Physician (Interventional Cardiologist)

Summary The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVACHS) is seeking to add a full-time interventional cardiologist to our Cardiology Division located in the wonderful city of Tucson, Arizona. SAVAHCS is the principal teaching affiliate of the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy; medical students, residents, and fellows rotate at the facility. Therefore, the selected candidate must also be eligible for an appointment with the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Responsibilities The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVACHS) is seeking to add a full-time interventional cardiologist to our Cardiology Division. Commitment to excellence in patient care and an interest in teaching are essential. A record of contribution to the scientific literature is preferred, as is a willingness to participate in clinical trials. The facility is performing Watchman procedures and is planning to start TAVR procedures in the last quarter of 2024, so this opportunity extends to candidates with expertise in structural interventions. Interest in participating in a call rotation for pulmonary emboli interventions is welcomed. The Tucson VA is a tertiary care facility providing a full range of clinical services including complex coronary angioplasty, electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, Mohs surgery and neurosurgery. It has been a flagship quality provider within the VA and was a 2012 winner of the prestigious Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award. We are in a growth area for the VA. Consequently, the VA is open to significant capital investment in our facility; a hybrid OR is in use and planning is underway to add another outpatient clinic building. The successful candidate will enjoy the security of VA salary funding, the generous federal benefits package, our lovely southwestern climate, the professional advantages of academic affiliation, and a medium size city with the cultural enrichments of a major university. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): may be approved for highly qualified candidates. 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) 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 SAVACHS is the principal teaching affiliate of the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Candidates must be eligible for a faculty appointment with the University of Arizona commensurate with clinical experience and academic achievement to facilitate teaching of medical students, residents and fellows. All our division members participate in outpatient clinic services including fellows clinic and in the inpatient consult service. Our hospitalist service reduces the demands of in-patient care on our subspecialty divisions. There is an opportunity to participate in interpretation of cardiac ultrasound, cardiac CT and cardiac MR, depending upon training and interest. The incumbent is expected to actively participate in quality improvement activities and comply with rules and regulations of the agency, facility and department. The incumbent will also support a satisfactory process for supervision and training of fellows, residents and medical students from University of Arizona College of Medicine rotating through the Cardiology Division. Like all cardiology division members, the candidate must maintain American Heart Association BLS and ACLS certification. A commitment to compliance with VA and SAVAHCS regulatory requirements is expected. Investigators with VA Merit Review Awards are afforded up to thirty-five percent protected time for research. Work Schedule: Full-time, Permanent, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm 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. Preferred Experience: Board certification in Cardiovascular Disease and in Interventional Cardiology Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Must be able to physically and mentally perform the duties in a hospital setting under normal and emergent conditions. Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; straight pulling/pushing up to 1 hour per day; reaching above shoulder; both hands required; standing up to 4 hours; kneeling up to 1 hours per day; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; 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: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or 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. 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. 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. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.