Physician Chief - Radiology

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance



Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday

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 Chief of Radiology is a senior management position reporting directly to the Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Radiology is responsible for the overall leadership, planning, operations, performance, and administration of the Radiology service line that spans across the entire VA PIHCS catchment area.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

Leadership & Supervision

• Directly supervises medical imaging health care professionals and administrative staff including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, administrative leadership and supervisory technologists. Indirectly supervises all other Imaging Service staff. Allocates workload among staff based on position classification & other relevant considerations.
• Leads the Imaging Service using High Reliability Organization (HRO) and other quality improvement principles, fostering a culture of teamwork, competency, productivity, and accountability. Ensures compliance with governing rules, regulations, and policies. Responsible for the overall atmosphere of the staff & healthcare environment.
• Participates in various meetings and committees at multiple levels within the VA enterprise.
• Collaborates with other Service Chiefs, program managers, & Chief of Staff to meet the needs of stakeholders. Consults with National and VISN Radiology and Nuclear Medicine leadership to achieve established VA Goals and Priorities.
• Establishes plans & policies consistent with federal regulations, VHA Directives, and The Joint Commission standards.
• Works with the Chief of Staff's Office to develop and execute a strategic plan and annual budget for the Imaging Service.
  
  

Resource & Program Management

• Evaluates current resources and demands to effectively utilize inventory, realigning when necessary, and providing justification/recommendations as needed. This includes facility space, equipment, supplies, and staffing.
• Oversees the submission of new equipment and facility space requests, ensuring timely submissions. Collaborates with Engineering Service staff to facilitate associated activities.
• Manages human resources within the Imaging Service, including hiring, appraisals, compensation, discipline, classification, praising, promoting, or dismissing.
• Responsible for the financial management of the Imaging Service.
• Recommends privileging requirements for radiologic, MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine procedures based on training, experience, competence, & health status. Considers any information related to medical malpractice allegations, loss of medical staff membership, reduction of clinical privileges, or licensure challenges
• Reviews requests for initial and renewal credentials and clinical privileges, making recommendations. Maintains performance data on physicians and uses this data to recommend renewal of privileges, including competency review, personal workload, maintenance of certification and participation in quality improvement activities.
  
  

Functions Related to Radiologist Duties

• As a specially trained physician, the Radiologist assists the referring physician in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions with high-quality, timely interpretation of imaging studies.
• Reviews imaging orders and consults, obtains patient histories, and determines the appropriate diagnostic imaging modality and protocols. Communicates with specialized imaging staff and provides supervision based on qualifications and scope of practice.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on imaging examinations and procedures for referring physicians. Makes recommendations in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions based on extensive knowledge of medicine.
• Follows professional industry standards while protocoling examinations, prescribing contrast, medication, and radiation doses.
  
  

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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
• 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 in Radiology.



Preferred Experience:

3 years of Imaging Service Chief experience.



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.

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