Career Center

At VA New Mexico Healthcare System, our health care teams are deeply experienced and guided by the needs of Veterans, their families, and caregivers. We provide health care services at 13 locations in New Mexico. Facilities include our Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque and 12 community-based outpatient clinics in Alamogordo, Artesia, Espanola, Farmington, Gallup, Las Vegas, Rio Rancho, Raton, Santa Fe, Silver City, Taos, and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. 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. Physicians are generally not required to be board certified for employment in VA; however, three circumstances in VA require physician board certification: (1) If the position being filled is required to be a supervisor for medical students or physician residents (including fellows), the LCME, ACGME or AOA standards requiring a particular board certification credential will apply. (2) If the position being filled will have faculty status with an affiliated medical school (for example, in joint recruitments with affiliated medical schools), then a medical school requirement for board certification will apply to the jointly recruited position. (3) If the position being filled is required to be board certified by virtue of specific VHA policy (for example, as director of a cardiac catheterization laboratory or Director of Clinical Laboratory Medicine), then VHA policy requiring board certification will apply. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. ["The New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS), Geriatrics and Extended Care Service line, is seeking a full time Section Chief to oversee the operations of our Palliative and Hospice team. The incumbent will also hold a faculty appointment at an academic affiliate. The position is 100% NMVAHCS. Duties include, but are not limited to: Coordinates care within the palliative care team, including any expansion in the future; develops and oversees the care and supervision provided by both physicians and advanced practice providing direct patient care to patients. Coordinates with departments and divisions within the NMVAHSC structure and the CBOC Clinics. Promotes collaborative engagements as a key duty. Ensures barriers for Veterans and staff are minimized in order to promote a positive work environment. Fosters positive working relationships with staff, peers and Veterans. Supervises physicians, advanced practice providers, and clinical support staff as assigned within the Section, including but not limited to: approval and denial of time and leave to assure proper coverage of services; certification of time and leave; performance reviews and interventions; performance pay determinations; disciplinary actions and interventions; and other functions to support the performance, behavior, and accountability of the direct reports. Coordinates educational programs with academically affiliated medical schools, students, residents, and fellows with VA staff for quality education; coordinates educational experiences with other health care students seeking training in their section. Initiates and maintains interdisciplinary team activities to achieve optimum interdepartmental cooperation and assures that the quality care is maintained or improved. Responsible for the progressive improvement of the service delivery, which may include programmatic participation in initiatives within the facility. Available for emergency interventions. Shares on-call responsibilities proportionately. Participates in hospital, VISN and national committees, departmental, hospital in-service programs, and education programs of the department and the hospital, as well as continuous quality improvement through peer review process. Responsible for Quality Management and Quality Improvement Activities such as Medical Record Review, Drug Utilization Evaluation in consultation with pharmacist, Peer Reviews and Root Cause Analysis. Reviews, analyzes and reports on monthly and annual data from facilities as a means of monitoring growth and integration of services in addition to identifying areas of need and expansion. Leads clinical improvement and systems redesign initiatives for their section. Ensures the performance success of the VISN's GEC goals for their section. Encourages and stimulates the development and improvement of VISN programs by making available the best current knowledge of successful projects. Plans, leads, provides educational opportunities for staff, patients and families while supporting staff education and certification. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases\nPaid 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)\nRetirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA\nInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)\nLicensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory\nCME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)\nMalpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided\nContract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm"]