Physician (Patient Aligned Care Team)

Veterans Health Administration • Artesia, NM

2d

About The Position

The New Mexico VA Health Care System is hiring a Rural Health Primary Care Section Chief Physician. The Section Chief oversees seven Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) throughout New Mexico and manages a Primary Care Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The role plans, organizes, develops, implements, controls, and refines comprehensive patient management and clinical support within the clinic. The physician is expected to embrace primary care delivered through the PACT model and use evidence-based methods to improve patient outcomes and quality of care, including implementing interdisciplinary Telehealth programs.

The Section Chief provides clinical and technical counsel and leadership guidance to section staff, develops policies and procedures for effective management, ethics, safety, communication, and quality, and supports collaboration with Health Administration Service and Nursing Management. The role leads process and performance improvement and quality assurance initiatives, maintains appropriate meeting records, and promotes high ethical, clinical, and administrative standards.

The physician develops short- and long-term plans for the section, integrates Primary Care programs with Extended PACT services to support interdisciplinary care, and makes resource-management recommendations to the Chief and Assistant Chief of Primary Care, including matters involving equipment, space, and educational opportunities. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is an open continuous announcement through January 8, 2027; the initial application referral cutoff is October 26, 2026.

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 training program leading to board-certification eligibility, or an applicable training and independent-practice alternative specified in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and meet applicable background, security, drug-testing, and onboarding requirements.
• Comply with the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.

Nice To Haves

• At least two years of VA clinical experience.
• Board certified or board eligible in a specialty medicine discipline, with at least two years of practice experience.
• At least two years of clinical leadership experience, including peer leadership in employee engagement and retention efforts.

Responsibilities

• Oversee seven Community Based Outpatient Clinics throughout New Mexico and manage a Primary Care Patient Aligned Care Team.
• Plan, organize, develop, implement, control, and refine patient management and clinical support within the clinic.
• Use evidence-based methods to improve patient outcomes and quality of care, and implement interdisciplinary Telehealth programs.
• Provide services, technical counsel, and leadership guidance to section staff to meet patients’ care and treatment needs.
• Maintain records of meetings, including conclusions, data recommendations, responsible persons, actions taken, and evaluations of effectiveness as appropriate.
• Develop policies and procedures supporting effective management, ethics, safety, communication, and quality within the section and between Primary Care and other services.
• Collaborate with Health Administration Service and Nursing Management.
• Lead process and performance improvement and quality assurance initiatives in primary care.
• Support Primary Care Services goals and the mission of the hospital and VA Health Care System while maintaining high ethical, clinical, and administrative standards.
• Develop long- and short-term plans for the section, integrating Primary Care programs with Extended PACT services to ensure an interdisciplinary approach.
• Recommend resource-management actions to the Chief and Assistant Chief of Primary Care, including equipment, space, and educational opportunities.

Benefits

• Recruitment or relocation incentive (sign-on bonus) 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 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: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree