Summary The Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System is seeking a Physician, Chief Health Informatics Officer that establishes a formal informatics leadership presence to ensure knowledge of informatics is infused throughout the facility, and that health information issues affecting the delivery of care are clearly articulated and raised appropriately for action. The focus of this position is to optimize effectiveness of patient care delivery and systems management in support of the VHA mission and goals. Responsibilities This is an Open Continuous Announcement and may be extended beyond the current closing date until the position is filled. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals, as additional vacancies occur and/or on an as-needed basis during the duration of the announcement. Once a selection is made and offer is accepted the announcement may close pending no additional vacancies. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be available for highly qualified applicants. 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 aim of clinical informatics is to improve health care delivery processes and outcomes through effective use of information and knowledge. The clinician assigned as Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO) will use knowledge of patient care combined with the understanding of informatics concepts to achieve the following: assess information and knowledge needs of the health care professionals and patients; characterize, evaluate and refine clinical processes; develop, implement and refine clinical decision support systems; and participate in the procurement, customization, implementation, management, evaluation and continuous improvement of clinical information systems. As a minimum expectation, informatics personnel should demonstrate the following eight core informatics functions at the baseline proficiency level (VHA Health Informatics Functions Framework, 2020). CHIO serves as the primary advisor to the Medical Center Director, Chief of Staff, Associate Director, and other facility leaders. Application support, business architecture management, enterprise data management, content management, system optimization, change management, requirements management and partnership management. Fundamental information system concepts, including the life cycle of information systems, the constantly evolving capabilities of information technology and health care, and the technical and non-technical issues surrounding system implementation. Ensures adequate support to measurably improve the quality of data and the transfer of clinical information between providers. Supervise professional and non-professional staff to accomplish the work of the health informatics office. Responsible for the education, training, and assists with center-wide instruction on the electronic health record related Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) products and electronic system data validation for clinical services. Coordinates the use of electronic health record software packages for the provision of quality clinical care as well as the use of clinical decision support tools to streamline the process of patient care and provide accurate date in a timely manner. Rational therapeutics within the Medical Center are assisted by this process. Evaluate, document, analyze, prioritize, and recognize requirements for the improvement of the EHR and other systems in collaboration with the end-user. Effectively creates, integrates, disseminates, and manages data for enterprise applications, processes and entities requiring timely and accurate data delivery. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm 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. Preferred Experience: Supervisory Skills Ability to know how information systems and processes enhance or compromise the decision making and actions of the health care team members. How to support users and how to promote clinical adoption of systems. Skilled in using computers and applicable databases/software for statistical purposes and managing information. 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 Reaching above shoulders Use of fingers Both hands required Walking 1-2 hours Both legs required Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Both eyes required Hearing(aid may be permitted) Sitting staff meetings, etc. Environmental Factors: Outside and inside Constant noise Working closely with others 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.
