VA Lead Pandemic Research Physician – VA Maryland Health Care System

Baltimore, Maryland, The incumbent will have dual responsibilities as a VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) clinician and as a national leader in pandemic preparedness and infectious disease clinical trials within the Veterans Health Administration. The incumbent will join a team of clinical trials experts who conduct scientific planning, development, and implementation of clinical research projects at the VA International Coordinating Center (VA ICC) of the INSIGHT international infectious diseases clinical trials network (INSIGHT:INSIGHT Home (insight-trials.org)). The VA ICC was established via a Memorandum of Understanding and an interagency agreement (IAA) between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that directs collaboration between the two agencies on infectious and immunologic diseases research. The VA ICC coordinates high-impact INSIGHT clinical trials conducted in the VA healthcare system. As a physician-scientist, the incumbent will focus half-time on clinical and medical aspects of trials conducted by the VA ICC and half-time as a clinician at the VAMHCS.
VA ICC efforts are led by the VA ICC Chair at VA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the VA ICC’s Associate Director through the VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) Coordinating Center (CC) at Perry Point/Baltimore.
The incumbent may be virtual with respect to the VA ICC responsibilities; the VA healthcare facility location where the incumbent practices will dictate the physical location of the position.
DUTY LOCATION:
Hybrid and Baltimore VAMC.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

The incumbent will collaboratively plan, develop, and direct complex scientific activities necessary to advance the VA ICC.
Incumbent participates in weekly study scientific, leadership, and operations calls with occasional in-person investigator meetings.
Incumbent serves on numerous scientific committees and is responsible for communicating research issues from and to the VA ICC participating centers.
Incumbent provides input for the design of research protocols and procedures.
Incumbent remains abreast of new findings in pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment modalities within the field of infectious diseases and the infections under study.
Incumbent monitors new and revised legislation, VHA directives, and mandates and guidelines from other agencies (e.g. FDA, CDC, NIH) that might affect VA ICC functions, research, or clinical care.
Incumbent collaborates with and represents VA as a leadership liaison to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and other networks engaged with VA in pandemic research.
Assists in the development of new and/or updates existing research policies and procedures based on new or modified regulations and mandates to maintain compliance.
Incumbent will aim to strengthen and improve a vital, funded infectious diseases clinical research program including establishing collaborations with other VA investigators and increasing collaborations with NIAID.
Incumbent will collaborate and help contribute to VA’s overall goals and objectives related to emerging infectious diseases and the ongoing build out of a pandemic research preparedness infrastructure at the VA.
Incumbent will author, co-author, or otherwise contribute to written reports of work accomplished that are suitable for publication in appropriate scientific journals; and write research proposals of sufficient merit to be supported by VA Research Service funds or by other national granting agencies.
Incumbent will provide safe and excellent care to patients at a VA healthcare facility as directed by a supervisor.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: Clinical supervision will be by a VA healthcare facility leader, such as the Section Chief,   Infectious Diseases or the Chief, Medical Care Clinical Center.   Supervision for the VA ICC role   will be by the VA ICC Chair.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Current license to practice medicine in a U.S. state or territory and ability to be credentialed and privileged to practice medicine in a VA healthcare facility. Expertise in clinical research on COVID-19 or other infectious diseases is desirable but not necessary.   Current board certification in infectious diseases desirable but not necessary.
AGE, DEVELOPMENT, AND CULTURAL NEEDS OF PATIENTS REQUIREMENT: Culturally literate, experienced in providing care for a diverse adult patient population. Demonstrates successful past work with patients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds by race, ethnicity, sex, age, gender identity, education and training, religion and other characteristics not mentioned here.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: 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, or
Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

COMPUTER SECURITY REQUIREMENT: May work with anonymized research data on Veterans and non-Veterans.   Trained in data and information privacy, security, and HIPAA regulations related to clinical care and research.
BENEFITS:
Recruitment or Relocation Incentive: Recruitment/Relocation may be authorized for highly qualified applicants.
EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan reimbursement program.
Pay:   Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off:   50-55 days of annual paid time offer 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) CME:   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
MORE ABOUT THE AREA:
The VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) is a Level I tertiary multi campus teaching facility affiliated with the University of Maryland – School of Medicine and over 100 educational institutions. The VAMHCS is located in Baltimore, MD just off the Chesapeake Bay, about an hour’s drive north of Washington, D.C., and two hours south of Philadelphia. Award-winning dining is not hard to find, and cultural offerings include an internationally recognized symphony orchestra and art museums with works ranging from ancient to current-day artists. Baltimore also has a variety of performance venues, including the historic Hippodrome Theatre, a former vaudeville palace. The local arts scene reaches a mass audience during Artscape, an annual outdoor event that bills itself as the area’s largest free arts festival. Support for Baltimore’s professional sports teams bring residents together. Even on chilly winter afternoons or humid summer evenings, locals fill M&T Bank Stadium to cheer on the NFL’s Ravens and flock to Camden Yards to root for the MLB’s Orioles.

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