Summary This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications and subsequent cut-off dates are weekly. 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. Responsibilities The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System is recruiting for a Physician - Chief of Mental Health Service Line. The Chief is responsible for the overall leadership of the service line and ensures the quality of medical and mental health services provided, the education and training of professional staff, and the safety and ethical conduct of medical research conducted on patients assigned to the RHJ VA, Community Based Outpatient and all other satellite clinics. The incumbent serves as the primary point of accountability in the service line and maximizes the efficient use of available resources. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 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 Duties include, but are not limited to: Working specifically with the Associate Chief Nurse, Mental Health; Section Chiefs and other supervisors, managers and team leaders in the service line to achieve and maintain high standards of performance. Working collegially with other Service Chiefs to accomplish the clinical goals and strategic plans of the organization. Participating in organizational planning to include strategic, operational, programmatic and other plans and policies to achieve the mission and vision of the Medical Center. Representing the Mental Health Service Line on decision-making committees at the medical center. Participating in the development of long and short-term goals for the Service Line and the organization. Providing professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional and behavioral health. Engaging in workforce management through assessing qualifications and abilities of current and prospective employees, adhering to regulatory timeframes and evaluating employee performance and administering appropriate disciplinary actions as indicated. Assessing productivity standards across program areas and professional disciplines and addressing deficiencies. Having line and staff authority for resource allocations within the Mental Health Service Line to ensure efficient operation, preparing annual budgets and providing oversight of fund control expenditures in accordance with regulatory requirements. Participating in the resources allocation process of the Service Line to include provision of sufficient number of qualified and competent persons to provide patient care, as well as recommending acquisition of necessary equipment and supplies and adequate space to provide such services. Functioning as advisor to the Chief of Staff, Associate Director, Associate Director for Nursing and Patient Care Services, and Facility Director on issues related to the provision of direct patient care by Service Line staff. Performing a full range of psychiatric services to treat mental health disorders through a variety of modalities and providing adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders using the most appropriate techniques in providing quality direct patient care, including timely completion of all required clinical charting and documentation as appropriate. Functioning as a collaborating provider for Advance Practice Nurses/Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, as needed. Functioning as facility's Psychiatric Officer for specified weekends, holidays, evenings or nights, as needed. Participating on and occasionally chairing Medical Center committees, workgroups and systems redesign projects. Contributing to the development and implementation of policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of services to patients. Facilitating compliance with standards established by oversight and regulatory entities such as Joint Commission, CARF, OSHA, CAP, OIG, etc. Ensuring timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Medical Center, VISN, and VACO. Participating as a member of the Incident Command during periods of emergency and coordinating a mental health response in the event of critical occurrences of violence at the facility, disasters and/or mass casualty occurrences. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 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: Leadership experience and board certified. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); Light Carrying (under 15 pounds); Walking (up to 1 hour); Standing (up to 1 hour); Hearing aid permitted. Ability to perform rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; hearing (aid permitted); emotional/mental stability. 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.
