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Associate Chief of Primary Care - Quality Research and Education

Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs

Open to the publicPermanentFull-time
Location
Hampton, VA
Salary
$282,000 – $300,000/yr
Pay grade
GS 15
Openings
1
Posted
Nov 10, 2026
Closes
Closes in 30 days

Summary

Position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & 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.

Duties

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2025 or until all positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 30 May 2025, 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 positions are filled.

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

The Associate Chief of Primary Care Quality, Research, and Education is responsible for ensuring high quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care within Primary Care services to support the Medical Center's mission. The incumbent has oversight of all primary care clinics for quality inspection including peer reviews, patient safety events, and patient complaints. The incumbent also monitors of Primary Care access including women's health services and community care referral from Primary Care. They also actively participate in local, VISN, and national advisory/work groups, is an active member of national and state primary healthcare organizations and is a subject matter expert on matters related to primary care operations.

Major Duties and Responsibilities to include but not be limited to:
  • Provides a full range of diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate therapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
  • Performs medical evaluations for a diverse population of patients of males, females, and geriatric, Veterans who may also have mental illness and have psychosocial issues that may include homelessness, unemployment, and poor family support network.
  • Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions to units/programs in the Medical Center to which the primary care provider is assigned and has clinical privileges to practice including diagnostic assessment, medication evaluation, and management.
  • The Associate Chief will be primarily responsible for covering in the absence of the Chief of Primary Care and will be responsible for carrying on the service and making administrative and clinical decisions as necessary.
  • Supervisory responsibility of various disciplines to include advanced practice nurses, administrative staff, physicians, and other disciplines as assigned. The Assistant Chief will be responsible for leave approval, time and attendance, completing performance appraisals, and intervening in labor negotiations.
  • Assesses, plans and evaluates primary care services assigned to ensure proper care coordination between the delivery of primary care and the overall delivery of health care.
  • The incumbent will oversee implementation and maintenance of service to ensure compliance with accepted performance standards.
  • Maintains an efficient and effective provider education system. Coordinates resources to ensure standardized orientation for all PACT providers.
  • Coordinates the development of in-service programs for primary care staff and other allied health care staff as required. The emphasis for internal staff development programs is on upgrading their skills and abilities of primary care providers.
  • Provides technical and informational support to health care practitioners as required.
  • Maintaining an effective liaison with human resource management service and utilize their expertise when needed.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: A recruitment incentive may be authorized for highly qualified applicants.
EDRP Authorized: Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. 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 complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact?vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov?for questions/assistance.
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
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Work Schedule: 8:00AM-4:30PM - Monday - Friday, 40 hours/per week


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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR[(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR(3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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.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 or fee-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.
  • Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Preferred Experience:
  • 5 years of Primary care expeirence VA Primary Care experience.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary and is performed in a health care setting for treating patients with a variety of medical problems. Normal safety precautions and practices are required for working in a healthcare environment. Other physical demands include reaching, bending, stretching, walking, and carrying light loads of supplies. The position often entails long periods of sitting at a computer, rigid deadlines, the need for a high degree of accuracy, high stress situations, and the ability to adapt work plans based on hospital needs.

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 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.

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