Physician - PIMS Section Chief

Veterans Health Administration • Charleston, SC

3d

About The Position

The Physician - PIMS Section Chief serves as the primary clinical expert and attending physician for the Pain Management Section, providing direct care to Veterans with acute, chronic, and cancer-related pain. The role performs and supervises interventional pain procedures, maintains proficiency in fluoroscopy- and ultrasound-guided procedures, and ensures radiation safety. It also manages complex multimodal pain regimens, including judicious opioid therapy consistent with VHA Opioid Safety Initiative guidelines.

The Section Chief leads and develops the facility’s spinal cord stimulation (SCS) program, overseeing patient selection, evaluation, psychological screening coordination, trial lead placement, implantation, follow-up, programming, troubleshooting, and revision procedures. The role tracks SCS outcomes and collaborates with other specialties and industry representatives when needed.

As administrative Section Chief, the position directly supervises Pain Management Section staff and leads a multidisciplinary team. It establishes team processes and standards, supports staff development, and develops and evaluates section policies, clinical practice guidelines, and quality assurance programs. In collaboration with service-line leadership and the Chief of Staff, the Section Chief manages the section budget, resources, equipment, and staffing, and plans for program growth, including telehealth, academic affiliations, and research.

The position participates in facility committees and ensures compliance with applicable accreditation, safety, VA, and other regulatory standards. It provides teaching to medical students, residents, fellows, and other trainees; supports or leads clinical research; and shares best practices through presentations, publications, and VA-wide collaboration.

The listed schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., subject to change based on agency needs. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to its eligibility and approval requirements. The announcement lists competitive salary, performance bonuses, salary increases, paid leave and holidays, federal retirement and insurance programs, possible CME reimbursement, and malpractice protection. Recruitment or relocation incentives are authorized.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved or accredited school.
• 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 meeting VA requirements in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification, or an applicable stated alternative pathway.
• Board certification in Pain Medicine (ABPM, ABA, or equivalent).
• At least 3 years of post-fellowship clinical experience in interventional pain management; the announcement specifies a minimum of 3–5 years.
• Completion of an ACGME-accredited Pain Medicine fellowship.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except where VA policy permits appointment of non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, drug testing for testing-designated positions, physical evaluation, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to male applicants born after December 31, 1959.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience performing spinal cord stimulation trials and permanent implantations, with documented procedural volume.
• Prior supervisory or leadership experience in a multidisciplinary clinical setting.
• Familiarity with VHA/VA systems, policies, and the Veteran patient population.
• Experience with electronic health records, preferably VistA/CPRS or Oracle Health (Cerner).
• Experience with telehealth pain management services.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care as the primary clinical expert and attending physician for Veterans with acute, chronic, and cancer-related pain.
• Perform and supervise interventional pain procedures, including epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections and medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, sympathetic nerve blocks, sacroiliac joint injections, trigger point injections, peripheral nerve blocks, and spinal cord stimulation trials and implantations.
• Maintain proficiency in fluoroscopy- and ultrasound-guided procedures and ensure radiation safety compliance.
• Manage complex multimodal pain regimens, including opioid therapy in accordance with VHA Opioid Safety Initiative guidelines.
• Lead and develop the facility’s spinal cord stimulation program, including patient selection, pre-procedural evaluation, psychological screening coordination, trial lead placement, permanent implantation, post-implant follow-up, device programming, troubleshooting, and revision procedures.
• Collaborate with neurosurgery, orthopedics, and industry representatives for complex spinal cord stimulation cases, and track and report outcomes according to VHA quality improvement metrics.
• Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary pain management team, facilitate team meetings and case conferences, and establish communication protocols, workflows, and performance standards.
• Mentor and support the professional development of Pain Management Section team members.
• Directly supervise Pain Management Section staff and develop, implement, and evaluate section policies, procedures, clinical practice guidelines, and quality assurance programs.
• Prepare and manage the section budget, resource allocation, equipment procurement, and staffing plans in collaboration with the Chief of Staff and Physical Integrated Medicine service-line leadership.
• Lead strategic planning for section growth, including telehealth pain services, academic affiliations, and research opportunities.
• Participate in facility-level committees, including Pharmacy & Therapeutics, Peer Review, Quality Management, and Executive Leadership committees, as assigned.
• Ensure compliance with The Joint Commission, OSHA, VHA Directives, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Provide didactic and clinical teaching to medical students, residents, fellows, and other trainees.
• Support and potentially lead clinical research relevant to Veterans’ pain management, including SCS outcomes research, and disseminate best practices through presentations, publications, and VHA-wide collaboration.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan reimbursement, with awards up to $200,000 subject to program approval and eligibility.
• Recruitment or relocation incentives are authorized.
• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, federal holidays, and possible paid CME absence.
• Traditional federal pension and federal 401(k), with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• 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 eligible full-time, board-certified physicians.
• Free malpractice 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