Psychiatrist

JOB TITLE:

Psychiatrist

JOB LOCATION:

Loma Linda, CA

JOB TYPE:

Contract

JOB DESCRIPTION:

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND CLINICAL DUTIES

Contract psychiatrist physician (s) performance shall be monitored clinically by the Chief of Psychiatry (or designee), who will be an employee of the VALLHS Behavioral Health Service and will receive regular reports updating on the quality of clinical and administrative services provided by contract psychiatrist physician (s). Contract psychiatry physician (s) shall openly consult with the VA’s designated leads regarding complex situations and ethical and legal matters. The contract psychiatrist physician (s) shall provide direct and indirect services to eligible Veterans including clinical assessments, treatment, and determining priorities requiring independent judgment, improving organizational and communication skills, and shall utilize an interdisciplinary approach in the provision of these services. Contract psychiatrist physician (s) workstation shall be located at the VALLHS main hospital campus or when necessary, a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).

Contract psychiatrist physician (s) shall practice independently, using professional judgement and expertise in rendering clinical decisions provided to Veterans. The contract psychiatry physician (s) shall provide clinical assessments, diagnoses, medication management, crisis intervention, be effective in managing psychiatric emergencies (e.g., assessments for potential psychiatric hospitalization), and other therapeutic treatments (e.g., psychotherapy interventions), as needed in inpatient or outpatient settings, including the Emergency Department (ED) at VALLHS.

• Performs psychiatric evaluations for a diverse population, including geriatric and post deployment combat Veterans, who are mentally ill and have psychosocial issues such as homelessness, unemployment, and poor family support network.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including diagnostic assessment, medication evaluation and management, suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, and overall care of patients with psychiatric disorders.
• Ensures practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with The Joint Commission (TJC), CARF, HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPPA), VA policies and procedures, clinical practice guidelines, national statutes and regulations, medical record documentation, and mandatory continuing education.
• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
• The Psychiatry Physician may serve as a mental health team leader with responsibilities for coordinating consults and triage of specialty clinic referrals.
• Participates effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences and collaborates with multidisciplinary team members that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care.
• Orders diagnostic tests and consultations and discriminates between normal and abnormal findings and makes appropriate treatment decisions.
• May participate in supervision and teaching in support of the psychiatric residency program, performs on call duties, and performs other directly related duties as assigned.
• Areas which the psychiatry physician (s) is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice may include depression, anxiety, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings (outpatient, inpatient, ED, and through VA Video Connect).
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Contract psychiatrist physician (s) shall meet the following qualifying criteria. 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

• 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.
• Contractor shall furnish services at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System 11201 Benton Street, Loma Linda, CA 92357 to include Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

SCHEDULE:

Normal working hours are defined as 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Normal weekly requirements per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) shall be 40 hours.

Payment for coverage shall be for actual hours worked (at VALLHS), to include off-site within the greater Los Angeles area).

Listed below are the ten national holidays:

• New Year’s Day January 01
• Martin Luther King’s Birthday Third Monday in January
• President’s Day Third Monday in February
• Memorial Day Last Monday in May
• Juneteenth Day June 19
• Independence Day July 04
• Labor Day First Monday in September
• Columbus Day Second Monday in October
• Veterans Day November 11
• Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November
• Christmas Day December 25

Note: When one of the holidays falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be observed as a national holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a national holiday by U.S. Government Agencies. Also, included would be any day specifically declared by the President of the United States of America as a national holiday.

COMPENSATION:

$160 per hour