Summary The Chief oversees all physicians, providers and administrative staff in Medicine Service. Incumbent is responsible for the full array of clinical operations and administrative functions of inpatient General and Internal Medicine, along with the subspecialties of Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics/Palliative Care, Hematology/Oncology, Hospital Medicine, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Pulmonary, Rheumatology, and Sleep Medicine. Responsibilities The Chief of Medicine is responsible for oversight of all physician staff, providers and administrative staff in Medicine Service. In particular, the Chief of Medicine is responsible for the full array of clinical operations and administrative functions of inpatient General and Internal Medicine, along with the subspecialties of Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Hospital Medicine, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Palliative Care, Pulmonary, Rheumatology, and Sleep Medicine. Major duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for participation in the promotion and oversight of appropriate performance improvement and systems redesign activities and advancing the principles of access and timeliness of care. Directs health care programs, delegating authority and responsibility to meet both VASDHS and Medicine Service goals and to apply that knowledge to improve and optimize health care. Supervises the clinical Section Chiefs in addition to Medicine Service administrative staff and responsible for assigning duties to staff within Medicine Service. Responsible for meeting all clinical performance measures related to Medicine Service and assisting hospital leadership, when possible, in meeting facility-wide measures Collaborates with hospital leadership in identifying strategic opportunities and initiatives Participates in wide-ranging and higher-level management functions for Medicine Service through participation and planning in operational boards, councils and committees within VASDHS, the VISN and VHA. Serve as the primary liaison for common interests between VASDHS and the UCSD School of Medicine, and specifically, the Department of Medicine and its Subspecialty Divisions. Determines goals, priorities and direction for the Medicine Service and its clinical operations and administrative functions. Responsible for the fiscal management of Medicine Service. Oversees all personnel management aspects of Medicine Service, including credentialing and privileging, defining 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. Facilitates and encourages academic physicians to pursue education and research opportunities. The incumbent collaborates effectively in this mission with the Chair, Department of Medicine, UCSD School of Medicine. He/she will also oversee time allocation and activities of physicians involved in VA-approved and VA-funded research activities and review research proposals. Conducts regular meetings to keep staff informed of all clinical business, policies, procedures, goals and priorities. Working with high-level administrative support staff, the incumbent will be responsible for the development of position descriptions and competencies for direct report staff, along with the development and completion of performance standards and appraisals. Addresses grievances, administers disciplinary actions and nominates incentive awards in all matters concerning Medicine Service staff members. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate 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, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, PST 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. Additional Requirement: Board Certification: Certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in the specialty/sub-specialty indicated. Demonstrate a record of academic accomplishment commensurate with the rank of associate or full professor and will be eligible for academic appointment through the University of California San Diego. Preferred Experience: Prior Veteran's Health Administration experience, clinical leadership, and managerial skills. Administering programs, clinical operations, teaching and research. Prior supervisory experience and established leadership. Data analysis, process improvement, performance monitoring and quality assurance. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Most work is performed in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts and the work is generally sedentary. The position will require some physical effort such as sitting, standing, walking, bending, typing, and carrying of light items such as papers, files, books, or reports that do not require special physical demands. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.