Summary

The Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for the Ambulatory and Emergency Care Clinical Center (AECCC) is the senior physician executive responsible to the Chief of Staff for the leadership, direction, integration, and performance of clinical programs assigned to AECCC across the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS).

Duties

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Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Learn more.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [redacted], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

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

The Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for the Ambulatory and Emergency Care Clinical Center (AECCC) is the senior physician executive responsible to the Chief of Staff for the leadership, direction, integration, and performance of clinical programs assigned to AECCC across the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS). The incumbent provides executive clinical leadership for safe, timely, Veteran-centered ambulatory and emergency care; translates VHA and VAMHCS priorities into operational practice; and is accountable for clinical quality, access, workforce performance, resource stewardship, regulatory readiness, and continuous improvement.

Scope of Assigned Duties:

Executive & Operational Leadership

• Provides overall physician executive leadership for AECCC and is accountable for mission execution, strategic alignment, and operational performance.
• Translates strategic goals into measurable operational plans and ensures timely follow-through on corrective actions and improvement initiatives.
• Leads interdisciplinary efforts to strengthen care delivery across sites, improve coordination, and enhance continuity across ambulatory and emergency settings.
• Advises the Chief of Staff on program development, operational risk, emerging clinical needs, and innovation opportunities.
• Ensures clear governance through defined responsibilities, structured communication, and consistent performance oversight.
• Provides leadership during emergencies, surges, or disruptions affecting AECCC operations.

Quality, Safety, Performance & Regulatory Readiness

• Promotes high-reliability culture, just culture, psychological safety, and Veteran-centered care.
• Monitors quality, safety, utilization, timeliness, patient experience, and operational performance metrics.
• Partners with Quality Management, Patient Safety, Infection Prevention, Nursing, Pharmacy, and other operational leaders in reviews, corrective actions, and sustained improvement.
• Ensures AECCC participation in peer review, professional practice evaluation, case reviews, and medical staff quality processes.
• Maintains regulatory readiness and compliance with VHA directives, accreditation standards, policies, and medical staff bylaws.

Executive Communication, Governance & Compliance

• Communicates regularly with the Chief of Staff regarding performance risks, staffing concerns, resource needs, and issues requiring executive attention.
• Ensures timely completion of executive correspondence, action items, reports, and Issue Briefs.
• Builds positive relationships with Veterans, employees, union partners, clinical and administrative leaders, academic and VISN/VHA partners.
• Ensures compliance with laws, regulations, VA policies, information security, privacy, and records-management requirements.

Direct Clinical Care (20%):

• Maintains an active clinical practice consistent with specialty, credentials, privileges, and VAMHCS needs.
• Provides evidence-based, Veteran-centered care including evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, counseling, and coordination.
• Documents care accurately and timely in the electronic health record.
• Participates in call, coverage, or attending duties based on specialty and local needs.
• Maintains licensure, credentials, privileges, continuing education, and competency.

Work Schedule: 8am-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.
• 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: Board eligible or board certified physician in a Primary Care relevant specialty, such as Internal Medicine or Family Medicine. Demonstrated experience leading or managing large, multi-site Primary Care operation or comparable health service line, with a proven ability to oversee clinical quality, patient access, operational efficiency, and team performance

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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