Section Chief of Neurology

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.

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) Fayetteville VA Medical Center (VAMC) Medicine Service. The successful candidate will serve as the Section Chief for the Neurology Section in the Medicine Service Line. The incumbent will ensure the quality and timeliness of the services provided customer satisfaction as well as compliance with the standards of accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission and the Inspector Generals Combined Assessment Program. The incumbent collaborates with other services as appropriate.

The Neurology Section Chief is accountable to the Chief of Medicine Service for assuring the most effective delivery of care in neurology while meeting and exceeding compliance standards. The Neurology Physician will provide expert consultation and treatment to patients in the inpatient and outpatient clinical settings including but not limited to specific neurology clinics neurology procedures and for inpatient medical surgical and critical care services.

The incumbent is expected to provide patient care that is compassionate appropriate and effective for the promotion of health and treatment of critical illnesses. The ideal candidate should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients families and other members of the health care addition the incumbent is expected to coordinate and communicate the treatment plan with inpatient and outpatient health care providers that have requested their consultative services. The ideal candidate will help to ensure that high quality patient care is delivered in a resourceful and efficient manner.

Privileges include being able to assess diagnose and treat - with pharmacologic non-pharmacologic and procedure-based therapies - patients referred to the neurology Section.

Administrative Duties (20%):

• The incumbent will ensure operations and compliance with Veterans Health Administration guidelines for Neurology Section of Medical Service. The incumbent will provide leadership as the Section Chief of Neurology. This will include but not be limited to managing the schedules of employees within the neurology section; ensuring consistent up to date call schedule coverage and posting; the holding of at least monthly section meetings; allocation of resources to ensure adequate coverage/availability of clinical programs testing and consultation coverage; ongoing assessment of neurology programs for adequacy and appropriateness of offerings; and direction and development of quality improvement (QI) processes and projects.
• 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.
• Maintains involvement in matters concerning clinic productivity relevant performance measures Quality and Patient Safety oversight as well as process improvements (system redesigns).

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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification 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).
• 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.