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Summary The Chief of Staff (COS), serving as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at VACHCS, is the senior physician leader who not only makes clinical decisions and provides direct patient care but also actively participates in managing resources to support high-quality healthcare delivery tailored to the needs of the Veteran population. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off 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 (must be full-time with board certification) Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting The VA Central California Healthcare System is seeking a board-certified physician for this role-an energetic and visionary leader with strong leadership, managerial, organizational, communication, and clinical skills, ideally with prior VA clinical administrative experience, who can build upon the strengths of the current clinical services. Major duties include, but are not limited to: ADMINISTRATIVE: Collaborates with Fiscal Service, Business Office, Human Resources Management Service, and other key departments as a full ELT member. Presides over the medical staff and ensuring the consistent application of uniform standards of practice, education, and research. Translating Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical and administrative directives into effective local policies and ensuring their execution. Oversees the quality, appropriateness, and timeliness of patient care provided by all medical staff. Directs and manages medical staff functions, committees, bylaws, rules, and regulations for VACCHCS and its CBOCs. Ensures compliance with Credentialing and Privileging VHA Directives in coordination with VISN oversight bodies, including timely completion of all Professional Practice Focused Reviews in accordance with The Joint Commission's Medical Staff Standards. Leads strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance improvement initiatives with active medical staff participation. Serves as Chair for the Medical Staff Executive Board and its Credentialing/Privileging branch, Peer Review Committee, and other designated committees. CLINICAL: Ensures timely and thorough patient assessments, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Promoting integrated psychosocial support and counseling services through all care disciplines, including pharmacy, nursing, mental health, and medical/surgical services. Verify the competency of medical staff to provide care to diverse patients, including young, middle-aged, older, and geriatric Veterans. Supports the development and adherence to evidence-based clinical guidelines, particularly VHA Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and other nationally recognized standards. Monitors and evaluates clinical practice patterns through participation in performance improvement, risk management, and peer review activities. Serves as the Facility Utilization Management Advisor, ensuring appropriate utilization of services, including admissions and inpatient care, in accordance with InterQual criteria. Acts as liaison to the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), ensuring timely communication with the Medical Center Director and dissemination of VISN directives to appropriate staff. Maintains a clinical workload in the Chief of Staff's specialty area to remain current in practice and model clinical excellence. EDUCATIONAL: Fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional development by maintaining and enforcing continuing medical education (CME) standards for the medical staff in alignment with accrediting organizations. Promotes effective communication and collaboration between VACCHCS, local facilities, and other facilities within the VISN. Encourages active staff participation in patient and family education, as well as preventive and therapeutic counseling. Oversees medical and resident educational programs within VACCHCS and encouraging staff to support the VA's education mission. Evaluates the effectiveness of teaching programs to ensure they meet patient care needs and organizational goals. Ensures proper supervision of house staff and residents. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Supports and oversees research activities within VACCHCS by ensuring all research is conducted in accordance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Research & Development Committee (R&DC) approvals. Promotes scientifically rigorous, ethical, and patient-respectful research practices. Provides appropriate oversight for all ongoing research studies. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications 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: Board certified physician Preferred Experience: A minimum of 10 years of progressive clinical experience in a healthcare setting, with at least 5 years in a senior medical leadership position. Demonstrated experience in managing clinical operations and ensuring the delivery of high-quality patient care. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Applicants must meet physical standards for the position. A physical examination prior to placement is required. This is a designated drug testing position. After appointment, you will be subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Requires lifting 15-44 pounds; pushing (approx. 2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers and both hands; walking and standing from 3-5 hours and kneeling. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors. Hearing aid is permitted. Education Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.] NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.