Non-Invasive Cardiologist Practice Opportunity

The Augusta VA Health Care System is a 1-b, two-division Medical Center that provides tertiary care in the medicine, surgery, neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, and spinal cord injury. The Medical Center is affiliated with Augusta University, Augusta, GA and as such integrates teaching of Cardiology Fellow, Residents, and Medical Students, research, and advanced patient care, making it an attractive academic medical center. This facility offers a full spectrum of comprehensive health care services, using state-of-the-art technology and innovative programs, as well as education and research benefits.

The Non-Invasive Cardiologist duties focus on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many different heart and blood vessel conditions, including but not limited to coronary artery disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, valvopathies, acute coronary syndromes, unstable angina, non-ST myocardial infarction, ST elevation myocardial infarction, chronic stable angina, heart arrhythmia, peripheral arterial disease, and congestive heart failure.

The Non-Invasive Cardiologist provides a broad range of inpatient and outpatient Cardiology services. The incumbent will share in responsibility for staffing inpatient teaching rounds, inpatient consultation, and outpatient clinic and for taking afterhours call with four other Cardiologists. Candidate will apply national and VA guidelines to patient screening, surveillance, and management of cardiovascular diseases. Position requires candidate to work as an attending physician, responsible for supervising assigned Cardiology nurse practitioners, Cardiology Fellows, medical students, and residents rotating on cardiology services.

In addition, the incumbent will share overall responsibility for diagnostic studies such as echocardiography (including transthoracic and transesophageal), exercise and pharmacologic stress testing, event monitor and ECG interpretations, diagnosis, and management of arrhythmias.

Work Hours: 8am-4:30pm Monday-Friday

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive is authorized for this position

Education loan repayment is available through our Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). Participation is based on funds availability.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

An effective Non-Invasive Cardiologist must have the following:

• The incumbent must be a Board Eligible/Board Certified Cardiologist preferably with expertise in managing and treating congestive heart failure patients.

• Skills in the performance, supervision, and interpretation of advanced cardiac imaging studies, including nuclear cardiology, transthoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiography are highly desired.

• Level III trained in echocardiography.

• Experience in supervision of trainees.

• The candidate must be qualified and eligible for an academic appointment at the level of Clinical Assistant Professor at Augusta University School of Medicine. Eligibility for an academic appointment includes satisfactory completion of Cardiology fellowship training and board certification or eligibility to take the ABIM boards in cardiovascular disease.

• Ability to function in a multidisciplinary team including advanced practice practitioner (NP/PA), Pharmacy Providers, Nursing and Social Work/Case Managers.

The successful candidate possesses excellent clinical skills, is a strong communicator and brings demonstrated people skills, care coordination and organizational management. The incumbent is expected to be committed to an interdisciplinary approach to patient care delivery.

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 Federal holidays with pay annually
• 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

Augusta is a two-division Medical Center that provides tertiary care in medicine, surgery, neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, and spinal cord injury. The Downtown Division is authorized 155 beds (58 medicine, 37 surgery, and 60 spinal cord injury). The Uptown Division, located approximately three miles away, is authorized 285 beds (68 psychiatry, 60 domiciliary, 15 blind rehabilitation and a 142-bed Restorative Care Center comprised of 132 nursing home care beds and 40 rehabilitation beds).

Through the Joint Venture for Shared Services agreement with Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Army surgeons perform neurosurgery at the Augusta VAMC for both VA patients and DoD beneficiaries. In addition, Cardio-thoracic surgery is performed at Eisenhower Army Medical Center for VA and DoD patients by Army surgeons. The Joint Venture for Shared Services provides for the cost-effective sharing of resources between these two federal health care facilities.

The medical center enjoys a strong affiliation with the Medical College of Georgia. The Augusta VAMC provides medical and allied health training to an average of more than 1000 students and residents annually. Additional health training affiliations exist with 50 academic institutions.