Physician (Chief of Rheumatology)

<p>The Section of Rheumatology at the Salisbury VA Medical Center in Salisbury, NC is seeking a physician leader with training and expertise in adult Rheumatology to oversee operations at its three sites of care (Salisbury, Charlotte and Kernersville). The Salisbury VAMC is a complexity 1a facility. The medicine specialty program consists of a broad array of services with over 100 specialists and consistently ranked in the top 10 by volume of encounters in the VHA.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Why join SVA HCS Scale & impact: Medicine specialties at SVA HCS comprise 100+ specialists and consistently rank top 10 in the VHA by encounter volume. Comprehensive Rheumatology services: Robust inpatient and outpatient consult services and diagnostics-including ambulatory bedside ultrasonography, infusion services and more-supported by dedicated staff and operational space at all three sites. Academic environment: Affiliation with Wake Forest University School of Medicine with faculty appointment and flexible protected time for education and research. Team strength: Lead a team totaling ~3 FTE, with regular rotations of fellows, residents and medical students. Primary practice and leadership responsibilities are distributed across Salisbury, Charlotte, and Kernersville VA locations, with established staff, space, and diagnostic capabilities at each site. Duties include, but are not limited to: Administrative: Strengthens and facilitates communication among members of the Rheumatology Section and with other Medicine Service supervisors. Reviews and monitors the clinical privileges of Rheumatology staff in consultation with the provider. Recommends disciplinary action for professional staff conduct detrimental to the service and veteran. Provide leadership and oversight of provider coding practices for billing purposes. Establishes and manages a quality assurance/improvement plan for the Rheumatology section in coordination with quality management. Monitors and approves all leaves of absence for Rheumatology staff members. Clinical: Clinically and administratively directs and supervises the clinical Rheumatology staff. Responsible for ensuring that high-quality medical care is consistently provided in the Rheumatology outpatient clinics and inpatient consults. Responsible for developing, monitoring, and enforcing clinical practice standards, policies and procedures for Rheumatology providers. Maintains clinical privileges in the areas of his/her expertise and in all areas required to carry out the duties of his/her assignments/responsibilities within Medicine Services. Demonstrate sound decision-making skills, both clinical and administrative, which bring credit to the profession and serve to enhance the distinctive and contributory role of physicians. Academic: (Applies only to physicians with Wake Forest faculty appointments.) Participates in the formal education of the residents, fellows and medical students by presenting teaching rounds, lectures, conferences, etc. Participates in grading sessions for medical students and GME trainees assigned to their services. Demonstrates and trains medical students/resident, fellows in medical procedures that are required to provide optimal patient care appropriate to their expertise. Assists in the development and implementation of education and training programs for medical students and fellows and residents, rotating through Medicine Service and accountable Clinical Services. Research: Supports the medical Center-wide research mission. b. Assists in conducting studies regarding treatment modalities, outcomes and other aspects of patient care when appropriate. If involved in an ongoing research project, abides by all VA regulations governing research protocols/policies and/or procedures. Encourages participation in clinical research among other staff members. Additional Duties: Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for Rheumatology services across Salisbury, Charlotte, and Kernersville. Deliver and supervise complex inpatient and outpatient care, consults, and procedural services. Ensure high-quality, outcome-focused care through process improvement initiatives, data-driven practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Advance education and scholarship as a clinician-educator-research leader; supervise trainees; foster research and quality improvement projects aligned with section goals. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates 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, 7:30am - 4:00pm</p><h3>Requirements</h3>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. 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 identification 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.<h3>Education</h3>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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.