The Chief of Plastic Surgery is responsible for overseeing staff in the Plastic Surgery section who provide a broad range of interventions to Veterans with complex disease and comorbidities, within a patient centric model. The incumbent will oversee, define and establish the direction of the inpatient and outpatient hospital programs, including quality improvement opportunities. S/he ensures that best clinical practices are used in conformity with accepted VHA Hospital Medicine directives. To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences. Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Additional Requirement: American Heart Association BLS BC/BE in Plastic Surgery Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Candidates must successfully complete a pre-employment physical. Position requires walking, standing, reading typewritten material without strain, ability to hear conversational voice, emotional and mental stability, and working closely with others. Incumbent may be exposed to blood and body fluids. Must be able to physically respond when needed by prompt appearance at required location. Physical activity includes sitting, standing (up to 4 hours), walking (up to 2 hours), bending and reaching. ["The successful candidate follows established, acceptable, clinical practice guidelines, remains current in scientific medical advancements and state of the art medical practices. The incumbent follows appropriate ethical principles, policies and protocols defined by the organization. It is the responsibility of the Chief for Plastic Surgery to oversee, define and establish the direction of the inpatient and outpatient hospital programs, including quality improvement opportunities. S/he ensures that best clinical practices are used in conformity with accepted VHA Hospital Medicine directives. The Plastic Surgery Chief oversees the educational instruction of Albany Medical College residents and students assigned to rotations at the VA, ensuring that a robust educational curriculum is followed to meet the educational needs of the post-graduate training program, working in close collaboration with the Surgery Residency program Director. Duties include but not limited to: Delivering the best possible care to our Veteran patients. This care must be delivered in accordance with hospital policy and meet community standards and pertains to outpatients as well as inpatients. Supervises all operational aspects of the Section Plastic Surgery, including establishment of the highest clinical care standards, operations, and quality Develops strong, collegial working relationships with other leaders within the medical center (both clinical and administrative), and with other section heads within the Department of Surgery and other service Chiefs/section heads. Working with these individuals and the members of the Department of Surgery, the Plastic Surgery Chief will develop a vision and strategic plan for the Section of Plastic Surgery. Responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of systems redesigns projects, quality improvements and assurance programs of inpatient services The Plastic Surgery Chief will champion initiatives designed to improve overall quality using evidence-based medicine and peer review. Primary responsibility for supervising other Plastic Surgeons in the Section, and to ensure that they are performing to the highest standards of clinical care excellence, time efficiency, professional and ethical behavior. Actively participate in clinical review process such as tort claims, peer reviews, management reviews and administrative activities, as directed by the Chief of Surgery and/or Chief of Staff. Ensures that on-call physician coverage to meet patient care responsibilities is in place 24/7 and is expected to organize and/or oversee on-call schedules, which should be configured monthly (or at least semi-annually) and broadly disseminated to all departments (clinical and administrative) within the medical center. She or he also participates in the shared rotation of night and weekend on-call coverage. Participates in and/or manages all aspects of a general plastic surgery program to include clinical, administrative, and academic components. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of annual paid time offer per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8am - 4:30pm"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
