About the Organization
>Our Mission Statement
The mission of the Philadelphia VA Medical Center is to honor Americas Veterans with world-class health care, train their future providers and advance medical knowledge through research.
>About Our Medical Center
The Philadelphia VA Medical Center provides health care to Veterans living in Americas fifth-largest metropolitan area, including the city of Philadelphia and six surrounding counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. The Philadelphia VAMC is part of the VA Healthcare Network - VISN4 and serves as an acute referral center for VA health care facilities in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Southern New Jersey.
The facility is staffed by more than 2,000 employees and supports 145 acute care beds and a 135-bed nursing home known as the Philadelphia Veterans Community Living Center. Philadelphia VAMC also operates community-based outpatient clinics in Fort Dix, NJ, Gloucester County, NJ, Camden, NJ, and Horsham, PA (Victor J. Saracini VA Outpatient Clinic).
More than 90,000 Veterans are enrolled for health care at PVAMC, with nearly 60,000 receiving care in 2009. The Medical Center has an operating budget of more than $380 million and focuses on several mission areas: providing health care, conducting medical research, training health care professionals of the future, and being prepared to serve in the event of a crisis or emergency.
Affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and numerous other allied health schools and colleges, the Philadelphia VA Medical Center offers comprehensive surgical, medical and psychiatric care to include special emphasis programs, alcohol and drug dependence treatment, and rehabilitative care.
The Philadelphia VA Medical Center has the distinction of being awarded several National Research Centers of Excellence including Parkinsons Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC); Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC); Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP); Center of Excellence for Substance Abuse Treatment and Education (CESATE) and Regional Sleep Center. Philadelphia VAMC is one of 21 Polytrauma Rehabilitation network sites and is home to the National Center for Homelessness among Veterans.
>Why choose VA?
VA strives to offer our employees a better quality of life, both on the job and off, in return for their dedication to providing Veterans with exceptional patient care. We do so through competitive salaries, a robust Federal benefits package that begins on your first day of employment, flexible schedules, and one of the most comprehensive education support programs in the Nation.
>What Can VA Offer Me?
VA needs special people to help us maintain our tradition of excellence. We know that we'll have to compete with other employers to attract them. We also know that our kind of people become more valuable over time. And, to keep them with us we have to offer them a truly superior compensation and benefits package.
>What's So Special About Working for VA?
How does unmatched control over your own life and career path sound? We're simply the most flexible, diverse, and family-friendly employer there is. When you work for VA, you'll be entitled to a lifetime's worth of opportunities, benefits, and satisfactions. You'll be doing a job that's truly worthwhile, and you'll have a myriad of choices and options you can't find anywhere else. At VA, we take care of our employees as well as we take care of our Veterans. We offer competitive pay and a truly superior array of benefits for you and your family. Your goals will be our goals, and your family will become part of our family. We're the best at what we do, because our people make us the best. We value each and every one of them, and we show them our appreciation in all sorts of exciting and tangible ways.
>We offer our VA employees generous vacation and personal leave, including:
13 to 26 days of paid annual (vacation/personal) leave, depending on their profession (Annual leave begins to accrue immediately and can be used as it is earned.)
13 days of sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
10 paid Federal holidays
The Family and Medical Leave Act and the Family Friendly Leave Act allow employees to balance their work and family lives by taking reasonable amounts of leave for medical reasons, for the birth or adoption/foster care of a child, and for the care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health problem
The Voluntary Leave Transfer Program allows Federal employees to donate annual leave to other Federal employees who are experiencing a medical emergency
Up to 15 days a year for authorized military leave for active reservists and National Guard members
VA offers a robust benefits package that is unmatched in the private sector. For travel positions, benefits may vary based on the length and type of appointment you accept. Read more to learn about our employment benefits:
>Coverage Options:
Our employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose, including exceptional vision and dental plans
For all of our health insurance plans, premiums are partially paid by the Federal Government, and employees have the opportunity to change plans annually
Our 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
>Liability Protection:
As Federal employees, our health care professionals are protected by the Federal Government in instances of alleged malpractice or negligence resulting from the performance of their duties in, or for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The United States Government accepts responsibility and liability for its employees' negligent or wrongful acts or omissions during the exercise of their official duties. This applies when employees' actions are in accordance with the policies of the institution in which they are practicing.
>Life Insurance:
The Government-wide Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program offers a variety of affordable coverage and benefits amounts, and VA pays one-third of the cost of your basic life insurance premium.
In addition to the Basic coverage, there are three forms of optional insurance available (Standard, Additional, and Family).
Unlike many life insurance packages in the private sector, your FEGLI life insurance may be eligible to be carried into your retirement.
>Long-Term Care Insurance:
Our long-term care insurance plan enables you to plan ahead for health care coverage you could need years from now. Long-Term Care Insurance offers comprehensive coverage if you become unable to care for yourself. This coverage helps pay for nursing home care, assisted living facility care, home health care, hospice care, respite care, and other long-term care services.
>Mobility:
Sometimes life calls for a change of venue, and VA is prepared to answer the call. With more than 1,400 VA facilities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, our medical professionals have the opportunity to make that change easily. And, only one active, unrestricted state license is required to work in any VA facility. When our employees decide to relocate, they may seek employment at any location with a vacancy, and if hired, transfer with no loss of benefits and no re-licensing required.
>Federal Retirement Plan:
VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tier retirement plan composed of Social Security benefits, FERS basic benefits, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). 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.
The Government automatically contributes 1 percent of your salary with additional matching contributions up to a total of 5 percent. If you will be age 50 or older during 2012, you may also contribute up to $5,500 in additional catch-up contributions if you expect to reach the $17,000 limit in 2012.
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.
>Flexible Retirement Plan:
As a VA employee, you are part of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Under FERS, you are eligible for monthly retirement benefits after just 5 years of Federal service. This retirement system is portable. If you leave Federal employment, the Social Security component carries over to your new employment.
>Disability Retirement:
If you become disabled and have at least 18 months of service, you may be entitled to long-term disability benefits. VA will also work hard to accommodate any handicapping condition to promote your success as a productive member of our workforce.