Psychiatrist

Key Responsibilities

• Provide onsite psychiatry physician services to eligible Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiaries at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and/or assigned Community-Based Outpatient Clinics.

• Deliver inpatient psychiatry care in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Mental Health staff, including ward coverage, admissions, diagnosis, development of treatment plans, timely treatment management, discharge or transfer, and required medical record documentation.

• Deliver outpatient psychiatry care, including new patient referrals with accompanying medical records, evaluation disposition electronic consultations, post-discharge follow-up, and care for severely mentally ill patients.

• Ensure patients are seen within required timeframes, including provider evaluation within 30 days where specified by the contract.

• Operate scheduled clinics; remain physically present, available, and on time during assigned clinic hours; and sign in and out as required for time and attendance verification.

• Provide approximately 6 to 6.5 bookable patient hours per day, including a mix of one-hour and one-half-hour appointments as scheduled.

• Support monthly mental health emergency coverage scheduling and work with Veterans Affairs staff to maintain continuity of care.

• Provide professional psychiatry expertise for peer review of selected cases, including tort claims, patient family complaints, mental health case reviews, peer reviews, and benefit appeals.

• Follow all established medication policies and procedures. No sample medications may be provided to patients.

• Provide discharge education and follow-up instructions that are coordinated with the next care setting for emergency department patients.

• Ensure mechanisms are in place to communicate test results to patients in accordance with Veterans Health Administration requirements.

• Document care completely, accurately, and timely in the Veterans Affairs electronic health record system in accordance with Veterans Health Administration health information management requirements and facility guidelines.

• Protect patient information and comply with Privacy Act, confidentiality, release-of-information, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements. Do not release records outside the Department of Veterans Affairs without authorization.

• Participate in continuous quality improvement activities, committee participation, quality management and performance improvement documentation, staff meetings, program staff meetings, and town halls as required.

• Follow all established patient safety and infection control standards of care; prevent medication errors, falls, and patient injury where possible.

• Document patient safety incidents in the medical record, disclose as required to the patient or surrogate, notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative within 24 hours, and enter the Veterans Affairs Patient Safety Reporting System.

• Maintain current licensure, registration, board status, continuing medical education, required testing and immunizations, and mandatory training with no lapse in status.

• Practice only within approved clinical privileges and scope of practice, and comply with medical staff bylaws, rules, and regulations.

• Do not refer Department of Veterans Affairs patients to the contractor’s or the physician’s own practice.

• Completes required organizational compliance education, including assigned requirements that are client-specified, for Joint Commission Healthcare Staffing Services certification or other regulatory bodies.