Physician - Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) / Designated Education Officer (DEO)

Veterans Health Administration • Cincinnati, OH

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The position is in the Education Service under the Associate Chief of Staff for Education (ACOS-E) at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. The incumbent directly oversees and manages daily operations of the Trainee and Affiliate Education program, from trainee onboarding through offboarding. This includes coordinating with care and service lines, assigning tasks, establishing workflows for the frontline administration team, and managing the program.

The ACOS/E supports the medical center’s educational mission and its large, complex health professions trainee program. The role covers educational policy and compliance, academic affiliations, evaluation of the clinical learning environment, trainee recruitment and hiring, supervision, satisfaction, and onboarding. It also supports fiscal oversight of Education Service funds, allocation of educational resources and funded trainee positions, budget infrastructure, and resource reporting.

The incumbent provides educational expertise, guidance, and problem-solving to address trainee needs and opportunities; supports patient safety and high-reliability organization principles; and helps lead continuous improvement and innovation in trainee education, including diversity and inclusion, modernization of the learning experience, professional development, and research and quality improvement practices. The position provides facility leadership, participates in committees and workgroups, program management, and strategic planning, and may serve as acting ACOS/E (DEO) when needed.

The ACOS/E is expected to spend between 0% and 50% of their time practicing medicine. The incumbent must be eligible for full credentialing and privileges in their medical discipline and qualified to supervise health professions trainees in that discipline. The role also integrates customer service, patient satisfaction, and stakeholder support into management, handles complaints promptly and effectively, and uses customer feedback to plan and improve services.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The VA offers competitive salary, annual performance bonuses and regular salary increases; paid time off; federal retirement and insurance programs; possible CME reimbursement; and malpractice liability protection with tail coverage.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved or accredited institution.
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Completion of qualifying residency training in an accredited core specialty program leading to eligibility for board certification, or qualifying alternative training and independent-practice experience described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Must qualify for full credentialing and privileges in the trained medical discipline and be qualified to supervise health professions trainees in that discipline.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruitment of qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Pass required pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and background/security investigation; comply with drug-testing and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements applicable to the position.
• Complete the required online onboarding and application documentation; males born after 12/31/1959 must meet Selective Service registration requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Board certification is required for oversight responsibilities of the position or an ACGME program.
• Progressive VHA leadership or management experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of Health Professions Trainee onboarding processes.
• Clear understanding of EHRM (Oracle) workflows, processes, and procedures for orienting residents, fellows, and other trainees in documenting Veteran medical care.

Responsibilities

• Directly oversee and manage daily operations of the Trainee and Affiliate Education program, from trainee onboarding through offboarding.
• Coordinate with care and service lines, assign tasks, establish workflows, and manage the frontline administration team.
• Execute and support the medical center’s educational mission and health professions trainee program.
• Support educational policy and compliance, academic affiliations, and evaluation of the clinical learning environment.
• Support fiscal oversight of Education Service funds and ensure appropriate allocation of educational resources and funded trainee positions.
• Provide educational expertise, advice, guidance, and problem-solving to identify and address trainee needs, problems, and opportunities.
• Support patient safety and high-reliability organization principles, and oversee trainee recruitment, hiring, supervision, and satisfaction processes.
• Facilitate continuous process improvement and innovation in trainee educational programs, including diversity and inclusion, modernization of the learning experience, professional development, research, and quality improvement.
• Provide facility leadership and serve as acting ACOS/E (DEO) when needed.
• Participate in committees and workgroups, program management, and strategic planning.
• Integrate customer service, patient satisfaction, and stakeholder support into management; address complaints promptly and use customer feedback to plan and improve services.
• Practice medicine for 0% to 50% of work time and supervise health professions trainees in the incumbent’s medical discipline.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, including 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays, and possible 5-day paid CME absence.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k), with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible $1,000 per year CME reimbursement for full-time employees with board certification.
• Free liability protection with tail coverage.
• No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree