Physician - Sleep Medicine (Assistant Chief Specialty Care) - EDRP Apprved

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 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.

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The Deputy Associate Chief of Staff (DACOS) for Medical Specialties is a clinical and administrative leadership position responsible for the oversight, coordination, and performance of the Medical Specialties Service. The incumbent reports directly to the Chief of Medical Specialties and assists in the management of clinical operations, scheduling oversight, workload distribution, and attainment of clinical performance measures.

The DACOS collaborates with facility and departmental leaders to optimize resource utilization and care delivery. The incumbent participates in administrative, quality improvement, and committee activities as assigned and serves as a primary communication conduit between leadership, staff, and partnering services.

The physician will maintain clinical competency by performing a minimum of 51% of their total clinical workload dedicated to Sleep Medicine.

The position requires strong communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to lead system improvements that enhance access, efficiency, and patient outcomes. The incumbent supports quality care through monitoring of clinical performance, evaluation of workload and patient needs, and adherence to credentialing, privileging, peer review, and quality assurance standards.

Sleep Medicine Duties and Responsibilities (Summary)

• Perform comprehensive evaluations and management of patients with sleep-related disorders.
• Interpret diagnostic studies, including PSG, HSAT, MSLT, and MWT.
• Manage PAP therapy and other treatments, providing education and longitudinal follow-up.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (e.g., Pulmonary, Behavioral Health, Neurology, RT).
• Participate in Sleep Medicine program development, quality initiatives, and performance metrics.
• Provide consultations to other services and maintain timely and accurate documentation.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator at vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more
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: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:45 PM

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.

Preferred Experience:

• Proficiency in using advanced diagnostic tools and technologies.
• Ability to interpret complex diagnostic tests and make informed treatment decisions.
• Strong commitment to patient-centered care, with the ability to develop and maintain rapport with patients.
• Experience in managing patients with chronic and acute cardiovascular conditions.
• Board certification in the relevant medical specialty.
• A track record of clinical excellence, including patient care outcomes, innovative treatments, and adherence to evidence-based practices.

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

Physical Requirements:

• Heavy lifting, 45 lbs and over
• Moderate carrying, 15 - 44 lbs
• Straight pulling (1 hr)
• Pushing (1 hr)
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Walking, 3 hrs
• Standing, 3 hrs
• Kneeling, 1 hr
• Repeated beding, 1 hr
• Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• 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) https://lcme.org/directory/ 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 https://osteopathic.org/accreditation/ for the year in which the degree was granted. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) https://lcme.org/directory/ or The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association https://osteopathic.org/accreditation/; at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the websites, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.
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.