Summary The Assistant Chief, P&LMS at the OBVAMC is responsible to assist the Chief of P&LMS in all areas of P&LMS including clinical, administrative, education, and research. The Assistant Chief, P&LMS is directly responsible to the Chief of P&LMS Service and directly or indirectly assists in the supervision of the staff assigned to the service. Responsibilities Responsibilities include planning, developing, coordinating, directing, and evaluating the operational aspects of a large and complex laboratory program. In the hospital setting, the Assistant Chief, P&LMS participates in the day-to-day care of hospital patients by providing and interpreting laboratory information to help solve diagnostic problems and to monitor the effects of treatment. Clinical Pathologists interface with the clinical laboratories that include sections of coagulation, hematology, clinical chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, immunology, and transfusion medicine. Anatomic Pathologists concentrate on disease processes associated with characteristic morphologic changes. These activities include autopsy pathology, surgical pathology, histology, immunohistochemistry, and cytopathology. The Assistant Chief, P&LMS must be an experienced, fully trained pathologist, board certified in Anatomic Pathology and/or Clinical Pathology by the American Board of Pathology. The incumbent works closely with peers in other service lines, services, and management to meet the needs of the medical center's recognized customer/patient groups. He/she is responsible to ensure that all residency training program mandates are met and may serve as the site co-director. The incumbent is knowledgeable of overall VA, VISN, and medical center goals, missions, and priorities to assure a positive impact on programs and resources. Ultimately responsible to the Chief of P&LMS for the successful performance of P&LMS. This responsibility includes overall effective operations including customer/patient satisfaction, quality of services provided, efficiency of service delivery, effective resource management, and successful attainment of OBVAMC, VISN, and VHA performance measures. The role of the P&LMS assistant service chief may also include assistance in, but will not be limited to the following: Contributes to the operation of effective and safe laboratories that are in compliance with standards established by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), The Joint Commission (JC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Ensures accurate clinical laboratory test results with turn-around-times (TAT) that meet the reasonable and possible expectations of the medical staff and accrediting agencies, when adequately supported with necessary resources from facility administration and human resource management services. The performance of the clinical laboratory is monitored continuously and results recorded in the Supervisory Quality Assurance (QA) minutes. Ensures accurate anatomic pathology services (surgical pathology, cytology, and autopsy), with TATs that meet the reasonable and possible expectations of the medical staff and accrediting agencies when adequately supported with necessary resources from facility administration and human resource management services. TAT is monitored monthly and reported in the QA minutes. The incumbent will be responsible to assist the Chief of P&LMS and the Clinical Laboratory Director by functioning as Clinical Director of the Anatomic and Cytology Section. 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 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday (7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) 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. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. 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: The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, sitting, typing, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring objects may be required. Staff may be required to don protective equipment in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. Financial Disclosure Report: Required Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.