Staff Physician/Anesthesiologist

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. 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.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be offered to highly qualified candidates. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact visn15edrp@va.gov, 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 The Staff Physician (Anesthesiologist) provides professional anesthesiology services to patients at VA St. Louis Health Care System The responsibilities include preoperative evaluation, intraoperative anesthesia, postoperative care, and acute pain management. The physician will work in accordance with the facility's policies, procedures, and guidelines. Duties and Responsibilities: Preoperative Evaluation: Conduct thorough preoperative assessments including obtaining patients' medical histories, performing physical examinations, Order and interpret necessary preoperative tests and investigations. Develop individualized anesthesia care plans suited to the patient's clinical needs and procedural requirements and reviewing diagnostic tests and lab results. Determine risk factors and plan anesthesia care. lntraoperative Anesthesia: Administer anesthesia (general, regional, local) to patients undergoing surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures. Anesthesia Administration Administer various types of anesthesia, including general, regional, local, and sedation, based on the nature of the procedure and patient-specific factors. Monitor patients during procedures, adjusting anesthetics as necessary. Utilize a range of techniques such as inhalation agents, intravenous medication, nerve blocks, and spinal or epidural anesthesia. Implement and follow safety protocols to minimize the risk of adverse reactions and complications. Postoperative Care: Provide postoperative care to ensure patients safely recover from anesthesia. Manage pain and address any complications that may arise. Oversee the recovery of patients from anesthesia in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Assess and manage postoperative pain using multimodal analgesia techniques. Address postoperative complications related to anesthesia, such as nausea, vomiting, delirium, or respiratory issues. Pain Management: Assess and manage acute and chronic pain in patients. Devise and implement pain management plans. Critical Care: Provide anesthesiology services in critical care environments, including intensive care units (ICU). Manage critically ill patients, addressing issues related to ventilation, hemodynamic instability, and multi-organ support. Cardiac Anesthesia: Provide anesthesia care alone and/or with nurse anesthetists, and/or with student nurse anesthetists and anesthesia residents. Administrative duties include participation in hospital committees, academic presentations, and participation in M and M, and Performance Improvement activities. Provide anesthesia care to all Cardiac Cases, Structural Heart Procedures and perform Intra-op TEE (TEE certification recommended) Education and Training: Participate in the education and training of medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals. Provide mentorship and guidance as appropriate. Quality Improvement: Engage in continuous quality improvement processes. Participate in departmental or facility committees to improve patient care and services. Anesthesia Administration: Administer various types of anesthesia, including general, regional, local, and sedation, based on the nature of the procedure and patient-specific factors. Utilize a range of techniques such as inhalation agents, intravenous medication, nerve blocks, and spinal or epidural anesthesia. Implement and follow safety protocols to minimize the risk of adverse reactions and complications. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Some Weekends, Holidays, and Cardiac On Call required.

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.