Physician/Deputy ACOS Primary Care Service

Veterans Health Administration • Saint Louis, MO

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Deputy Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS), Primary Care position at VA St. Louis combines clinical care and service management. The role includes inpatient consultation, outpatient clinic duties, supervision of licensed independent practitioners, staff, and trainees assigned to the Service, and direct outpatient patient care. There are opportunities to participate in population health management and quality improvement projects. Prior training or clinical experience in an academic teaching environment is preferred.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate leadership and communication skills, collaborate with medical-center customers and stakeholders, build and work effectively within teams, and support VA’s mission to improve Veterans’ health. The position also oversees professional and administrative activities and operational aspects of the Service, including clinical standards, operations, quality, staff selection, orientation, and continuing education in collaboration with other physician leaders.

The role is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to VHA eligibility and approval. The program may provide up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years. A recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified applicants.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved and 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 residency training in an approved accredited core specialty program leading to eligibility for board certification, or qualifying alternative residency training as described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Experience in Primary Care is a prerequisite for selection.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Selected applicants must pass a pre-employment physical examination and applicable background/security investigation, and meet onboarding and identification requirements.
• Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing-designated position must undergo urinalysis for illegal drug use; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• A two-year trial period is required.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Prior training or clinical experience in an academic teaching environment.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, collaborative ability, and the ability to build and work effectively within teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide primary care to a panel of male and female patients.
• Perform comprehensive assessments, diagnostic work-ups, and clinical interventions, including health histories, physical examinations, and patient education for scheduled and unscheduled Veterans.
• Coordinate and provide care as an integral member of a multidisciplinary Primary Care team.
• Distinguish normal from abnormal findings, establish diagnoses, and respond appropriately to emergency health problems.
• Initiate appropriate referrals and consultations to other clinical services.
• Order and evaluate diagnostic tests and recommend treatment or referral as appropriate.
• Validate the effectiveness of previously implemented medical treatment.
• Initiate, evaluate, and change medication orders.
• Include patients and families in care planning and establish realistic, measurable health-maintenance and health-improvement goals.
• Serve on facility, VISN, and national committees and workgroups as appropriate.
• Oversee professional and administrative activities within the assigned division, including staff selection, orientation, and continuing education in collaboration with physician leaders.
• Supervise operational aspects of the Service, including clinical-care standards, operations, and quality.
• Respond to computerized alerts about diagnostic-test abnormalities and to health-line requests from Veterans or family members on the day received.
• Follow performance-measure guidelines, including completing clinical reminders in the electronic medical record, and meet access, timeliness, prescription-order-entry, National VA formulary, and customer-service standards.
• Work effectively with patients, families, multidisciplinary team members, and other staff; respond flexibly to clinic demands and maintain ethical and professional standards and a harmonious, customer-service-oriented work environment.
• Serve as a resource for nurse practitioners and physician assistants providing primary care and respond to patient concerns from primary-care team staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and eligibility periods of one to five years.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified applicants.
• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, comprising 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays, and possibly five paid CME absence days.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a 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 annual CME reimbursement for full-time physicians 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