Chief of Staff Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inpatient and Outpatient

Job Description

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inpatient and Outpatient Programs

The physician will have, or soon to have, an academic appointment at Associate Professor or Professor level.

1.    The ability to collaborate successfully with academic partners at the University of Pennsylvania, specifically Penn Medicine, the Perelman School of Medicine, and Penn PM&R, in the areas of           education of resident and fellow trainees, and collaborative research, inclusive of supporting and expanding the research mission at both institutions.
2.    The successful candidate should bring a strong track record of research experience and publication success.  Candidates with success in getting external VA or NIH research funding are     highly preferred.  They should possess well-developed knowledge and aptitude for managing research projects and of mentoring others as they develop their research—residents, medical  students, and fellows.

• Providing supervision for physicians and other providers who care for inpatients in acute medicine/surgery, acute psychiatry, rehabilitation, skilled nursing and residential treatment with rehabilitation-relevant diagnoses and need for physiatrist care.

• Providing both primary and consulting outpatient supervision of care for patients with specific diagnoses/needs inclusive of physical and occupational therapies, amputee program, spinal cord injury program, chronic pain management program and electrodiagnostic (EMG) clinic as well as the array of programs relevant to Whole Health/Complementary and Integrative Health such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage treatment and hypnosis; provide inpatient consult coverage as needed.

PM&R Administrative Responsibilities
The candidate must meet the criterion for appointment to the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania at the level of Associate Professor or higher and be a recognized leader in their field as a clinician, educator, and researcher/clinical investigator. The position oversees all Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inpatient and Outpatient Programs offered by our level 1B major teaching facility. The candidate will ensure a fertile environment for PM&R faculty who conduct research at the VA and lead our efforts to expand our scholarly investigation at the VA.

• Oversees staff associated with rehabilitation programs.
1. Provides professional & administrative supervision.
2. Provides clinical supervision broadly in the major subspecialty areas of rehabilitation including neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, oncologic, neuromuscular, and loss of limb.

• Ensures the delivery of PM&R services effectively during administrative hours.
1. Reviews complaints and compliments about PM&RS staff and their practice and works with patient advocates and congressional liaisons with the goal to optimize patient safety and resolve.

1. Validates and consults regarding labor mapping and outpatient clinic profiles for PM&R staff.

1. Disseminates information pertinent to PM&R practice at the facility.

1. Develops clinical screening processes that support timely scheduling of patients.
• Writes, modifies, and /or reviews PM&R program policies and procedures.

• Make decisions regarding resolution of difficult problems when required.

• Assesses and executes the most efficient deployment of staff
• Participates in recruiting qualified physicians, therapists and other clinicians, as well as administrative staff.
• Participates in the oversight of facility PM&RS clinical privileging/scope of practice processes, and peer review processes.

Participates in credentialing and privileging of PM&R providers and licensed independent practitioners.

Other significant responsibilities include being the physiatry consultant for the development of VISN 4 eastern market programs such as Gerofit, and VISN 4-wide programs such as those developed within the Clinical Resource HUB that are relevant to rehabilitation.

Appointed Vice Chief of PM& R services at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ability to collaborate successfully with academic partners at the University of Pennsylvania, specifically Penn Medicine, the Perelman School of Medicine, and Penn PM&R, in the areas of education of resident and fellow trainees, and collaborative research, inclusive of supporting and expanding the research mission at both institutions. The successful candidate will collaborate with the Penn PM&R Chairperson in recruiting high quality faculty members who provide care at the VA and Penn. These faculty should further the missions of Penn Medicine and the Perelman School of Medicine as well as provide the highest quality care for veterans.

Eligible for Relocation, Retention and Recruitment Incentives.
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 restrictions on moonlighting

Work Schedule:  Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; to be determined.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive:  May be authorized to highly qualified individuals

Requirements

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.

• You may be required to serve a probationary period. 

• Subject to background/security investigation.

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

• 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). 

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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 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 Physiatrist
Preferred Experience:  The physician will have, or soon to have, an academic appointment at Associate Professor or Professor level.

Reference:  VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Physical Requirements:  In Accordance With VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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, 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.]

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 paid Federal holidays per year
• 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