Gastroenterologist – Answer the Call to Care for our Veterans
Marion VA Health Care System – Marion, IL

You are invited to join the laid back collegial team at the Marion VA Medical Center where you’ll enjoy an excellent work/life balance and have quality time to spend with each of your patients. Procedures will include performing diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower endoscopy procedures, PEG placement, and esophageal dilation.  Clinical duties include diagnosing, treating and managing patients referred for management of GI disorders including liver disease, Hepatitis C, and liver transplants based on standard and customary methods and techniques in the outpatient setting.  You’ll have a mix of 10% inpatient and 90% outpatient and on the days you have the endoscopy suite, you’ll do 12-13 scopes per day.  Call is shared equally and there is no in-house call involved. 

The VA Medical Center is located in Marion, Illinois. The Marion VA Health Care System operates a Health Care Center in Evansville, Indiana and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Vincennes Indiana; Mt. Vernon, Harrisburg, Carbondale, and Effingham, Illinois; and Hanson, Owensboro, and Paducah, Kentucky. Veterans from 52 counties in southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky are served. Marion VAMC is located in the VA Heartland Network (VISN 15) and is a general medical and surgery facility which operates 55 acute care beds. It is a teaching hospital, providing a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology. Comprehensive healthcare is provided through primary care, specialty care and long-term care in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, geriatrics, and extended care. Additional specialty care is available by referral to other VA facilities or contracted facilities. The Community Living Center, a 60-bed nursing home facility, is operated on site. Services include extended care rehabilitation, psych-geriatric care, respite, palliative care and general nursing. The Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program facility is a 14-bed rehabilitation center with programs for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Use Disorders, Seriously Mentally Ill, and situational homelessness. 

The Marion VA's health care system is affiliated with Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine. The Dean's Committee functions as a part of the Affiliations Council. There are affiliations with SIU Radiological Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Nutrition and Food, and Psychology Departments. Affiliations also exist with the SIU Cardiology resident, Physician Assistant and first year medical student programs.

The Health Care System has Physician Assistant students from St. Louis University School of Medicine and academic affiliations with the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Midwestern College of Pharmacy. An affiliation also exists with the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at John A. Logan College.

Nursing academic affiliations are as follows: John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL - (PN and ADN); University of Southern Indiana (BSN); University of South Alabama (NP); Shawnee Community College (PN and ADN); Southeastern Illinois College (PN and ADN); McKendree College (BSN); SIU at Edwardsville (BSN, MSN); Southeast Missouri College (MSN); Murray State University (Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist); Marion High School (Nurse Aid and Health Occupations). Seventy to eighty nursing students rotate through the Marion VA Health Care System during a twelve-month period. 

The city of Marion is situated in beautiful southern Illinois – an area featuring logistic dynamics, world-class outdoor activities, workforce opportunities and renowned educational facilities. Marion delivers a hometown feel while obtaining steady growth and successful economic development. Marion is an affordable, convenient and friendly place to live.  Nicknamed “The Hub of the Universe,” Marion has become a magnet for industry, shopping and restaurants. With a historic downtown area offering unique shops, arts and entertainment and a historic library, Marion has successfully blended the old and the new. As the city has grown, careful planning has led to the creation of enterprise zones, industrial parks, TIF districts and, most recently, the development of Boulder Creek on the Hill. 

Marion’s location at the crossing of Interstate 57 and Route 13 make it an ideal location for restaurants and shops. In 2006, Walmart opened one of its largest retail stores in the nation in Marion. With the development of The Hill, a rapidly growing, 175-acre commercial business area, other large retailers like Menards opened in Marion. In 2012, several new restaurants and businesses started construction and growth is expected to continue.  Abundant attractions offer residents a wide variety of cultural, outdoor and sporting activities. The Links at Kokopelli Golf Club, designed by Steve Smyers, is an 18-hole course providing a quality golf experience along with dining and banquet facilities. Rent One Park, built in 2007, is home to the minor league baseball team, the Southern Illinois Miners, which is a member of the Frontier League. 

So, if you’re interested in caring for veterans while enjoying a work/life balance difficult to find in the private sector, this is an opportunity you need to check out.  For more information, Email your CV to Don Rainwater, National Recruitment Consultant at don.rainwater@va.gov.  Your inquiry will be held in confidence.

The VA offers benefits that are had to match in the private sector and include:

Paid Time Off:

• 26 days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave – you can carry over up to 86 days into a new year
• 13 days paid sick leave per year with unlimited carry over! Unused sick leave can be used to extend creditable service time at retirement! 
• 10 Paid federal holidays with pay
• Possible 5 Days paid Authorized Absence to attend CME

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• 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-FRAE basic benefits (pension); and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees hired after January 1, 2014 automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 8.3% of the employee's salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 12.7% of the employee's salary
• Like 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 2016, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $18,000, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $24,000
• 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