Physician - Associate Chief of Staff Performance and Improvement

The Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Performance and Improvement (P&I) is responsible for the overall direction, leadership and operational management of the performance and improvement programs at The Phoenix VAHCS. S/he will have the accountability for providing the leadership over the areas of clinical performance, regulatory and accreditation, and performance improvement.

The position can be filled by any one of multiple occupations. This announcement is for a Physician.

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

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Participating in leadership meetings including CEB/MEB, Performance and Improvement Operations, and others as determined.
• Responsibility for meeting all clinical performance measures and monitors relating to the performance and improvement such as: EPRP, SAIL, customer satisfaction, and assisting the medical center when possible in meeting all others.
• Help improve clinical service line efficiency by reducing cancellations, improving timeliness, reducing overtime.
• Help expand outpatient care by: achieving timely patient evaluation by assuring new and established patients are seen within established timeframes, achieving optimal resource (space, professional and administrative staff) utilization to maximize service utilization.
• Collaborating with Medical Center leadership in identifying strategic opportunities and initiatives.
• Serving on medical center, VISN and VA national committees and workgroups related to performance issues and initiatives.
• The incumbent will determine goals, priorities and direction for the Service and clinic operations and will be responsible for assigning duties to staff within the realm of Performance and Improvement for the clinics.
• Responsible for the development of position descriptions and competencies for the direct report staff, along with the development and completion of performance standards and appraisals.
• Address grievances, apply disciplinary policies, and nominate incentive awards in all matters concerning Performance and Improvement staff members under the supervision of the Service administration.
• The incumbent will develop and maintain continuing programs in the areas of organizational improvement, continuing education, and other quality improvement activities.
• The ACOS for Performance and Improvement works collaboratively with other Service Chiefs, supervisory staff, and frontline staff in other departments and sections to effect organizational improvement and participates in national and VISN organizational activities as called upon.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
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-$2,500 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 moonlightin

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: Seasoned clinician who demonstrates extensive and progressive leadership experience both as a clinician and an administrator.

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

Physical Requirements: 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.
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.