Summary The Section Chief is responsible for maintaining all operations and direct reports within Pulmonary. The incumbent will provide direct supervision to the Pulmonary and all clinical providers within the section, including those in the Respiratory Therapy sub-section. The incumbent will be the point of contact for physicians and clinical staff assigned to the department. Responsibilities The closing date of this announcement has changed to Friday, September 26, 2025. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 26, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications and subsequent cut-off dates are on the 1st of each month. 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. The Section Chief is responsible for maintaining all operations and direct reports within Pulmonary. The incumbent will provide direct supervision to the Pulmonary and all clinical providers within the section, including those in the Respiratory Therapy sub-section. The incumbent will be the point of contact for physicians and clinical staff assigned to the department. This individual will work with staff and physicians to optimize the usage of clinical systems through education and training, quality and outcomes, and providing support in accordance with organizational goals. The incumbent will work closely with hospital staff, department directors, and physicians to ensure that the highest standards of quality and services are maintained. The incumbent also serves as a liaison between customers, Information Technology staff and other departments and services. This individual will also work directly with all levels of the organization on projects, committees, and teams to meet the overall needs of the Pulmonary and the facility. Specifically, the Physician will: Provide primary, secondary, and tertiary care in both hospitalized and outpatient settings, identifying patients' health problems and designing diagnostic and therapeutic plans to meet these needs. Works as a physician and is accountable for providing health care to outpatient and inpatient veterans in accordance with approved clinical privileges in pulmonology. Supervision of students, residents and fellows from both Emory University and Morehouse Medical School therefore they must be eligible for academic appointment on those institutions. Collaboration with and oversight of advanced ARNPs or PAs in the care of such patients. Incumbent is responsible for the below functions as well as other duties assigned within the scope of the position. Expected to rotate on night and weekend calls. Manage chronic medical problems and preventive medicine as management of problems specific to pulmonary patients. Provide consultative care to inpatients with pulmonary problems. Works closely with specialists and primary care physicians to ensure that inpatients receive continuous quality care. Actively participate in section activities to ensure that the Veterans are receiving the best care possible. These may include quality improvement projects, clinical research, and education. Responsible for coordinating activities of other health service personnel, resolving problems affecting patient care, and providing appropriate education for the patient and/or family members regarding the patient's illness and its management. Communicates daily with families, referring physicians, specialists, administration, and hospital departments in the care and treatment of our veterans. In addition to patient care, the physician may have responsibilities in other areas such as education and research. The Staff Physician is responsible for teaching house staff, medical students, and other health professionals during ward rounds, clinics, and in conferences and providing supervisory control and professional direction for specialized diagnostic units in their field of expertise. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM, (subject to change based on agency's needs) 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: Sleep Medicine Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 lbs, Light carrying, under 15lbs, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (1 hrs), Standing (4 hrs), both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13' to 16' to jaeger 1 to 4; Far vison correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Both eyes required, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid permitted). The population of male and female Veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. Atlanta VAMC is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility service medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with visits to the Emergency Department and admission for medical co-morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position may require potentially extended periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to wear protective clothing in isolation situation. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situation, able to shift priorities based on patients 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: 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.
