Physician (Deputy Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health/Chief of Psychiatry)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

The VA San Diego Healthcare System seeks an experienced Psychiatrist for the role of Deputy Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health. This position involves clinical oversight, mentorship, and leadership within a renowned healthcare system dedicated to veterans, offering an exceptional total rewards package, including competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

50-55 days of paid time off per year

Federal insurance programs

Retirement options

CME reimbursement

Malpractice protection

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice in any US State.
• Residency completed in an accredited core specialty training program.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multi-disciplinary team delivering psychiatric care.
• Contribute to cutting-edge research and academic mentorship.
• Oversee inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical Oversight

Mental Health Care

Education

Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree

Board Certified in Psychiatry

Job description

The VA San Diego Healthcare System is seeking an experienced Psychiatrist to serve as Deputy Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health and Chief of Psychiatry. Reporting directly to the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health, the incumbent will lead a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary team dedicated to delivering high-quality psychiatric care to our nation's Veterans.

Qualified applicants will be forwarded at regular intervals until the position is filled.

Duties

Not only is San Diego America's Finest City, but it is also one of the best places to live on the West Coast! With miles of beautiful beaches, a thriving culinary scene that includes Michelin-starred restaurants, an excellent public school system, plenty of family friendly activities and a lower cost of living than San Francisco or Los Angeles, come discover why San Diego is not just a great place to visit, but the perfect place to call home.

The VA San Diego Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network. We're an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 22 (VISN 22). This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of psychiatric care at a major VA medical center, contribute to cutting-edge research, and mentor the next generation of mental health professionals.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

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

This role combines clinical oversight, academic mentorship (in partnership with UC San Diego), and program leadership across a wide range of psychiatric services-including inpatient, outpatient, emergency psychiatry, and neuromodulation.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

Requirements

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.

Additional Requirement:

• Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
• Qualified candidates will be able to demonstrate a record of academic accomplishments commensurate with the rank of associate, or full professor, and will be eligible for academic appointment through the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
  

Preferred Experience:

• Background in Acute and Intensive Psychiatry
• Prior Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) experience
• Experience in administering program, clinical operations, teaching and research
• Experience in program evaluation
• Experience in VHA Quality Improvement initiatives and metrics

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019/1, Part II, Pre-Placement Physical Examination and Evaluation.