Physician (Chief of Hematology and Oncology)

Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement MAY be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Former participants ineligible. See the DUTIES section of this announcement for full details.

The Section of Hematology and Oncology at the Salisbury VA HealthCare Center in NC is seeking a physician leader with training and expertise in adult Hematology and Oncology to oversee operations at its three sites of care (Salisbury, Charlotte and Kernersville). The SVA HCS Oncology section was the first VA oncology program to become ASCO QOPI certified, serving as the largest provider of outpatient chemotherapy/infusion services in the VHA by volume of operations and is consistently in the top 3 programs by total volume of encounters and visits. The Chief of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Internal Medicine provides leadership and oversight for the section's clinical programs, research initiatives, and educational activities. This role encompasses administrative authority, supervision of section staff, quality assurance, and representation of the Medicine Service.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

A. Administrative:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Hematology & Oncology across Salisbury, Charlotte, and Kernersville.
• Foster communication within the Hematology/Oncology Section and across Medicine Service.
• Review and monitor clinical privileges of section staff.
• Oversee outpatient and inpatient consult services in a multispecialty environment, supported by experienced clinical and research staff
• Manage provider coding practices for billing compliance.
• Approve leave requests and complete OPPEs and clinical pertinence reviews.

B. Clinical:

• Provide clinical and administrative supervision of hematology and oncology staff.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality care in outpatient clinics, inpatient consults, and infusion services.
• Develop and enforce clinical practice standards, policies, and procedures.
• Maintain personal clinical privileges and demonstrate sound clinical judgment.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to optimize patient care.

C. Education and Scholarship:

• Participates in the formal education of the residents, fellows and medical students by presenting teaching rounds, lectures, conferences, etc.
• Participates in evaluation sessions for medical students and GME trainees assigned to their services.
• Support curriculum development and evaluation for hematology and oncology rotations.
• Demonstrates and train medical students/resident and fellows.
• Assists in the development and implementation of education and training programs for medical students and fellows and residents, rotating through Medicine Service and accountable Clinical Services.

D. Research:

• Supports the medical Center-wide research mission.
• Assists in conducting studies regarding treatment modalities, outcomes and other aspects of patient care when appropriate.
• If involved in an ongoing research project, abides by all VA regulations governing research protocols/policies and/or procedures.
• Encourages participation in clinical research among other staff members.
• Advance education and research as a full-time clinician-educator-research faculty member with flexible protected time for academic pursuits.

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

Recruitment Incentive: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates.
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) MAY be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program 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 review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Learn more
EDRP Authorized: Contact Rodney.Belk@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

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

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: Board eligibility or certification in Hematology and Oncology

Preferred Experience: residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology and Oncology

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

Physical Requirements: Applicants must meet the physical standards established for this position. The physical requirements for this position may include the following tasks which may be performed intermittently: moderate lifting (15-44 lbs.); moderate carrying (15-44 lbs.); Reaching above shoulders; use of fingers; walking (up to 6 hours); Standing (up to 2 hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; mental and emotional stability required. Please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019 for more information.

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.