Physician Chief (Hematology/Oncology)

The New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is seeking applications for the position of Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology at the NMVAHCS. The NMVAHCS Hematology/Oncology program is the major academic affiliate of the UNM Division of Hematology/Oncology and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: 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.
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 NMVAHCS Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology will be appointed as a member of the UNM Division of Hematology/Oncology and will have the opportunity for significant interactions with Division faculty and to become engaged in research, clinical, and clinical trials programs with the UNM Cancer Center.
• The Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology will also have a major teaching role in the Division in a joint NMVAHSC and UNM Hematology/Oncology Fellowship training program. The NMVAHCS and UNMCCC are focused on discovery the causes and the cures for cancer, focused on those cancers which disproportionately affect the multi-ethic populations of New Mexico.
• The NMVAHCS Section of Hematology/Oncology consists of 3 additional physician faculty members, advanced practice practitioners, and specialized clinical nurses.
• The Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology provides the medical leadership for this group and supervises their activity.
• The Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology must qualify for an academic appointment in the Tenured or Clinician-Educator Track in the Professorial series in the Department of Internal Medicine at UNM and report directly to the Chief, Medicine Service at the NMVAHCS.
• This individual will be responsible for setting and implementing the vision for the clinical, educational and research missions of NMVAHCS in the area of Hematology/Oncology.
• Qualified applicants will have an MD, current medical license, and be board-certified in Hematology and Oncology. The ideal candidate will be suitable for academic appointment at UNM at the level of assistant, associate or full professor, as evidenced by a strong track record of academic and/or clinical excellence. Applicants must also be eligible for appointment at the VA. The VA's basic qualification standards may be found at http://www.vacareers.va.gov/application-process/navigating/before-you-apply.asp.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., CST

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.

Chief of Staff. A facility chief of staff must serve on a full-time basis. The chief of staff develops and maintains currently accepted management practices throughout the clinical services. The chief of staff develops and presents the budgetary requirements of the clinical services and assists in the formulation of the annual budget program. The chief of staff is fully responsible to the medical center director for programs of patient care and for the educational and research activities of the clinical services. To carry out these responsibilities, the chief of staff:

1. Formulates and recommends plans for a comprehensive program of medical care,
2. Develops the requirements of staff, facilities, equipment and supplies needed to support an integrated program, utilizing necessary reviews and controls, and
3. Appraises the effectiveness of the various medical programs in meeting the needs of patient care.

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

Physical Requirements: Must be able to physically and mentally perform the duties of Physician under normal and emergent conditions. Moderate lifting 15-44 lbs and over with assistive devices, heavy carrying of 15-44 lbs and over with assistive devices; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers, both hands required, walking or standing up to 4 hours per day; repeated bending up to 1-2 hours per day; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination; near vision correctable; hearing aid permitted.

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.