Physician - Transplant Surgery

<p>Ralph H. Johnson VA can be found in beautiful downtown Charleston. With its rich history, vibrant culture, idyllic coastal location, exquisitely preserved architecture, and celebrated dining selections, Charleston is one of America's best loved destinations. Settled alongside the Ashley rivers and Atlantic Ocean, Charleston has a subtropical climate with mild winters and warm, sunny summers. Charleston proper is surrounded by communities that extend beyond the historic peninsula.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until September 30, 2026. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 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 Preferred Experience: Program Development and Leadership - Experience in building, launching, or leading a kidney transplant program, including OPTN certification activities, protocol development, and regulatory compliance. - Demonstrated leadership in multidisciplinary transplant programs, including collaboration with nephrology, transplant coordinators, anesthesiology, and hospital administration. - Prior service as OPTN-designated Primary Surgeon or in a transplant program director/leadership role. -Experience with UNOS/OPTN data reporting, quality metrics, and outcomes monitoring. The following Selective Placement Factor (SPF) is a prerequisite for this position. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be found ineligible and will not be referred for further consideration, regardless of other qualifications. SPF: Candidates must: (1) be board eligible or board certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery (ABS); (2) have completed a fellowship in abdominal organ transplantation from a program accredited by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) or equivalent, with primary training in kidney transplantation: AND (3) be eligible to serve as OPTN- designated Primary Surgeon for a kidney transplant program in accordance with current OPTN Bylaws. Applicants must provide documentation of ABS board eligibility or certification, transplant fellowship completion, and current status or eligibility for OPTN Primary Surgeon designation with their application materials. QRF1: Knowledge of OPTN /UNOS Regulatory Framework and Transplant Program Compliance -Demonstrated knowledge of OPTN Bylaws, UNOS policies, and CMS Conditions of participation as they relate to kidney transplant problem operations. This includes experience with OPTN membership requirement, Primary Surgeon designation criteria, data submission obligations, and program certification or recertification activities. QRF2: Skill in Surgical Leadership and Multidisciplinary Program Development -Ability to provide strategic and operational leadership for a kidney transplant program, including clinical protocol development, quality improvement initiatives, and coordination across nephrology, transplant coordinators, anesthesiology, and hospital administration. Experience building or growing a transplant program from early-stage development through operational maturity is highly valued. QRF3: Ability to Perform the Full Spectrum of Kidney Transplant Surgical Procedures -Proficiency in decease donor and living donor kidney transplantation as primary surgeon, including complex recipient operations, vascular anastomosis techniques, re-transplantation, and management of surgical complications. Experience with minimally invasive living donor nephrectomy techniques (laparoscopic or robotic-assisted) is preferred. QRF4: Ability to Collaborate Within a Federal Healthcare Environment Demonstrated - Ability to work effectively within a large, complex health care systems, particularly VA, DoD, or other federal healthcare settings, including familiarity with federal administrative structures, academic affiliation agreements, and health professions training programs. Experience or familiarity with VA-specific quality and safety frameworks (e.g., NSQIP, VASQIP) is a plus. QRF 5: Skill in Communication, Teaching, and Scholarly Contribution Ability -Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, multidisciplinary care teams and hospital leadership. Evidence of contributions to transplant surgery education, training of residents and fellows, and scholarly activity (publications, presentations, quality improvement projects) in field of transplantation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm (subject to change based upon agency needs).</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.