Summary This 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. Responsibilities The James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) located in North Chicago, Illinois is the nation's only fully integrated facility that supports Active Duty Naval service members, Naval recruits, and our nation's Veterans. Our mission is to 'Ready Warriors and Care For Heroes'. With this, we are actively seeking a highly qualified, board-certified Pulmonologist to join our team. This position is located in the Pulmonary Medicine Department under the Medicine Clinical Directorate. This position reports to the Department Head, Medicine Department. 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. The incumbent will be the point of contact for physicians and clinical staff assigned to the department. This will include, but is not limited to, training, documentation, process workflow and other functionality regarding necessary clinical systems. 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. Major Duties: Develops the vision, mission, goals, and objectives for the Pulmonary Section. Provides executive input on strategic planning, budget, mission, and policy development Ensures strategic planning, effective operation, and administrative and clinical supervision of staff. Ensures safe, efficient, and high-quality care that meets or exceeds VA, Department of Defense, and external standards. Supports staff recruitment, retention, contracting, awards, grade and step increases, discipline, and dismissal. Manages budget development, adjustment, extra funds requests, overtime fund management, and forecasts for new requirements. Ensures workplace safety, operational integrity, and adapts to size changes and evolving needs. Addresses incident reports, quality control reviews, administrative investigation boards, lean six sigma events, and team building. Supports procurement, maintenance, repair, contracting, and disposal of equipment. Represents all programs in any business outside the Pulmonary Section. Ensures patient safety, rights, responsibilities, accolades, and complaints are addressed. Manages and directs integrated programs with consistent critical thinking skills. Acts as a consultant on ethical issues, leading resolution of complex bioethical challenges. Implements systems for cost-effective use of resources and participates in budget planning. Ensures staff compliance with infection control and promotes safe work practices. Functions as a Purchase Card Approving Official when applicable. Develops and mentors staff for career progression, forecasts new knowledge needs for changing practice environments, Participates in the development of education programs and staff development models to facilitate career progression and to increase productivity and performance. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for a highly qualified individual. EDRP Authorized (Student Loan Repayment): Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, for questions/assistance. Learn more. 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 This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 board certified for Pulmonary/ Critical Care. Preferred Experience: 5 year of experience in practicing Pulmonary. 2 year GME/UME program leadership/supervisor experience. Prior experience in hospital quality care and patient safety initiatives. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: To perform in a fully successful manner, the individual must have the physical ability to perform job-related duties which may require light carrying (under 15 pounds), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking (up to 1 hour), standing (up to 1 hour), and both legs required. In addition, there may be exposure to the following environmental factors: working inside and outside, working closely with others, and protracted or irregular hours of work. A health examination must be successfully completed prior to this assignment and periodically thereafter as required by the Occupational Health Clinic policy. There may be intermittent exposure to blood and body fluids. 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 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.
