Pathologist

Staff Pathologist Needed at VA Pittsburgh Medical Center

The Pittsburgh VA Health Care System (VAPHS) Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) is seeking multiple highly motivated AP/CP Board-Certified or Board-Eligible Pathologists. Applicants should have a strong background and recent experience in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. Preference will be given to those applicants with subspecialty training in gastrointestinal pathology, genitourinary/renal pathology and ENT pathology. . Applicants must also be eligible for an academic appointment with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Faculty track and academic rank will be determined based upon qualifications and experience.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Performing surgical pathology gross, microscopic, and final diagnosis rendering along with coding of surgical reports with pathology in rotation with other pathologists. Surgical pathology receives biopsies, small specimens, skin specimens, and complex resection cases in genitourinary and gastrointestinal systems, biopsies and small surgical cases from orthopedics, podiatry, and ENT services.
• Provide intraoperative consultation to surgical services
• Perform fine needle aspiration biopsies, provide diagnoses in rapid onsite evaluation for CT guided and EBUS guided fine needle aspiration biopsies, provide diagnoses on gynecologic and non-gynecologic cytology specimens.
• Perform autopsies with pathology trainees.
• Participate in prospective peer review and retrospective review of 10% cases when needed.
• Perform review and interpretation of serum and urine protein electrophoresis.
• Additional responsibilities may include oversight of a section of the laboratory, providing clinical consultation services and oversight of the QA/QI of the department.
• Participate on hospital/departmental committees and hospital/departmental conferences as needed.
• Ensure compliance with federal statutes, VA directive and policies and The Joint Commission and New Employee Orientation standards.
• Supervision of pathology trainees in surgical pathology and clinical pathology.
• Teaching of rotating medical students, pathology residents on regular basis and clinical fellows and laboratory technical staff as needed.
• Provide consultation to Medical Center and laboratory staff in matters of test utilizations, technical and result interpretation.

Work Schedule:  Tour of duty is standard daylight hours, Monday through Friday; however, weekend and evening hours may occur when Veteran needs arise.
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

Pittsburgh Highlights:

• Family-friendly city with low cost of living and affordable housing in green, beautiful neighborhoods
• Abundant historical/cultural sites and events including the Carnegie Museums (Art, Natural History, Science, and Andy Warhol), a multitude of other visual/performing arts institutions, and a lively music scene featuring local, national, and international stars.
• Plenty of outdoor activities with green parks for hiking/biking (Schenley Park, Frick Park, and Highland Park) and rivers for canoeing and kayaking.
• If you are a sports fan, Pittsburgh is home to the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates professional teams.  
• Pittsburgh International Airport for ease of travel to your other favorite destinations.

Interested candidates may responded with CVs:

Michael Hahn

Physician Recruitment

US Dept of Veterans Affairs

Pittsburgh VA Medical Center

(412) 689-2414

Michael.Hahn4@VA.gov

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 paid Federal holidays per year
• 5 Days paid absence to attend approved CME courses

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA) Lifetime Healthcare Insurance options available
• Dental & Vision: Our insurance options also include exceptional vision and dental plans (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• VA employees have the option to use Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use tax-free dollars to pay for medical, dental, and vision care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance plan
• Term life insurance, family, and additional coverage options are available with the cost shared by the Federal Government
• Long-term care insurance is available as an option

Federal Retirement Plan:

• VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan composed of 1) Social Security benefits, 2) FERS-RAE basic benefits (pension), and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 12.2% of the employee’s salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 16.6% of the employee’s salary
• Similar to the 401(k) savings plans widely available in the private sector, the TSP allows employees to tax defer a portion of their income each year, subject to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service. For calendar year 2020, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $19,500, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $25,500.
• The Federal Government also provides an automatic basic contribution (1% of salary) and up to 4% of salary in matching contributions, depending on the amount of the employee contribution
• For retired military personnel, these benefits are in addition to full monthly retirement pay or pension
• In addition to FERS, VA provides health care insurance coverage for retired personnel
• Disability Retirement
• Employees are vested in a federal pension after only 5 years service

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is an integrated healthcare system that proudly serves the Veteran population throughout the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. It is our mission to care for America’s Veterans and provide them with excellent health care.

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System consists of three divisions: a major medical and surgical tertiary care facility, a behavioral health facility, and a community living center and a Veterans recovery center, all complemented by five community based outpatient clinics.

The city of Pittsburgh has been repeatedly ranked as the most livable US city by such publications as The Economist, Places Rated Almanac, and Forbes Magazine. The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System offers a unique opportunity to practice in a leading US medical community within an affordable and thriving city.