Deputy Chief Primary Care Physician (Regular Ft)
Veterans Health Administration
Posted: February 3, 2026 (1 day ago)
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Veterans Health Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs
Location
Salary
$145,000 - $335,000
per year
Type
Full Time
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This job is for a psychiatrist at a VA hospital in Salem, Virginia, focusing on treating veterans' mental health needs, especially in inpatient settings.
The role involves providing psychiatric care and possibly leading training programs for medical residents.
It's a great fit for an experienced psychiatrist with a passion for veteran care and leadership in medical education.
The Salem VA HCS is looking for a well qualified Psychiatrist to fill a vacancy within the Mental Health Department of the Hospital.
Preferred experience in Inpatient Psychiatry, experience as Director of Residency Training Program.
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: Preferred Experience: Minimum 3 years of experience with inpatient psychiatry. Minimum 2 years experience as Director of Residency Training Program.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Major Duties:
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 We are a teaching institution, so supervising students and residents are a potential advantage of this position.
Research and publication are encouraged, but not required. We also have a responsibility to do timely student and resident evaluations.
Whenever clinical work is done, it is expected that we appropriately document that clinical work in a progress note and do an accompanying encounter to allow us to have adequate funding for patient care.
We are expected to attend to administrative requirements, such as staff meetings, reading of e-mails, timely completion of discharges (within 48 hours, but usually prior to discharge), daily completion of notes, daily review to make sure all encounters are done for the day, and at a minimum of two peer chart reviews per quarter.
Additional duties include helping to administer a psychiatry residency program, teaching and supervising residents and medical students. The incumbent is directly accountable to the Chief.
Mental Health, Salem VAMC. The incumbent works independently; supervision is mainly advisory in nature.
The incumbent provides first line supervision to residents and physician assistants as assigned, and may be required to lead clinical teams.
Provide the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately.
The primary age of Veterans receiving services is typically between 18 and 80 years of age.
This position requires the incumbent to possess or develop an understanding of the particular needs of patients.
Sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, developmental requirements, and culturally related factors must be consistently achieved.
Supervisor ensures all subordinates have completed their mandatory trainings in a timely manner as well as assigning specific trainings to staff as related to job functions.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0745am - 0430pm With Weekend, Holiday and Night on Call Coverage. Occasional In-House Coverage - in addition to the regular 40 hour tour.
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