Summary The Chief of Medicine reports to the Chief of Staff and provides oversight and responsibility for a large spectrum of clinical operations and administrative functions for the 14 sections, inclusive of inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient specialty areas (Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Neurology, Pulmonary/Critical Care/Sleep, Rheumatology and Occupational Health). Responsibilities The Chief of Medicine is responsible for the overall management, planning, organization, direction, and control of all programs within the Healthcare Group. The incumbent is responsible for fiscal oversight, patient satisfaction, patient care delivery, research activities, and appropriate interface with all other services of the VA Long Beach Healthcare System, engaged in strategic, operational, and tactical planning at the facility and HCG levels. An experienced physician leader working collaboratively among a multidisciplinary team to enhance the Veteran experience, promote a culture of safety, optimize access, and ensure quality care. The major duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Collaborates in a team-oriented professional environment to develop new models of care that improve access and coordination of care; educates and empowers Veterans and their families; enhances the quality of human interactions and therapeutic alliances; and promotes the coordination, continuity, and integration of care. Demonstrates flexibility, integrity, and accountability in a work ethic that emphasizes excellence and quality. Directs health care programs, delegating authority and responsibility to meet both VALBHS and Medicine Healthcare Group (HCG) goals Supervises the clinical Section Chiefs in addition to assigned Medicine Service administrative staff, and is responsible for assigning duties to staff within Medicine Service. Collaborates with hospital leadership in identifying strategic opportunities and initiatives; Develops, as appropriate, key performance metrics (KPIs). Responsible for meeting clinical performance measures related to Medicine HCG and assisting hospital leadership, when possible, in meeting facility-wide measures. Participates in wide-ranging and higher-level management functions for Medicine HCG through participation and planning in operational boards, councils, and committees within VALBHS, VISN22, and VHA. Serves as primary liaison for common interests between VALBHS and UC Irvine, and specifically, the Department of Medicine and its Subspecialty Divisions. Provide direct clinical and administrative oversight for medical students and Internal Medicine residents. Determines goals, priorities, and direction for the Medicine Service and its clinical operations and administrative functions, reflecting and demonstrating support of the Medical Service, Chief of Staff, Medical Center Directors, VISN Network, and National goals. Provide direct patient care in the area of specialty approximately 30% of the time. Oversees all personnel management aspects of Medicine Service, including credentialing and privileging, defining the scope of practice/privileges for medicine personnel, focused and ongoing professional practice evaluations, ongoing performance evaluations, and assures the maintenance of continuing education for staff physicians. Serves on hospital committees and task forces, both standing and ad hoc, as appropriate Facilitates and encourages academic physicians to pursue education and research opportunities. Collaborates with the Chair, Department of Medicine, UC Irvine, and oversees time allocation and activities of physicians involved in VA-approved and VA-funded research. 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 a 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, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm 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 identification 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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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. Exceptions: 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 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. In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: Board Certification in the specialty/subspecialty listed in the announcement. Preferred Experience: Greater than 5 Years of Supervisory & Leadership Experience Eligibility for Faculty Appointment at Academic Affiliate VA Experience Preferred Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical demands include repetitive body movements, such as frequent reaching, standing, walking, and lifting equipment and/or patients to provide patient care. This position requires extension of the hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction, including above or below shoulder level, during the provision of patient care, including the retrieval of needed equipment and supplies, and contact with the patient. This position requires maintaining an upright posture to perform patient care duties and is typically non-sedentary, frequently involving standing. Position also requires moving about to accomplish tasks, such as assisting with patient ambulation and transferring patients between areas. This position requires raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects from one horizontal position to another. Lifting may be used to move a patient from one location to another (e.g., from the exam table to the chair) and to move equipment or supplies. 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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.
