Section Chief of Ophthalmology

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCMENT. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager on a weekly basis.

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information refer to Required Documents below.

The Section Chief of Ophthalmology is a medical doctor who possesses the advanced training and experience as well as the license in diagnosing and treating disorders of the eye. Ophthalmologists are physicians who diagnose and treat diseases of the eye including glaucoma and cataracts; vision problems such as nearsightedness; and eye injuries. Due to their extensive training ophthalmologists can often link eye problems to other disorders such as; brain tumors diabetes or multiple sclerosis.

The Ophthalmology Section of Surgery Service functions under the overall management of the Section Chief of Ophthalmology. The physician functions within an interdisciplinary staff consisting of physicians physician extenders technicians administrative and clerical staff. He/she is responsible and accountable for ensuring the provision of comprehensive surgical/clinical services and complies with established policies within the Department of Surgery/ Ophthalmology section.

Administrative Duties:

• Attending required staff meetings communicating up and down the chain of command and helping prepare heads-up and issue briefs related to adverse patient outcomes at the direction of the Section Chief.
• Clinical Management including indirect patient care: open encounter and open consult maintenance CPRS documentation requirements monitoring of clinic management. Maintains involvement in matters concerning clinic productivity relevant performance measures Quality and Patient Safety oversight as well as process improvements (system redesigns).
• The Section Chief of Ophthalmology will work with the Surgical Services Administration team for labor mapping leave grid modifications and builds.
• The Section Chief of Ophthalmology will meet with their staff to go over the AES scores and will meet with the GPM team to improve access and all clinical metrics.

• Practitioners are expected to provide patient care that is compassionate appropriate and effective for the promotion of health prevention of illness treatment of disease and care at the end of life.
• To ensure practice-based learning and improvement practitioners are expected to be able to use scientific evidence and methods to investigate evaluate and improve patient care.
• Practitioners are expected to demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical clinical and social sciences and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others.
• Practitioners are expected to demonstrate behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development ethical practice and understanding and sensitivity to diversity and a responsible attitude toward their patients their profession
• Practitioners are expected to demonstrate both an understanding of the contexts and systems in which health care is provided and the ability to apply this knowledge to improve optimizing health care.
• Per the direction of the Chief of Surgery. The Ophthalmology department will provide consult and call coverage for the VA Hospital on Ramsey.

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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.
  

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.