Assistant Chief of Surgery (Physician)

Quick Facts

• Role: Physician Assistant Chief of Surgery
• Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday–Friday (8:00am–4:30pm)
• EDRP (Education Debt Reduction Program): Authorized (up to $200,000 possible). Eligibility and award terms are determined after EDRP application review; duration typically one to five years. Former EDRP participants are not eligible.

Description

You will provide oversight of clinical and administrative management for an assigned surgical section/specialty, accountable for the quality of care and compliance with VA/VHA bylaws, policies, and procedures. The role includes supervising staff, ensuring appropriate staffing and documentation, managing clinic operations and operating room block scheduling, and supporting inspections and audits. You may also act as Service Chief when directed and participate in required internal and external committees.

Responsibilities

• Oversee clinical and administrative management for the assigned section/specialty
• Ensure quality of care and accountability for all care delivered by section/specialty providers
• Supervise staff and complete required performance evaluations and professional practice measurements
• Ensure the clinic is staffed appropriately; adjust staffing requests as needed
• Maintain compliance and hold staff accountable for compliance with VA/VHA requirements
• Oversee section/specialty needs and assist with inspections and specialty clinical/administrative issue reviews for audits (TJC, JACHO, OIG, and others)
• Act as Service Chief when directed for coverage when the Service Chief is unavailable
• Serve and participate in internal and external committees as required
• Assign staff tasks and ensure duties are evenly distributed; assign staff to meetings/committees as needed
• Resolve conflicts within the section/specialty to avoid disruption in patient care or clinic flow
• Develop and implement policies, manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as needed
• Maintain and contribute to quality control programs as assigned
• Review and monitor space and other resources for the assigned section/specialty
• Hold section/specialty meetings as needed; attend Service meetings
• Ensure timely clinical/surgical documentation, encounters, signed notes, and consult review/response
• Assign operating room times and rooms within assigned block times; prioritize cases by urgency
• Assist Surgery service administrative staff with staff accountability for education, occupational health, HR, and clinical responsibilities
• Approve/deny leave requests and certify timecards for assigned staff
• Support labor mapping and productivity reporting for assigned staff
• Complete or assign staff to support new employee orientation for the service/specialty/OR
• Use proper chain of command when reporting issues; keep the Service Chief informed
• Resolve or assign staff to resolve customer service issues for the section/specialty

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship (non-citizens may be appointed only when VA cannot recruit qualified citizens per VA policy)
• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from a VA-approved school
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a U.S. state/territory/commonwealth or DC
• Completion of residency training leading to eligibility for board certification (with limited PRP and exception pathways)
• Board Certified/Eligible in a surgical specialty (position has a driving requirement)
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Background/security investigation
• Pre-employment physical evaluation
• Completion of online onboarding and required pre-employment steps (including required identification rules)
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program
• Selective Service registration required for applicable males

Benefits

• Recruitment/Relocation incentives (sign-on bonus and relocation assistance) may be authorized for highly qualified candidates
• Competitive salary with annual performance bonus and regular salary increases
• Paid time off: 50–55 days per year (annual leave, sick leave, federal holidays, and possible paid CME-related absence)
• Traditional federal pension (with 5-year vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% contributions
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance options
• CME reimbursement: possible $1,000/year (for full-time board-certified physicians)
• Malpractice coverage with tail coverage provided
• No physician employment contract and no significant moonlighting restrictions