Summary This position is a Licensed Independent Practitioner with both clinical and administrative responsibilities. The Chief of Pain Medicine serves as the physician executive responsible for the overall leadership, direction, and operation of the Pain Medicine Service within the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVCBHCS). A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a Highly Qualified Individual. Responsibilities The Chief of Pain Medicine provides comprehensive administrative oversight of the service, including fiscal stewardship, human resources management, employee relations, performance management, strategic planning, and program development. The incumbent ensures integration of clinical and administrative functions to optimize the utilization of personnel, facilities, and resources while maintaining high standards of access, quality, safety, customer service, and regulatory compliance. The Pain Medicine Service is an interdisciplinary program composed of interventional and non-interventional pain specialists, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation providers, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Chiropractic services, and Orthotist/Prosthetist staff, with matrixed support from Pain Psychology and Clinical Pharmacy Specialists. The Chief of Pain Medicine is responsible for coordinating these disciplines into a unified, collaborative service line that functions as an integrated system of care. The incumbent develops, implements, and maintains a comprehensive biopsychosocial model of integrated pain care for Veterans residing within the VATVCBHCS catchment area. Care delivery is accomplished through a hybrid model utilizing both face-to-face and telehealth modalities to ensure access to evidence-based pain management services across a large and geographically dispersed service area. The Chief of Pain Medicine ensures the quality, timeliness, and appropriateness of services provided and maintains accountability for clinical outcomes and service performance. The incumbent also functions as a clinical provider within his/her specialty and maintains responsibility for the overall clinical care delivered within the Pain Medicine Service. The incumbent supports the Department of Veterans Affairs health care mission recognizing that the services provided are subject to oversight and scrutiny by Congressional stakeholders, Veterans Service Organizations, accrediting and regulatory agencies, the public, and the media. The incumbent independently exercises clinical and administrative judgment in managing complex patient care issues and operational challenges within the Pain Medicine Service. The Chief ensures that all service personnel understand and comply with local VATVCBHCS policies and procedures, VHA Directives, Joint Commission standards, State licensure requirements, accreditation standards, and VA Office of Inspector General expectations. The incumbent conducts ongoing reviews, performance monitoring, and quality assessments to ensure achievement of service objectives and adherence to regulatory and professional standards. The Chief of Pain Medicine advises executive leadership regarding clinical policy implications, operational issues, and program development, and recommends appropriate courses of action. The incumbent collaborates with other clinical and administrative services to achieve medical center goals and maintain continuity of patient care across service lines. The Chief coordinates and negotiates resolution of complex interdisciplinary issues and prepares special reports, official correspondence, and responses, including those related to oversight inquiries and Congressional requests. The incumbent coordinates care across disciplines using professional expertise and knowledge of pain management principles and integrated care practices. The Chief ensures effective collaboration among interventional and non-interventional providers and rehabilitation disciplines and facilitates coordination with matrixed pain psychology and clinical pharmacy services to support comprehensive patient care. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized 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 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 08:00am - 04:30pm Telework Eligible: Ad-hoc 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. 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. Board Certified or Board eligible in an area applicable to the position (e.g., Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pain Medicine, PM&R, etc.) Preferred Experience: 2+ years of administrative/supervisory experience or an MBA/MHA 5+ years of clinical experience in Interventional Pain, non-interventional Pain, Orthopedics, or PM&R Active DEA Experience with the delivery of telemedicine Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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.
