Physician - Chief Emergency Department

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 and may be extended beyond the current closing date until the position is filled. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals, as additional vacancies occur and/or on an as-needed basis during the duration of the announcement. Once a selection is made and offer is accepted the announcement may close pending no additional vacancies.

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

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be eligible for highly qualified candidates.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be eligible for highly qualified candidates.
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Ms. Ronda Eady at ronda.eady@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

The Chief, Emergency Medicine Service (EM Chief) provides executive leadership and oversight for all clinical and administrative aspects of the Emergency Department to ensure safe, timely, high-quality emergency care for Veterans in accordance with VHA policy and directives. The EM Chief aligns Emergency Department operations with the VHA mission, values, and strategic goals, and ensures compliance with The Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, and other applicable regulatory and statutory requirements.

Major Duties/Responsibilities to include but are not limited to:

• Provides leadership and direction for 24/7 Emergency Department operations, ensuring appropriate medical screening, stabilization, and disposition of all patients presenting for emergency care.
• Oversees staffing models, provider schedules, and contingency plans to ensure adequate coverage that matches demand and supports continuous, in-person physician coverage.
• Optimizes patient flow and throughput, collaborates with inpatient and ancillary services to reduce boarding and delays, and promotes safe, efficient transitions of care.
• Leads Emergency Department quality improvement, patient safety, and performance monitoring activities using VHA performance metrics and facility data.
• Collaborates closely with Nursing leadership, Mental Health, Primary Care, Medicine, Surgery, Radiology, Laboratory, Pharmacy, and other services to ensure coordinated, veteran-centered emergency care.
• Recruits, selects, and retains qualified Emergency Medicine providers and other assigned staff, in collaboration with service and facility leadership.
• Participates in facility emergency management and disaster preparedness planning, including drills and responses that affect Emergency Department operations
• Direct supervisor for emergency department practitioners.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm; with call coverage.

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/characteristics:

• 3-5 years of progressive clinical experience in an emergency department with demonstrated strong performance in a high-acuity setting.
• formal leadership/management experience in healthcare (such as supervisor, manager, chief resident, or assistant director), including responsibility for staffing, budgets, and performance improvement.
• EM residency and board certification.
• Documented experience leading quality, patient safety, and process-improvement initiatives in an ED, including metrics such as patient flow, door-to-provider times, and patient experience.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and hospital leadership, with strong communication and change-management skills in fast-paced, crisis-driven environments.

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

Physical Requirements: Moderate Lifting (15-44 lbs); Moderate Carrying (15-44 lbs); light carrying (under 15 lbs); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (4-8 hours); Standing (4-8 hours); Repeated bending (4-8 hours); Both legs required; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of color; Hearing (aid permitted); and Working alone.

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.