Physician - Associate Chief of Staff (Primary Care)

The Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System (ICVAHCS) is seeking a Full-Time, Board Certified, Physician - Associate Chief of Staff to join the Primary Care Service Line at the VAMC in Iowa City, Iowa.

Note: This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT through July 7, 2026. The first referral cut-off is May 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST, with monthly cut-offs on the 1st. Applications received after each cut-off will be reviewed as needed until the position is filled.

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

The responsibilities include hands on clinical work, oversight, and administration of all aspects of the service, including an extensive research program and guidance and training for residents and other trainees. Additionally, the incumbent is directly accountable to the Medical Center Executive Leadership Team for day-to-day administrative activities of the service and accountable to the Chief of Staff for clinical program activities the overall compliance to VA, VHA, and VISN wide policies and procedures related to this service. This includes, but is not limited to the following along with other duties as assigned:

• Plans the provision of services with the patient centered vision (in alignment with VHA guidelines and policies) to enhance patient education and shared decision making.
• Establish a customer-oriented culture and promotes hiring of people who fit that culture.
• Develops a high reliability organization through direction of the continuous measurement and improvement of the quality of care provided by the service.
• Plans, coordinates, and ensures high quality care through utilization of multiple quality measurement tools.
• Improves patient outcomes to the implementation of strategies such as clinical practice guidelines and critical pathways, health risk assessments, provider profiling, use of electronic medical record and clinical reminders, and case management.
• Encourages and supports research and education missions.
• Encourages continuing education for all personnel in the service and ensures compliance with performance standards.
• Responsible for the financial management of the service, including budget oversight, planning, and management.
• Develops the annual strategic and budget plan for the service consistent with guidance and goals from the Director's Office and/or Fiscal Service and overseas its execution and monitoring for complications.
• Develop an interdisciplinary team of innovative, highly motivated individuals who are continuously striving for excellence in patient care and customer service.
• Responsible for assuring appropriate action in such manners as promotion, selections, rewards and recognition, training, and problem resolution as these actions relate to service.
• The incumbent is directly accountable to the Chief of Staff Iowa City VAMC. The incumbent works independently; supervision is mainly advisory in nature. The incumbent provides first line supervision to several surgical section chiefs and managers.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
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 individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHAVISN23EDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of annual paid time offer 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
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. Alternative work hours, if desired, should be agreed upon at the time of hire.

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.

Additional Requirement: Board Certified Physician.

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

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.