Summary

Chief of Surgery functions as the direct reports to within Surgical Care Services of the New Mexico VA Health Care System. This position carries the possibility of a joint faculty appointment at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Department of Surgery. Applicants must have the appropriate credentials for a faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor level or higher at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center.

Qualifications

This position carries the possibility of a joint faculty appointment at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Department of Surgery. Applicants must have the appropriate credentials for a faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor level or higher at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center. 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
• Education: 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
• Licensure: 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: Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) - b) OR 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
• English Language Proficiency: Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Additional Requirement: This position requires that the selectee be Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
• This position carries the possibility of a joint faculty appointment at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Department of Surgery
• Applicants must have the appropriate credentials for a faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor level or higher at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting - 15-44 pounds
• straight pulling (4 hours)
• pushing (4 hours)
• reaching above shoulder
• use of fingers
• both hands required
• walking (2 hours);standing (7 hours)
• kneeling (1 hour)
• repeated bending (4 hours)
• both legs required
• near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• far-vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other
• ability to distinguish basic colors
• hearing (aid permitted)
• mental and emotional stability required.

Duties

• This position carries the possibility of a joint faculty appointment at the University of New Mexico
• Applicants must have the appropriate credentials for a faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor level or higher at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Highly qualified individuals may be eligible for a recruitment/relocation incentive in accordance with agency policy
• To receive consideration for an incentive - the selectee must be among the best qualified and meet the criteria established in the VA Handbook 5007 Part VI Chapter 2
• Service agreement required
• 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 Duties may include - but are not limited to : Maintaining all operations within Surgical Care Service Provide direct supervision to the Section Chiefs and all providers within those sections
• Will work with staff and physicians in optimizing the utilization of clinical systems - infrastructure - and resources through education and training - quality and outcomes - and providing support in accordance with organizational goals
• Will work closely with facility staff - department directors - and physicians to ensure that the highest standards of quality and services are maintained
• Plan and carry out strategic planning and operational considerations Address process improvement issues Provide inpatient and outpatient consultative services in surgery including operative care - supervising residents - and answering secure messages and phone calls
• They are expected to remain up to date on all licensing and board requirements and all VA training and employment requirements and to ensure the same for all clinical staff in their department
• Oversee that the work performed must be provided by a physician who is board certified/board eligible in the respective surgical specialty
• They must be available to examine - diagnose - treat - and manage patients with common surgical illnesses in the respective surgical specialty according to evidence-based practice and VHA standards - usual and acceptable methods - surgical techniques - and specialty-specific management guidelines
• This position carries the possibility of a joint faculty appointment at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Department of Surgery
• Applicants must have the appropriate credentials for a faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor level or higher at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm MT (subject to change based on agency's needs)