Physician - Geriatrics
Job Description
Job Description
Physician - Geriatrics – Exciting opportunity in the scenic Tucson, Arizona
Position Overview:
Our organization is in search of a Board-Certified or Board-Eligible Geriatrician to become part of the Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) Service Line. This role is essential for providing top-notch, evidence-based inpatient geriatric care to Veterans while promoting initiatives that foster age-friendly hospital environments.
The chosen Geriatrician will report to the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Geriatrics and Extended Care, delivering clinical support for both the Inpatient Geriatric Consultation Service and the Inpatient Hip Fracture Program.
Key Responsibilities:
- Deliver inpatient geriatric consultation services for Veterans with intricate medical, cognitive, and functional requirements.
- Act as a primary clinician for the Inpatient Hip Fracture Program, facilitating co-management and interdisciplinary care for older Veterans experiencing fragility fractures.
- Perform thorough geriatric assessments that cover:
- Delirium, dementia, and other cognitive disorders
- Falls, gait instability, and mobility challenges
- Polypharmacy and the use of high-risk medications
- Frailty, functional decline, and sarcopenia
- Goals of care, advance care planning, and capacity evaluations
- Engage in interdisciplinary rounds alongside hospital medicine, orthopedic surgery, nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation services, social work, and case management.
- Assist in ensuring safe transitions of care, including discharge planning and coordination with outpatient and home-based services.
- Contribute to quality improvement, patient safety, and age-friendly health system initiatives within the organization.
- Participate in the education and training of trainees and interdisciplinary staff as needed.
- Ensure compliance with VA documentation, performance metrics, and clinical practice standards.
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. No evening, weekend, or holiday shifts required.
Qualifications:
- Must be a United States Citizen.
- Non-U.S. Citizens may be considered if qualified U.S. candidates are unavailable, in line with VA Policy.
- Possess a Doctor of Medicine degree or an equivalent qualification from an accredited medical or osteopathic institution.
- Hold a current, unrestricted medical or surgical license valid in all U.S. states.
- Successfully completed residency training in the United States.
- Board certification in Geriatrics is required.
Preferred Experience:
- Experience in providing inpatient geriatric consultation.
- Clinical background in managing hospitalized older adults with delirium, frailty, multimorbidity, and post-operative complications.
- Interest or experience in hip fracture co-management programs.
- Comfortable working within interdisciplinary, team-oriented inpatient care settings.
The Tucson VA Medical Center is a 295-bed facility that offers training, primary care, and specialized health services across various medical fields for eligible Veterans. It serves as the ‘Flagship’ for the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, catering to over 170,000 Veterans across eight counties in Southern Arizona, which includes the medical center in Tucson and seven Community-Based Outpatient Clinics.
Benefits Overview:
We provide a comprehensive total rewards package, including:
- Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified candidates.
- Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Approved.
- Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): This position qualifies for EDRP, a reimbursement program for student loans. Specific eligibility criteria must be met according to VHA policy, and applications should be submitted within four months of starting. Approval, award amounts (up to $200,000), and eligibility periods (one to five years) will be determined after a thorough review of the application.
- Compensation: Annual salary ranging from $265,000 to $315,000, including performance bonuses and regular salary increases.
- Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid leave annually (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays, and potentially 5 days for CME).
- Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and a federal 401K with up to 5% contributions from the organization.
- Insurance: Comprehensive federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance (many federal programs can be continued into retirement).
- Licensure: One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. state or territory.
- CME: Possible reimbursement of $1,000 per year (must be full-time with board certification).
- Malpractice: Liability protection with tail coverage provided at no cost.
- Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restrictions on moonlighting.