Primary Care Physician - Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder

Summary

The Iowa City VAHCS is seeking a Full-Time, Primary Care Physician - Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder to join the Rehabilitation and Extended Care Service Line at the VAMC Iowa City IA. Note: This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT through December 2, 2026. The first referral cut-off is September 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST, with monthly cut-offs on the 1st. Applications received after each cut-off will be reviewed as needed until the position is filled.

Duties

• The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Duties may include, but are not limited to: The Staff Physician, Spinal Cord Injury Service is responsible for care of Veterans with acute and chronic SCI in a collaborative interdisciplinary environment for clinical care of outpatients and inpatients, consultative services, providing education to patients, families and caregivers. Participates in accreditation meetings or surveys as needed. Support all VA and SCI/D Service policies and procedures. May participate in Quality Management activities. May be required to lecture or make presentations on SCI-related topics to other SCI staff or other services. Perform specialty procedures as delineated in their clinical privileges. This provider will also serve Veterans with limb loss, completing initial evaluations and providing ongoing follow up care. SCI/D and amputee training must be completed in a timely manner after employment through our SCI/D Center in Minneapolis if not current and must be maintained according to the current relevant directive. This physician will act as the SCI/D Spoke PACT and provide primary care and consultative services including inpatient consults throughout the facility for eligible Veterans with SCI/D. SCI/D Spoke PACT staff is responsible for all enrolled Veterans with SCI/D in the facility's designated catchment area (that is, all Veterans who live closer to the SCI/D Spoke PACT facility than any other VA medical facility). Physicians will work with the SCI/D Center and Hub teams to provide SCI/D appropriate care to those Veterans. Primary care providers in the outpatient setting are typically assigned a panel of patients to manage. Panel size is determined by the SCI/D Directive Guidelines (VHA Directive 1176(2) or current SCI/D directive). Panel size will reflect the complexity of caring for Veterans with SCI/D, increased frequency and duration of appointments, case management responsibilities, required inpatient consultative services, coordinative care with the designated SCI/D Center, and telehealth care. This physician will be primarily responsible for management of the panel of spinal cord injury patients but may be extended to other duties as needed. Typically, these duties are designated at the time of joining but occasionally during employment, participation in special projects pertinent to the assigned section may be necessary. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) MAY be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval, award amount (up to $200,000), and 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 are ineligible to apply. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular s…

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. 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. 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 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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. Exceptions: 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 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. In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: Physicians will be required to obtain SCI/D training consistent with the VHA Directive 1176(2) (or current SCI/D Directive) if this is not current at time of employment. Physicians must be board certified or board eligible in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine. Preferred Experience: Outpatient primary care experience with…

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.