Summary

The Chief of Staff will report to the Medical Center Director. The COS has specific responsibility to preside over the medical staff and assure clinical excellence, uniform standards of practice, education, and research. The COS is entrusted with many of the VHA clinical and administrative directives to ensure they are appropriately translated into relevant local policies.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Authorized

Duties

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VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.The Chief of Staff will report to the Medical Center Director. The COS has specific responsibility to preside over the medical staff and assure clinical excellence, uniform standards of practice, education, and research. The COS is entrusted with many of the VHA clinical and administrative directives to ensure they are appropriately translated into relevant local policies and appropriately executed. The COS must take an active role in developing and maintaining a good working relationship with the affiliated medical school; recruiting board certified licensed professional staff; ensuring medical staff compliance with agency regulations; overseeing a successful research program; and facilitating a culture of continuous process improvement and patient safety. The COS will also serve as professional liaison of the heath care field to other VA, federal, community, affiliate, congressional, and constituent organizations.

The overall responsibilities of the Chief of Staff include but are not limited to:

• Assures the overall quality, appropriateness, and timeliness of patient care delivered by all members of the medical staff.
• Directs and oversees the medical staff functions and committees, the medical staff bylaws, and the credentialing and privileging of health care providers.
• Participates in strategic planning, resource allocation and performance improvement activities.
• Ensures participation of the medical staff in performance improvement activities.
• Serves as member of the Executive Leadership team and on a variety of committees and meetings.
• Ensures patients receive quality care in a timely and courteous manner.
• Ensures that all patients receive quality, preventive health care through screening, counseling and education.
• Ensures that all medical staff (ancillary staff, pharmacy, nursing, mental health and medical/surgical providers) are knowledgeable and provide appropriate psychosocial care and counseling to patients.
• Ensures competence of medical staff and each of its members to provide care to the young, middle, older and geriatric patients served.
• Encourages the development of and adherence to clinical guidelines for patient populations.
• Monitors and evaluates clinical practice patterns through the participation in performance improvement, risk management and peer review activities.
• Reviews all VHA Directives and directs them appropriately through committees and services.
• Acts as VISN liaison to the medical center, closely communicating with the Medical Center Director and disseminating VISN tasks and responsibilities to the appropriate Medical Center personnel.
• Assures excellent standards of patient care. Directs and implements processes and programs to maintain accreditation and other standards. Interacts effectively with the professional schools and the medical community.
• Maintains and enforces continuing medical educational standards for the medical staff and appropriate health care education accrediting organizations.
• Evaluates teaching programs to determine effectiveness in meeting patient needs and program goals.
• Ensures appropriate supervision of house staff and residents.
• Ensures that medical staff is active in providing appropriate preventive and therapeutic counseling and health care education for patients and their families.
• Is responsible for staff and resident education
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Experience: Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of large Clinical Department or service line, or Chief Quality for 3 or more years.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized for this positionPermanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Authorized for this position

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 providedContract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00AM to 4:30PM

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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.
  • Exceptions:
    
    • 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 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.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience:Preferred Experience: Preferred Experience: Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of large Clinical Department or service line, or Chief Quality for 3 or more years.

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

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Education

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.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.

Additional information

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

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.