Summary St. Cloud VA Health Care System is seeking a Surgery Specialty Care (SSC) Integrated Clinical Community (ICC) Director in St. Cloud, MN. The SSC ICC Director has clinical and administrative oversight of the SSC ICC Service Line. The incumbent must have strong managerial and organizational skills as well as extensive clinical knowledge in the area of surgery. Responsibilities The SSC ICC Director provides leadership and management for the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC), Surgical Service (General Surgery, Orthopedics, Podiatry, Urology, ENT), Anesthesia and Specialty Care (Optometry, Dental and Audiology), ensuring the delivery of high-quality surgical care to our Veterans. This role encompasses administrative, clinical, and educational responsibilities and requires a strong commitment to patient safety, quality improvement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. MAJOR DUTIES INCLUDE: Must be credentialed and privileged in the practice of surgery in an Operating Room setting at the VA medical facility. Provides leadership and oversight to ensure effective management of the Facility Surgical Work Group (FSWG) activities. Serves as a member of relevant committees and workgroups, representing the surgical service and contributing to facility-wide initiatives. Oversees and responds to issues, concerns and deficiencies in clinical outcomes, surgical standards of care, and coordination of surgical care with the VA medical facility. Ensues dissemination of information provided by NSO or the VISN leadership to FSWG members and others as appropriate. Facilitates and participates in VA medical facility surgical mortality and morbidity review conferences. Collaborates with the facility surgical quality nurse to ensure the validity of surgical data entered into the VistA Surgery Package (or equivalent electronic health record surgery platform) for each procedure performed in an operating room. Coordinates ongoing functions of the facility surgical quality nurse, including timely VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) data submission and compliance with other VASQIP requirements. Assists in the assessment and management of all faculty, students, residents and staff in the SSC ICC. Provides oversight of all items relating to Employee Relations /Labor Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, patient advocate issues, Joint Patient Safety reports, etc. Provides guidance and clinical supervision for the nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, and health technicians assigned to Surgery and Specialty Care (SSC), and Ambulatory Care Services (ASC). Monitors and evaluates the performance of surgical staff, promoting professional development and ensuring compliance with VA regulations and standards. Assists in the development, implementation, and expansion of programs in the SSC/ASC. Oversees the SSC ICC budget. Participates in various facility programs designed to enhance and improve the delivery of patient care services, to include but not limited to Process Improvement Action Teams, Root Cause Analysis, and Peer Review. Exhibits leadership in initiating change in patient care programs based on current concepts and findings from evidence-based research and studies. Keeps informed of developments in the management treatment of diseases and illness through continuing medical education, both formal and informal. Actively participates in external review bodies: Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, Office of Medical Investigation, Annual Workplace Evaluation and others as appropriate. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Available (Ad-hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. You may be required to serve a probationary period. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year probationary 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Podiatrist Basic Requirements Degree as a doctor of podiatric medicine, or its equivalent, from a school of podiatric medicine approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Approved schools are United States schools of podiatric medicine approved by the Council on Podiatry Education of the American Podiatry Association in the year in which the degree was granted. ~AND~ Completed, or currently completing, residency training, or its equivalent, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. VA Podiatrists involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status. Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Council on Podiatric Medical Education, in the list published for the year the residency was completed, or (2) Other residencies and training experiences, or their equivalents, which the local Professional Standards Board determines to have provided an applicant with appropriate professional training. ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice Podiatry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Additional Requirements (Service Chief, Section Chief or Line Manager): A service chief or line manager podiatrist must demonstrate the following: (1) Outstanding professional ability in the practice of medicine or a medical specialty; ~AND~ (2) Ability to guide the development and implementation of programs, within their respective domain. These programs would include, but are not limited to, medical practice, professional standards, personnel issues, and quality and performance improvement. Preferred Experience: Board Certified in Surgery Strong Leadership Skills Strong Communication Ability to Build Coalitions Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager every 2 weeks until the announcement is closed, cancelled, or filled. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.
