Chief of Medicine

The Chief of Medicine Service reports directly to the Chief of Staff and is responsible for the overall clinical, administrative, and programmatic leadership to Medical Service to ensure achievement of the Medical Center's clinical, research, and educational goals.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026 or until all positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 15 November 2025, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred to at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Major Duties and Responsibilities to include but not be limited to:

• The Chief works closely with executive leadership, managerial and clinical leaders in formulating local policies, resource planning for manpower, equipment, and space.
• The Chief of Medicine Service performs clinical duties/direct patient care activities at a minimum of 20 percent of duty hours.
• The Chief of Medicine Service functions as the primary subject matter expert to facility leadership on general and internal medicine. The incumbent practices independently, exercising initiative and independent judgment in day-to-day program activities.
• Follows Life Safety Management (fire protection) procedures. Reports safety hazards, accidents and injuries. Reviews hazardous materials/Material Safety Data Sheets
• (MSDS)/waste management. Follows Emergency Preparedness plan.
• Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Communicates and treats customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
• Teaching and Mentoring - Serves as a mentor and/or teacher for residents, trainees, providers, and staff. Plans and guides educational activities to meet the individual needs of the learner.
• Patient Management - Maintains confidentiality of patients and relatives through competence and interpersonal skills.
• The Chief works with supervisors and managers to monitor the quality of services including factors such as efficiency, effectiveness, and timeliness.
• The Chief works collaboratively with personnel and supervisors regarding performance or disciplinary issues that may arise in their respective areas of responsibility.
• The Chief addresses coverage issues, manages day-to-day operations, liaises with administrative staff both internal and external to ensure full clinical operations.
• The Chief ensures that program services meet accreditation requirements and are compliant with regulatory and accountability standards such as those set forth by the Joint Commission, GARF, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and VA Central Office (VACO) and other accrediting bodies as deemed appropriate.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified applicants.
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off 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)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (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
Work Schedule: 8:00AM-4:30PM - Monday - Friday, 40 hours/per week

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.

Additional Requirement: Board Certification

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of two years successful management experience as a Chief of Staff or Deputy Chief of Staff at a VHA Health Care System.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with both facility and VISN level leadership.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic plans, initiatives, and communications to accomplish target enterprise performance goals.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. however, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

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:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. 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.
3. 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.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.