Psychiatrist- Assistant Chief (Education Debt Repayment and Sign on Bonus)

THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION

The Assistant Chief of Psychiatry Service provides administrative clinical and programmatic leadership to ensure achievement of the Medical Centers clinical and educational goals related to Psychiatry Service at all sites of care within the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center (BCVAMC) Health Care Delivery System; serves as a key clinical resource for the Medical Center Director and the Chief of Staff.

Provides administrative and clinical support to the department and agency; working with leadership and other champions to improve processes to meet the performance measure goals and improve utilization management; serving as a liaison to outside facilities when to coordinate inpatient discharges and share MH care; supervising a wide variety of professional staff; serving on a broad spectrum of Medical Center committees and working groups; providing hands-on clinical work; and providing oversight and administration of all aspects of patient care including any guidance and training for residents and other trainees. The incumbent is directly accountable to the Chief of Psychiatry Service and Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOS-MH) for clinical program activities and overall compliance. This includes but is not limited to the following along with other duties as assigned:

Clinical Work: Provides direct patient care on a rotational basis and clinical oversight in:

• Mental Health Clinics Residential units and Inpatient Mental Health
• Other specialty areas where qualified to provide clinical patient care including but not limited to SUD-C and PCT clinical areas.

• Plans the provision of services with a patient-centered vision (in alignment with VHA guidelines and policies) to enhance patient education and shared decision making.
• Establishes a customer-oriented culture and promotes the hiring of persons who demonstrate the VAs ICARE values of integrity commitment advocacy respect and excellence.

• Serves as a Mental Health leader for quality improvement initiatives and utilization management related to Psychiatry Service.
• Plans coordinates and ensures high quality care through utilization of multiple quality measurement tools.
• Improves patient outcomes through the implantation of strategies such as clinical practice guidelines and critical pathways health risk assessments provider profiling use of electronic medical records and clinical reminders and case management.

• Encourages continuing education for all personnel and ensures compliance with performance standards.
• Creates a climate where continuous learning and professional development is valued.

• Under the direction of the Chief of Psychiatry Service collaborates with the service Program Managers in the development and execution of the departments strategic and business plan.
• Collaborates with other Medical Center leaders to develop initiatives and programs in order to ensure coordination of service reduction of redundancies and enhancement of cost effectiveness efficiency and overall productivity.

• Manages relationships with academic affiliates and supporting services to maximize efficiency and drive highly reliable operations.
• Provides a clear vision of the future and leads the services through necessary changes.
• Demonstrates core values of integrity commitment advocacy respect and excellence. Is guided by accountability and transparency.

• Develops a team that is technically competent and understand the interrelationships of all the Medical Center services in achieving the mission.

• Responsible for assuring appropriate action in such matters as promotion selections rewards and recognition training and problem resolution.
• Responsible for development and implementation of competencies providing opportunities for continuing education peer review career development and professional enrichment for subordinate employees.

• Demonstrates leadership in addressing ethical issues that impact clients and staff in/or beyond the organization/local health care community.
• Develops a network of communication systems to ensure the availability of consultative or technical advice to meet the needs of the organization.

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).
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:
  - your performance and conduct;
  - the needs and interests of the agency;
  - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
  Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• 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.