Physician Assistant-Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS), Specialty Care

Summary

The Physician Assistant-Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS), Specialty Care will provide leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for all specialty care services.

Duties

• Located in the Rogue Valley, White City allows easy access to Metro-area of Medford while remaining engrossed with nature. White City is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, in the Rogue Valley. It is about nine miles north of Medford and 34 miles north of the California border. Enjoy the scenic drives to either Crater Lake, Oregon's only National Park, and to the mountain resort Lake of the Woods. Take a family-friendly hike to a waterfall or ride the only section of the Pacific Crest Trail that's open to mountain bikers. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Duties include but not limited to: Directs all operations within the Specialty Care Service Line and supervises Service Chiefs, clinical supervisors, and administrative staff. Maintains interdepartmental relationships and coordinates resolutions to complete operational issues affecting Specialty Care or the facility. Manages HR aspects including hiring, disciplinary actions, Labor/Management relations, and professional boarding processes for multiple disciplines. Utilizes data to evaluate programs, improve processes/outcomes, and ensure reliability and operational sensitivity. Ensures compliance with accrediting and regulatory bodies (e.g., The Joint Commission, CARF); initiates corrective actions as needed. Advises leadership on policy, operational, and administrative issues; communicates strategic priorities through Service Chiefs and administrative staff. Monitors and reports Specialty Care performance measures to facility, VISN, and VACO leadership; implements corrective actions when necessary. Provides evaluation and management of patients within the PA scope of practice, including history-taking, physical examination, ordering and interpreting diagnostic studies, developing differential diagnoses, formulating treatment plans, and performing approved procedures. Practices with a high degree of clinical autonomy in accordance with VA, state, and privileging requirements. PA practice occurs under a Scope of Practice agreement with a supervising/collaborating physician. Initiates, receives, and responds to clinical consultations; coordinates care with referring providers; and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to ensure integrated, Veteran-centered care across medical and specialty services. Completes all EHR documentation, including encounter notes, orders, consultation requests, and clinical reminders, following VA standards for accuracy, quality, and timeliness. Adheres to facility protocols for infection control, patient safety, medication management, and risk mitigation practices, including compliance with VA and OSHA, facility-specific standards, and PA scope of practice. Performs risk assessment and ensures appropriate escalation of urgent or emergent clinical concerns. Serves as a subject matter expert for PA practice within Specialty Care, providing clinical guidance, supporting quality improvement efforts, participating in policy development, and contributing to evidence-based practice initiatives. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/or Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified applicants Permanent Change of Station (PCS): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants Additional Requirement: Demonstrated leadership experience within a specialty care service line, including strategic planning, oversight of clinical programs, and effective collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. Proven ability to supervise, mentor, and manage clinical staff across multiple specialties, with experience in recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and fostering a high reliability team. Strong background in quality improvement, patient safety, and performance measurement, including participation in facility or VISN-level committees, accreditation preparedness, and implementation of evidence based practices. Experience developing, implementing, and maintaining clinical policies, procedures, and regulatory compliance in alignment with VA, federal, and state requirements. Demonstrated excellence in clinical practice within the relevant specialty, including comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning, and procedure/surgical care consistent with credentialing and privileging standards. Proficiency in electronic health record (EHR) documentation, clinical workflows, and utilization of data to drive operational and clinical decision making. Experience leading or supporting multidisciplinary collaboration with primary care, mental health, surgical services, ancillary services, and allied health professionals to optimize access, care coordination, and patient outcomes. Commitment to professional development, continuing education, and engagement in teaching or mentoring trainees within an academic or clinical training environment.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Physician Assistant 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. Graduate of a training program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of PA (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations: Master's degree in any discipline or a Bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia ~AND~ Currently hold Board certification from National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). GRANDFATHERING PROVISION. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: a. If a PA is certified by the NCCPA, but not licensed on the effective date of the qualification standard, they are not required to obtain or maintain a license to remain employed in VHA. However, if they lose or fail to maintain their NCCPA certification after this qualification standard is effective and do not possess a full, valid, and unrestricted license, they are no longer qualified for employment as a PA in VHA. b. PAs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. c. If a PA who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. d. PAs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification and meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. e. PAs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Physician Assistant IV (Clinical Leader/Administrative Leader): Experience. PA clinical leaders/administrative leaders require five years of experience which included leadership assignments that involved formulating program objectives and priorities, implementing plans and practices, and interpreting regulatory and organizational guidance to develop and implement policies and/or procedures. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-IV: a. Ability to assess information and make recommendations that may significantly affect the content, interpretation, or development of programs concerning critical matters or key issues within the health care system. b. Ability to schedule and supervise staff, students, or ancillary personnel, to include conducting performance evaluations. c. Skill in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an integrated program. d. Skill in design, management of budget, and cost benefit analysis to ensure optimal stewardship of resources. e. Ability to analyze complex medical care, organizational processes and/or systems, and develop and implement solutions that improve outcomes at the program or service level. f. Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies or procedures to justify program goals and motivate assigned personnel. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Requirements

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. 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. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Education

Education. [Graduate of a training program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of PA (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations. Additionally, candidates must meet one of the following: (1) Master's degree in any discipline; OR (2) Bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a PA.] Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/30/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13048436. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.