Physician – CHIO

Topeka, Kansas, Kansas, The Physician (Chief Health Informatics Officer) position establishes a formal informatics leadership presence at the facility level. The formal presence ensures that knowledge of informatics is infused throughout the VA EKHCS and that health information issues affecting the delivery of care are clearly articulated and raised appropriately for action. The focus of this position is to optimize effectiveness of patient care delivery and systems management in support of VHA mission and goals. 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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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. 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 or fee-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. Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience: Previous Informatics experience is preferred. Greater than 2 years creditable fulltime experience as a Health Informaticist. Experience using VISTA, CPRS, CHCS, AHLTA, or Cerner Electronic Health Records (EHR). Experience installing and implementing new EHR. Displayed knowledge of, and experience utilizing effective change management strategies to affect a qualitative or quantitative change. Preferred Additional Education: Master’s degree or higher in a related field with progressive leadership and project management experience. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Must be able to physically and mentally perform the duties of Physician under normal and emergent conditions. Moderate lifting 15-44 lbs and over with assistive devices, heavy carrying of 15-44 lbs and over with assistive devices; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers, both hands required, walking or standing up to 4 hours per day; repeated bending up to 1-2 hours per day; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination; near vision correctable; hearing aid permitted.

[“The aim of clinical informatics is to improve health care delivery processes and outcomes through effective use of information and knowledge. The clinician assigned as Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO) will use knowledge of patient care combined with the understanding of informatics concepts to achieve the following: assess information and knowledge needs of the health care professionals and patients; characterize, evaluate and refine clinical processes; develop, implement and refine clinical decision support systems; and participate in the procurement, customization, implementation, management, evaluation and continuous improvement of clinical information systems. At a minimum, the incumbent will perform the following eight core informatics functions: application support, business architecture management, enterprise data management, content management, system optimization, change management, requirements management, and partnership management. Scope: As the resident expert in clinical informatics and health IT, the CHIO serves as the primary advisor to the Medical Center Director, Chief of Staff, Deputy Director, Associate Director for Patient Care Services, Associate Director and other facility leaders. The CHIO is expected to be a strong agent for change and must demonstrate an ability to understand the needs of professional counterparts, for example, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, etc. In addition, the CHIO must demonstrate understanding of the VA EKHCS organizational structure and the role informatics plays within the organization. The CHIO must demonstrate a mastery of: Medical knowledge by being a clinician independently licensed in a State, Territory or the District of Columbia; The health care environment, including how business processes influence health care delivery and the flow of data among the major domains of the health care system; How information systems and processes enhance or compromise the decision making and actions of health care team members; Re-engineering health care processes; Fundamental information system concepts, including the life cycle of information systems, the constantly evolving capabilities of information technology and health care, and the technical and non-technical issues surrounding system implementation; How clinical information systems impact users and patients, how to support users and how to promote clinical adoption of systems; Leading organizational change, fostering collaboration, communicating effectively and managing large scale projects related to clinical information systems. PATIENT CARE Play key role in using the capability of the VA clinical information systems to assist practitioners in doing the right things for the right patients at the right time. Ensures adequate support to measurably improve the quality of data and the transfer of clinical information between providers. Ensures valid information is available to the patients and to their health care practitioner.

Coordinates the use of electronic health record software packages for the provision of quality clinical care as well as the use of clinical decision support tools to streamline the process of patient care and provide accurate date in a timely manner. Rational therapeutics within the Medical Center are assisted by this process. Ensure the VHA EHR operates in a way that improves patient care, ensures patient safety, and meets the needs of providers through continuous evaluation, testing, and improvement of the system. Conduct patient care/clinical duties at least 10% of the time to maintain clinical competencies. TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATICS Evaluates clinical computing systems; analyze and evaluate the effect of interventions on health outcomes. Enable healthcare capabilities and the evolution of technology adjoined to the EHR to deliver quality care by developing, implementing, monitoring, maintaining and optimizing informatics tools and access to them. Evaluate, document, analyze, prioritize, and recognize requirements for the improvement of the EHR and other systems in collaboration with the end-user. Expand and enhance patient access to patient information through the various initiatives, and further the effective and efficient use of medical information systems for patients. DATA WAREHOUSE Manage all aspects of VA EKHCS Data Warehouse including architecture, database structure, reporting services, training and education and utilization. Effectively create, integrate, disseminate and manage data for all enterprise applications, processes and entities requiring timely and accurate data delivery.

Use VA EKHCS Data Warehouse to provide data to management for strategic and operative planning and employ such data to guide management decisions. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm. ”]

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