Physician-Primary Care-Assistant Chief/Deputy ACOS

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until January 8, 2027. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be October 30, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position is filled.

Dedicated to Patient-Centered Care, the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System (SAVAHCS) is a state of the art network of health care facilities throughout Southern Arizona comprised of the medical center in Tucson, Arizona and seven Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Through an environment of compassion, education, and research, SAVAHCS is a national model of clinical and organizational excellence.

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

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Approved
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

This incumbent will serve as an Physician-Primary Care-Assistant Chief/Deputy ACOS, Primary Care & Community Clinics Service (PCCCS) located at the Southern AZ VA Healthcare System's (SAVAHCS). This position reports to the Chief, PCCCS and serves as the principal advisor in all professional, clinical, administrative, and quality performance matters. The duties and responsibilities will include, but not limited to the following:

• 80- 90% Administrative and 10 - 20% Clinical duties.
• Plans, implements, directs, and evaluates all activities pertaining to PCCCS, including requirements for staff, budget, equipment, and supplies.
• Assists ACOS/Chief of PCCCS in the fulfillment of the overall vision and mission of SAVAHCS Primary Care.
• Conducts staff meetings and coordinates in-services/trainings for clinical employees.
• Supervises physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other health care providers as assigned.
• Collaborates with ACOS/Chief of PCCCS, Primary Care and Patient Care Service, and Administrative Officer to ensure necessary actions are taken to meet performance measures and productivity standards.
• Interviews candidates for subordinate positions; recommends hiring, promotion, or reassignments.
• Leads a multi-disciplinary team of individuals who collectively take responsibility for the longitudinal care of patients.
• Develops, reviews, and implements clinic policies and procedures as needed with final approval from the Chief of PCCCS. Trains clinic and ancillary staff on new policies and procedures as effective and efficiently as possible.
• Reviews Veteran complaints, investigate, delegate and summarize cohesive response along with the Clinic Medical Directors, Clinic Nurse Managers and Clinic Office Managers/MSA Supervisor.
• Provides comprehensive and quality clinical care to a panel of adult patients.
• Provides direct patient care to optimize patient health including ordering diagnostic testing, prescribing medication including contraceptive medication, consulting with specialty services and utilizing computerized/electronic medical records.
• Provides patient care in accordance to professional standards, core values and commitment to service excellence.

Compressed tour: Four 10 hour - 6:30 AM- 5:00 PM possible.
Telework: Not a telework eligible position

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: Board certified or board eligible in Internal Medicine/Family Practice by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) or America Board of Family Practice (ABFM).

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

Physical Requirements: VA Handbook 5019/1, Part II, Pre-Placement Physical Examinations and Evaluations.

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.