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Chief of Community Care

Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs

PermanentFull-timeSecurity clearance required
Location
East Orange, NJ
Salary
$270,000 – $310,000/yr
Pay grade
GS 15
Openings
1
Posted
May 18, 2026
Closes
Closes in 75 days

Summary

The Chief of Community Care plays a pivotal leadership role in advancing high-quality, accessible healthcare for Veterans by strengthening partnerships between VA facilities and community providers. As a key liaison between the medical center and external partners, the Chief drives performance improvement, quality assurance, and operational excellence while fostering collaborative relationships that enhance the overall Veteran care experience.

Duties

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

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
  • Analyzes management systems, techniques, and leadership styles to enhance organizational performance and optimize non-VA care delivery.
  • Conduct management improvement studies aimed at elevating the quality of community-based care for Veterans while ensuring efficient use of allocated funds.
  • Serves as the primary liaison between the medical center and external healthcare providers, establishing reliable, high-quality, and timely care pathways for Veterans.
  • Develops and sustains strategic partnerships with diverse community healthcare entities, navigating market dynamics to ensure continuity and competitiveness in Veteran care access.
  • Oversees quality assurance for Community Care, including the implementation of clinical monitors and comprehensive analysis of adverse events or care deficiencies.
  • Provide direct care to Veterans with a panel consisting of work equivalent to .5 FTE (50% clinical)
  • Leads or contributes to special projects and organizational reviews under the Office of the Chief of Staff, supporting enterprise-wide improvement initiatives.
  • Provide strategic oversight of Community Care referrals, approvals, and service quality.
  • Collaborate with frontline providers and Referral Coordination Teams (RCTs) to ensure timely decision-making, staff education, and seamless support across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care.
  • Promote excellence in customer service for all stakeholders engaged in Community Care.
  • Lead ongoing training and professional development initiatives for Community Care personnel.
  • Coordinate inter- and intradepartmental services to optimize care integration.
  • Cultivate and sustain partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including community organizations.
  • Deliver direct clinical care within the scope of licensure and credentialing.
  • Oversee care planning, implementation, and evaluation using evidence-based practices.
  • Exercise sound clinical judgment in resolving patient care and operational challenges.
  • Monitor and analyze care delivery through incident reviews and quality metrics.
  • Manage unit resources to ensure efficient and effective use of equipment and supplies.
  • Coordinate interdisciplinary care to promote positive patient outcomes.
  • Participate in recruitment, retention, and performance evaluation of staff.
  • Supervise, mentor, and develop nursing personnel for leadership roles.
  • Maintain clinical expertise through ongoing education and professional development.
  • Identify staff learning needs and facilitate targeted educational programs.
  • Serve as a clinical resource and mentor to staff and students.
  • Promote effective communication and professional interactions with patients, families, and colleagues.
  • Engage in performance improvement initiatives and lead interdisciplinary efforts to enhance care delivery.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Qualifications

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.
Additional Requirement: Experience managing a vendor network of external physicians required

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

Physical Requirements: In Accordance With VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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 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.

Requirements

  • U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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