Summary The Chief of Ophthalmology provides supervisory and programmatic oversight for the Ophthalmology Section at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. This leadership role serves as the primary advisor to the Associate Chief of Staff for Surgical Service and is responsible for promoting clinical excellence, academic engagement, and operational efficiency. The incumbent must be eligible for faculty appointment with Washington University, the VA's established academic affiliate partner. Responsibilities 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 Clinical Responsibilities Outpatient Care: Provides comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for Veterans with acute and chronic eye conditions. Performs outpatient procedures including laser treatments, intravitreal injections, and minor surgeries. Collaborates with Advanced Practice Providers, Optometrists, Technicians, and Nursing Staff to ensure continuity of care and efficient clinic operations. Inpatient Care: Offers consultation and management for hospitalized patients with ophthalmologic conditions. Coordinates care with Internal Medicine, Neurology, and other specialties. Operative Care: Performs routine and complex anterior segment surgeries. Oversees preoperative assessments, surgical procedures, and postoperative care. Leads ophthalmology cases in the OR, ensuring safety and efficiency. Emergency and On-Call Duties: Provides timely evaluation and surgical intervention for ocular emergencies. Shares equitable on-call responsibilities with other ophthalmologists. Leadership and Section Chief Responsibilities Supervises ophthalmologists, optometrists, residents, fellows, technicians, and administrative staff. Manages clinic schedules, OR block time, and staffing to optimize service delivery. Coordinates with Community Care, VISN partners, and academic affiliates. Ensures compliance with VHA, Joint Commission, and facility standards. Team-Based Care Leads a multidisciplinary team including ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, and technicians. Collaborates with staff to improve patient throughput, diagnostics, and surgical support. Fosters a collaborative and supportive team environment. Mentors junior staff and promotes professional development. Teaching and Education Provides clinical instruction to residents, fellows, and medical students. Supervises trainees in clinic, OR, and emergency settings. Conducts training for ophthalmology technicians, optometry staff, and nurses. Participates in educational conferences, case reviews, and morbidity/mortality discussions. Administrative and Professional Duties Participates in Surgical Service leadership meetings and committees. Conducts performance evaluations and peer reviews. Oversees credentialing, privileging, and continuing education for section staff. Ensures accurate and timely documentation in CPRS/VistA/FEHR. Leads quality improvement initiatives and monitors performance metrics. Research and Scholarly Activity (if applicable) Encourages and participates in clinical research related to ophthalmology. Facilitates collaboration with academic affiliates on research and scholarly projects. Supports staff involvement in quality improvement and academic initiatives. Scope of Practice / Privileges Holds privileges for outpatient and inpatient ophthalmology care, including routine and complex surgeries and emergency eye care. Exercises administrative authority over section operations and personnel. All privileges and supervisory roles are subject to approval by the Professional Standards Board and Chief of Staff. Supervisory Controls Reports directly to the Associate Chief of Staff for Surgical Service. Provides direct supervision to ophthalmology staff and oversight of APPs, nurses, technicians, and trainees. Performance is evaluated based on clinical outcomes, quality metrics, and overall section performance. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; Full-Time (Tour may be negotiated during selection) 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. 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). As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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. Additional Requirement: Must be eligible for faculty appointment with an established academic affiliate partner of St. Louis VA Health Care System. Preferred Experience: Supervising ophthalmologists, optometrists, residents, fellows, technicians, and administrative staff. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: More details can be found in VA Handbook 5019. 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.
