Summary The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks (VHSO) is actively seeking applicants for the Chief of Staff (COS). Searching for a board-certified physician who is an energetic and visionary leader with strong leadership, managerial, organizational, communication, and clinical skills who can build upon the strengths of the current clinical services. Prior VA clinical administrative experience is preferred. Responsibilities This is an Open Continuous Announcement and will remain open until September 30, 2025, or until the position is filled. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals until the position is filled. Once a selection is made and offer is accepted, the announcement will close. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus)/Relocation Incentive: May be authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Authorized. 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 The Chief of Staff (COS) is a member of the senior management team and is responsible for ensuring high quality and cost-effective care, as well as for overseeing medical staff development. The COS must take an active role in developing and maintaining a good working relationship with the affiliated medical school; recruiting board certified licensed professional staff; ensuring medical staff compliance with agency regulations; overseeing a successful research program; and facilitating a culture of continuous process improvement and patient safety. The COS will also serve as professional liaison of the heath care field to other VA, federal, community, affiliate, congressional, and constituent organizations. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Develops and maintains currently accepted clinical and management practices throughout clinical services. Maintains confidentiality of patients and relatives through competence and interpersonal skills. Uses assessment skills to examine patients thoroughly using appropriate clinical, laboratory and other pertinent data when necessary. When required, interpret and evaluates clinical data for the purpose of determining diagnosis and clinical status. Initiates appropriate and timely treatment. Recognizes changes in behavior, symptoms, signs, and other pertinent facts about the patient and is able to modify the plan of treatment when indicated. Recognizes own capabilities and limitations. Serves as a mentor for medical staff providers, independent Licensed Independent Practitioners, and Resident staff as well as Allied Health staff and some administrative staff. Directs, authorizes and on occasion is involved in planning of educational activities to meet the Performance Measures, Joint Commission, CARF Standards and other requirements of the VHA, VISN and this medical center. With the assistance of the Deputy Chief of Staff, evaluates the needs of the staff for continuing educational activities and ensures all mandatory educational requirements are met by the Services who organizationally fall under the responsibility of the Chief of Staff office. Fully responsible for the educational and research activities of clinical services and the healthcare system. Encourages staff to identify research and development problems - select, develop, and conduct literature search on researchable problems that are relevant to the health care of veterans and have a reasonable expectation of successful conclusion. Assures excellent standards of patient care. Directs and implements processes and programs to maintain accreditation and other standards. Interacts effectively with the professional schools and the medical community. Develops and implements policies and decision-making processes that enhances accessibility for Veterans. Ensures Service Chiefs to do the same. Develops and presents budgetary requirements of the clinical services and assists in the formation of the annual budget program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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: Minimum of two years successful management experience as a Chief Medical Officer or Deputy Chief Medical Officer of a healthcare system. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all @types of leadership within a healthcare system. Demonstrated ability to coordinate and evaluate interdisciplinary services/programs which provide care across large geographic areas to diverse populations. Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic plans, initiatives, and communications to accomplish target enterprise performance goals. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds Light carrying, under 15 pounds Use of fingers Both hands required Both eyes required Environmental Factors: Working alone Protracted or irregular hours of work 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: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
