Chief of Orthopedic Surgery

Assessment & Diagnosis:

• Obtain histories and perform physical exams for musculoskeletal/orthopedic conditions
• Order/interpret diagnostics
• Develop differential diagnoses and treatment plans

Procedural & Surgical Care:

• Perform full range of orthopedic surgeries within privileges, including arthroplasty, arthroscopy, fracture care, soft-tissue repairs, nerve decompression, hand surgery, spine procedures, infection management, amputations, and application/removal of casts/splints/external fixation
• Perform minor procedures (aspirations/injections, I&D, wound care, debridement)

Perioperative & Postoperative Management:

• Pre-op evaluation and counseling
• Intraoperative management with adherence to safety protocols
• Post-op care including pain control, wound evaluation, infection prevention, complication recognition, and rehab coordination

Consultation:

• Provide inpatient, outpatient, and ED consultations
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams

Documentation & Orders:

• Complete CPRS documentation per standards
• Write prescriptions, DME orders, and specialty referrals

Administrative Leadership:

• Lead and supervise orthopedic staff, residents, and trainees
• Develop policies and program goals with Surgery Service leadership
• Manage clinic/OR schedules
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, evaluation, and performance
• Participate in credentialing/privilegin
• Promote evidence-based practice, safety, and process improvement
• Ensure regulatory compliance and address patient concerns

Education & Professional Development:

• Teach and mentor trainees
• Support research and scholarly activity
• Complete mandatory training and maintain competencies

Quality Improvement:

• Participate in QA, peer review, RCA, M&M
• Develop and maintain clinical pathways and guidelines
• Use data to monitor and improve performance

Patient Population:

• Provide care for a diverse adult veteran population, including geriatric, polytrauma, and medically complex patients

Limitations:

• Perform only within granted privileges and available resources
• Refer complex cases when appropriate
• May not perform procedures not privileged

Continuity & Coverage:

• Ensure cross-coverage for absences
• Participate in call schedule per Surgery Service

Supervision:

• Works under general supervision of the Chief, Surgery Service, exercising independent medical judgment within the defined scope

• 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.

• Board certified in orthopedic surgery.
• Prior experience leading an orthopedic service or department, preferably in a hospital or healthcare system serving diverse populations
• Demonstrated experience with administrative duties such as staffing, compliance, program development, performance improvement, patient experience complaints, and quality improvement initiatives

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.

• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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.