FY07, the total research expenditures for R&D Committee approved projects were $2.05 million. In FY13, the total increased to $8.06 million, which is a four-fold increase over the last seven fiscal years.

CTVHCS has affiliation agreements with Texas A&M College of Medicine/Scott and White, The University of Texas Southwestern Austin/Seton Healthcare Network, and the Texas Department of Health. More than 200 Residents and Fellows are trained annually at CTHVCS, plus more than 150 medical students per year. Over recent years, CTVHCS received authorization for additional graduate medical education residents, creating a total of 75 slots for residents and fellows in 2012. CTVHCS has 102 separate affiliation agreements across the country with over 200 training programs—with the majority in Associated Health Programs; i.e., nursing, physician assistants, psychology, radiology techs, social workers, and more—resulting in just over 1,500 trainees per year completing the programs. Of the 343 CTVHCS medical staff, 168 have faculty appointments with Texas A&M College of Medicine. Clinics

In addition to our main facilities in Temple and Waco, we have an outpatient clinic in Austin and the Temple Annex PACT Clinic. We offer services at the LaGrange VA Outreach Clinic and in four community-based outpatient clinics. These clinics are located in: Brownwood Bryan-College Station Cedar Park Palestine

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 Federal holidays with pay annually
• 5 Days paid absence to attend approved CME courses

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA) Lifetime Healthcare Insurance options available
• Dental & Vision: Our insurance options also include exceptional vision and dental plans (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• VA employees have the option to use Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use tax-free dollars to pay for medical, dental, and vision care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance plan
• Term life insurance, family, and additional coverage options are available with the cost shared by the Federal Government
• Long-term care insurance is available as an option

Federal Retirement Plan:

• VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan composed of 1) Social Security benefits, 2) FERS-RAE basic benefits (pension), and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 12.2% of the employee’s salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 16.6% of the employee’s salary
• Similar to the 401(k) savings plans widely available in the private sector, the TSP allows employees to tax defer a portion of their income each year, subject to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service. For calendar year 2020, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $19,500, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $25,500.
• The Federal Government also provides an automatic basic contribution (1% of salary) and up to 4% of salary in matching contributions, depending on the amount of the employee contribution
• For retired military personnel, these benefits are in addition to full monthly retirement pay or pension
• In addition to FERS, VA provides health care insurance coverage for retired personnel
• Disability Retirement
• Employees are vested in a federal pension after only 5 years service