Summary
Under the administrative direction of the Assistant Chief, Mental Health and Behavioral Science Service, and clinical direction of the Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health, the Chief, Psychiatry, will oversee many aspects of mental health resource utilization, such as use of psychotropic medications for outpatient and inpatient mental health care; telemedicine support development, deployment of decision support systems, etc.
Duties
Review operations and assist with implementation of policies and procedures related to mental health medication management, services and resources; collaborate and participate with institution leadership and Utilization Management staff regarding patients who are "high utilizers" of the Emergency Department and the inpatient behavioral health unit, as well as patients with lengths of stay greater than 7 days to determine appropriate placement and psychopharmacology interventions. Perform Psychiatry Quality of Care audits to ensure timely and accurate evaluations; facilitate meetings with staff psychiatrists to provide specific feedback. Participate in local process development team efforts to assess and improve processes of care and psychiatric services; develop and present continuing medical education and training materials; research and revise evidence-based psychiatry practice guidelines; analyze and report psychiatric practice and performance trends at least quarterly, and function as the subject matter expert, participate in staff meetings and workgroups to ensure proper treatment protocols and standards are maintained. He/She is responsible for the continuing management of assigned patients, this includes psychiatric examination and treatment; coordination of medical care with the Psychiatrists, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Social Worker, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Psychiatry Residents assigned to MH&BSS; coordination of consults; referral of patients; and operation of quality management and utilization programs including peer reviews, open and closed medical record reviews and utilization reviews. The incumbent also serves as the Medical Director for the outpatient psychiatric care and assists with oversight of the Inpatient Psychiatric services. Related responsibilities include:; provide administrative supervision of medical staff; collaboration with the Mental Health Nurse Manager to ensure patient care is conducted in a timely manner working cohesively with an interdisciplinary team to mitigate variances and medically unnecessary extended lengths of stay; serve as a representative for in-patient Mental Health services on various Medical Center committees; serving as the back-up Physician Utilization Management Advisor for Mental Health; arranging ongoing student education and oversight of the Psychiatry Resident program; collaboration with the Emergency Department to expedite admissions and transfer sub-acute patients to the most appropriate unit and level of care. Required to take on-call psychiatrist assignments per rotation as assigned. An essential element is active knowledge of the medical record system (CPRS). This shall include using the computerized medical record system for progress notes, orders, and medical record review and completion of such records in a complete and timely manner. Supervision of physician assistants and ARNPs is a part of physician responsibility. This shall include annual review of performance with submission of a written report, which summarizes the clinical performance of the individuals(s) directly supervised by him/her. The incumbent reports to the Assistant Chief, Mental Health Service. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): An incentive is authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): PCS is authorized EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], 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
Requirements
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.
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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. 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.
How you will be evaluated
Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.