Summary

The Deputy Chief of Staff is responsible for major programs including Primary Care, Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics & Extended Care, Occupational Health, and FPPE/OPPE Specialists, and may include other or similar service lines as assigned by the Chief of Staff. The incumbent's duty station is the Topeka division; however, the incumbent is responsible for staff and Service Lines in these program areas at both the Topeka and Leavenworth divisions and 6 CBOCs.

Duties

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The Deputy Chief of Staff has overall responsibility and accountability for ensuring implementation of established policies and for providing overall direction in the continuing operation of the service lines under his/her assignment, including Primary Care, Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics & Extended Care, Occupational Health, and FPPE/OPPE Specialists. The incumbent monitors and ensures staff compliance with agency regulations, medical staff bylaws, The Joint Commission standards, and other applicable federal and VA regulations. The incumbent directly supervises physicians, Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), and other support staff assigned within the service lines under their purview.

The Deputy Chief of Staff is responsible for collaboration and coordination within their own service lines and with the various service lines at EKHCS, as well as with other facilities within VISN 4, Health Service Area (HSA) 4.2. They are responsible for effective written and oral communication and interpersonal skills. Incumbent must have strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to collaborate and work in cooperation within their own and other service lines.

The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring that the administrative and clinical aspects of the Service Lines reporting to him/her are completed timely, accurately, and within VA regulations and Directives. He/she will ensure that the clinical and administrative staff understand their Chain of Command and reinforce the importance of partnership between administrative and clinical staff.

Performance measures and monitors are the responsibility of the Deputy Chief of Staff, as well as promoting adherence to VA regulations, Joint Commission standards, OIG requirements, and SOARS guidelines. Incorporation of operational efficiencies which include: reduction of overtime; increased inpatient workload/throughput; improved clinic access; reduced missed opportunities; and accurate, compliant documentation while minimizing copy and paste. The Deputy Chief of Staff is required to implement and support effective performance improvement initiatives that improve clinical outcomes and customer satisfaction.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework: Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.
• Education
  (1) Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois [redacted]; phone: [redacted], or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/.
  (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
  (2) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate is able to provide proof of achieving the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC) Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).
• Licensure. Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia. The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. A pharmacist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:

Pharmacist GS-15

(a) Experience. In addition to the GS-14 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

(b) Grade Level Criteria. At the GS-15 level, Chiefs of Pharmacy must meet the following:

1. Individuals are assigned as Chiefs of Pharmacy at Complexity Level 1a, 1b or 1c VHA facilities; or

2. Individuals are assigned as Chief of Pharmacy at Complexity Levels 2 or 3 and must meet the criteria noted in 2a and b below.

a. Must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Manages a complex medical center based pharmacy program that is defined as having multiple practice settings (e.g. hospital ambulatory care, long-term care, behavior health care) that require Joint Commission review as separate standards.

(2) In addition to the medical center pharmacy, has responsibility for pharmacy services at one or more of the following: CBOCs, Rural Health Program, domiciliary, or provides dispensing and/or clinical services to State Veterans Home.

(3) Presence of advanced clinical pharmacy programs that include pharmacist(s) that have approved scopes of practice with prescriptive privileges.

(4) Pharmacy provides clinical pharmacist services to three (3) or more specialty areas such as, but not limited to, hemodialysis, oncology, operating room or an emergency department.

b. In addition to the requirements listed in 2a above, must meet at least two of the following:

(1) An ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Residency Program.

(2) A Research Program that is accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).

(3) Actively involved in committees or advisory/work groups at the VISN and/or National level.

(4) An ongoing pharmacy student rotation in both the intermediate and advanced practice experience settings.

Service Chief. Responsible for all aspects of pharmacy services at a medical facility by maintaining effective interdepartmental relationships demonstrating active problem resolution skills and close cooperation with other programs and services in accomplishing the medical facility mission and goals. Responsible for budget management, determining resource needs, allocating resources, ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the operation. Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long term interest of the organization, capitalizing on opportunities and managing risks. Responsible for compliance with all safety, regulatory, and accrediting body requirements. Delegates authority to several supervisory and program levels to meet the goals of the service and staff. Ensures orientation and training programs are established to ensure staff development, oversees academic affiliations, and participates in medical facility, VISN, National, other external governmental agencies, and professional associations.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-15.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office environment, with intermittent walking, standing, bending, and reaching required for meetings, clinical workflow observations, on-site training, and participation in rounds and quality improvement activities. The incumbent must be able to use computers and health information systems for prolonged periods while maintaining concentration and attention to detail. Occasional travel may be required for VISN or VHA meetings, conferences, or collaborative workgroups.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.