Career Center

The Physician - Orthopedic Surgeon position is at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care Center in Temple, TX and is aligned in the Orthopedic Surgery Section within Surgical Service. The Orthopedist delivers surgical procedures in the operating room and clinical services in the Orthopedic Section. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. Education: 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. License: 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. Language: Proficiency in spoken and written English. PREFFERED EXPERIENCE: Board Certified or Board Eligible Operating Orthopedic Surgeon Experience providing medical opinions in medical specialty 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: Heavy lifting, reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands and legs required; and hearing (aid permitted). See VA Handbook and Directive 5019. ["This is an Open Continuous Announcement. Applications will be reviewed weekly or at the request of management. This announcement will remain open until filled or until closed at the request of management. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases\nPaid Time Off: 49-54 days of annual paid time offer per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 10 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)\nRetirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA\nInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)\nLicensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory\nCME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement\nMalpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided\nContract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting POSITION DUTIES Performs surgical operations, outpatient ambulatory surgical procedures and clinic duties, and outpatient and inpatient surgery consultations for new and established patients. Participates in ward/ICU rounds and any other relevant activities as necessary for initial and follow-up patient care. Follows each patient through the full continuum of care process to include admissions, discharges, performing histories and physicals when pre-surgical evaluation is not available, requesting and writing orders for diagnostic tests and procedures for pre-op, prior to surgery, and completing informed consents as required. Responsible for educating patients and family members. Participate in the rotation of on-call duties per on-call schedule; night, weekend and holiday call may be required. Adheres to policies and procedures regarding the completion of all required orders, operation/procedure notes/reports, discharge summaries, progress notes, clinical reminders, and all other required medical documentation. Ensures the most effective delivery of care, while meeting and exceeding compliance, Joint Commission and VA Central Office performance measure standards. Trains and provides supervision for medical students and residents in all aspects of their surgery rotations as required. CTVHCS is affiliated with Texas A&M Health Science Center, and applicants should be qualified for academic appointments. Transfers and receives external Veteran patients from other VA and non-VA facilities as appropriate. May be required to provide \"medical opinions\", \"internal and external\" peer reviews. Attends surgical staff meetings, complete all required Talent Management System (TMS), must complete all medical documentation in a timely manner as directed by the Veterans Health Administration and local CTVHCS policies. Adheres to and follows all VA policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure patient safety and ensure high quality of care is provided to Veterans. Orthopedist may also be required to perform special projects/duties as directed by the ACOS, Surgical Service, Orthopedic Section chief or Surgical Service Administrative Officer. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm or 8:00 am - 4:30 am"]