Summary The Chief of Otolaryngology is responsible for monitoring the quality of care provided by providers in the Otolaryngology Section at the Phoenix VA Health Care System. In addition, the Chief is responsible for developing the scope of practice for employees assigned to Otolaryngology and assuring implementation of quality improvement measures along with developing action plans to meet performance measures with regard to Otolaryngology quality in support of the VISN 22 performance measures. Responsibilities This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 4th, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 25th, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates each Friday. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Responsible for developing, planning, clarifying, administering, and managing the Otolaryngology Service at the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS) and its relationship within VISN 22. Designates Otolaryngology care priorities and objectives, and supervises and evaluates performance of staff assigned to the program. Makes independent professional decisions and recommendations with infrequent recourse to supervisory guidance. Responsible for advising management of specific clinical or administrative issues within the Otolaryngology Section. Serves as a consultant and advisor to subordinates, peers, and administration. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Clinical Responsibilities Spends 75% of time with clinical responsibilities. Diagnose and treat airway disorders using the most appropriate techniques in providing quality care. Provide supervision, as appropriate, of trainees conducting direct Otolaryngology care. Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center as appropriate and outcome data as appropriate. Consult with Medical Center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Remain involved in program evaluation. Maintain full clinical privileges as a member of the Medical Staff. Abide by Medical Staff By-laws and Rules. Administrative Responsibilities Spends 25% of time managing the Otolaryngology Surgery Section. Supervising a variety of positions including administrative positions and providers. Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staff. Has direct administrative supervision of the Otolaryngology Surgery physicians and other providers (CRNA) and the Otolaryngology Surgery administrative staff. Serves as a consultant to other Medical Center staff and trainees. Serves on Medical Center and VISN committees or task forces as needed. Responsible for coordination of Otolaryngology Surgery services in the event of critical occurrences of violence at the facility, disasters, and/or mass casualty occurrences. Develops responses to controlled correspondence at the Medical Center, VISN, and VACO levels as directed. Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs using data-driven quality assurance processes. Responsible for timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Medical Center, VISN, and VACO, ensuring compliance with appropriate accrediting bodies (such as JC), as appropriate. Has programmatic oversight and shared responsibility. Reports to the Chief of Surgery, but operates on a day-to-day basis in an independent manner, with full responsibility to keep the Chief of Surgery apprised of activities and any issues in need of close collaboration. Consults with and serves as a resource for other services concerning the need for the development of related services. Other duties as assigned. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not 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-$2,500 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: Full-time; 6:30am-5:00pm 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 evaluation. 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. Preferred Experience: Board Certification in the Specialty/Sub-Specialty listed in the announcement is preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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.
