Physician, SCI/D, Outpatient Section Chief with EDRP/Recruitment/Relocation Incentive

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.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until May 8, 2026 or until positions are filled. Eligible applications received will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur.This position is also being announced under announcement number:

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized for Highly Qualified Applicants
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, 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

Administrative Duties:

• Leadership responsibilities: participation in staff meetings, hospital committees, and peer review process. Demonstrate effective communication both down to staff and up to leadership, to include heads up (for acute patient bad outcomes) and issue briefs.
• HR: Maintaining VA training requirements, timely completion of documentation and upkeep of credentials required for privileging and re-privileging.
• Staff Management: Participate in the FPPE/OPPE process. Adheres to employee health requirements. Participate in OPPE/FPPE Professional Practice Evaluation Reviews (routine medical record reviews)
• Time/Leave Management: Ensuring staff adherence to tour of Duties, timely requests for leave in VISTA and for clinic cancellations as well as appropriate clinical coverage and CPRS surrogate
• Clinical Management including indirect patient care: open encounter & open consult management, CPRS documentation rules and requirements, adherence to clinic procedures for patient scheduling & access, ensuring staff productivity, oversight of relevant performance measures, and active participation and engagement in process improvement projects as assigned by SCI/D Service Chief.vi. Supervises all outpatient physicians and provider(s) and other SCI/D staff as assigned by Chief, SCI/D Service and directly reports to the Chief, SCI/D Service.

Clinical Duties: The SCI/D Outpatient Section Chief, is expected to remain privileged and practicing in their specialty field. All physicians must meet the following qualifications:

• Patient Care: Physicians are expected to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease, and care at the end of life.
• Medical/Clinical Knowledge: Physicians are expected to demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others.
• Clinical Judgment: To ensure practice-based learning and improvement, practitioners are expected to be able to use scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate, and improve patient care.
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills: Physicians are expected to demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of the health care team.
• Professionalism: Physicians are expected to demonstrate behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and understanding and sensitivity to diversity, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession.
• Systems-Based Practice: Physicians are expected to demonstrate both an understanding of the contexts and systems in which health care is provided, and the ability to apply this knowledge to improve optimizing health care.
• Practitioners are expected to provide inpatient and consult service during off tours (nights, weekends, and holidays, as needed by the organization).
• Works directly with SCI/D Outpatient Assistant Nurse Manager collaborating on and streamlining clinic operations. Maximize clinic utilization and workflow efficiency for staff and Veteran's providing outpatient care. Ensures all physician staff meet 80% book ability in scheduling practices and monitor each physicians productivity.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

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.
• 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 one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Licensure: 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:

• Must be a competent physician who has completed Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neurology, Family Medicine, or Internal Medicine Residency training.
• Certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is preferred but not required. Preferably he/she should have made contributions in either wound care, neurological conditions, SCI, rehab and/or medical care, education and research to be suitable for an academic appointment at the affiliated medical school and possess leadership skills in coordination of activities of various ancillary staff, house staff, therapists, other rehabilitation professionals, and students.
• Experience in wound management or in managing and rehabilitating patients who have disorders of function across the spectrum of rehabilitation-related illnesses is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrates knowledge of preventive medicine and primary care as related to SCI/D (e.g. complications of disorders & treatments, side effects of medications used), the role of non-physician health care professionals and health care evaluation.
• Hands-on experience working in a clinical or hospital environment, preferably in a similar specialty or department.
• Previous experience in supervisory or managerial positions within healthcare settings.
• Familiarity with healthcare administration, including scheduling, budgeting, and resource management.
• Experience with quality assurance and improvement initiatives, ensuring compliance with healthcare standards and regulations.
• Proven ability to lead and manage diverse teams, including staff training and performance evaluations.
• Strong background in patient care and understanding patient needs and expectations.
• Understanding of healthcare laws, regulations, and accreditation processes (e.g., HIPAA, JCAHO).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, essential for interacting with staff, patients, and stakeholders.
• Competence in using healthcare information systems and electronic medical records (EMRs).
• Experience handling emergencies and crisis situations effectively.
• Experience working with a variety of healthcare professionals, fostering a collaborative environment.
• Skills in managing projects, including planning, execution, and evaluation within a healthcare context.

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

Physical Requirements:
This position may require potentially long periods of continued Moderate lifting of 15-44 pounds, Moderate carrying of 15-44 pounds, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking for 8 hours, Standing for 8 hours, Kneeling for 1 hour, Repeated bending for 4 hours, Both legs required, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement of DVA Correctable to 20/40. Both eyes required, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid may be 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.
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.