Physician (Chief of Rheumatology) - Recruitment and Relocation Incentive

Physician (Chief of Rheumatology) - Recruitment and Relocation Incentive

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Salisbury, North Carolina

Salary Range: $300000 - $400000 Per Year

Job Summary: The Section of Rheumatology at the Salisbury VA HealthCare Center (SVA HCS) in NC is seeking a physician leader with training and expertise in adult Rheumatology to oversee operations at its three sites of care (Salisbury, Charlotte and Kernersville). The SVA HCS is a complexity 1a facility. The medicine specialty program consists of a broad array of services with over 100 specialists and consistently ranked in the top 10 by volume of encounters in the VHA.

Major Duties:

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Why join SVA HCS Scale & impact: Medicine specialties at SVA HCS comprise 100+ specialists and consistently rank top 10 in the VHA by encounter volume. Comprehensive Rheumatology services: Robust inpatient and outpatient consult services and diagnostics-including ambulatory bedside ultrasonography, infusion services and more-supported by dedicated staff and operational space at all three sites. Academic environment: Affiliation with Wake Forest University School of Medicine with faculty appointment and flexible protected time for education and research. Team strength: Lead a team totaling ~3 FTE, with regular rotations of fellows, residents and medical students. Primary practice and leadership responsibilities are distributed across Salisbury, Charlotte, and Kernersville VA locations, with established staff, space, and diagnostic capabilities at each site. Duties include, but are not limited to: Administrative: Strengthens and facilitates communication among members of the Rheumatology Section and with other Medicine Service supervisors. Reviews and monitors the clinical privileges of Rheumatology staff in consultation with the provider. Recommends disciplinary action for professional staff conduct detrimental to the service and veteran. Provide leadership and oversight of provider coding practices for billing purposes. Establishes and manages a quality assurance/improvement plan for the Rheumatology section in coordination with quality management. Monitors and approves all leaves of absence for Rheumatology staff members. Clinical: Clinically and administratively directs and supervises the clinical Rheumatology staff. Responsible for ensuring that high-quality medical care is consistently provided in the Rheumatology outpatient clinics and inpatient consults. Responsible for developing, monitoring, and enforcing clinical practice standards, policies and procedures for Rheumatology providers. Maintains clinical privileges in the areas of his/her expertise and in all areas required to carry out the duties of his/her assignments/responsibilities within Medicine Services. Demonstrate sound decision-making skills, both clinical and administrative, which bring credit to the profession and serve to enhance the distinctive and contributory role of physicians. Academic: (Applies only to physicians with Wake Forest faculty appointments.) Participates in the formal education of the residents, fellows and medical students by presenting teaching rounds, lectures, conferences, etc. Participates in grading sessions for medical students and GME trainees assigned to their services. Demonstrates and trains medical students/resident, fellows in medical procedures that are required to provide optimal patient care appropriate to their expertise. Assists in the development and implementation of education and training programs for medical students and fellows and residents, rotating through Medicine Service and accountable Clinical Services. Research: Supports the medical Center-wide research mission. b. Assists in conducting studies regarding treatment modalities, outcomes and other aspects of patient care when appropriate. If involved in an ongoing research project, abides by all VA regulations governing research protocols/policies and/or procedures. Encourages participation in clinical research among other staff members. Additional Duties: Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for Rheumatology services across Salisbury, Charlotte, and Kernersville. Deliver and supervise complex inpatient and outpatient care, consults, and procedural services. Ensure high-quality, outcome-focused care through process improvement initiatives, data-driven practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Advance education and scholarship as a clinician-educator-research leader; supervise trainees; foster research and quality improvement projects aligned with section goals. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

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: Successful candidates will receive a faculty appointment at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, commensurate with experience and scholarly accomplishments. Flexible protected time supports educational and research activities within the clinician-educator-research track. Preferred Experience: MD/DO with fellowship training Rheumatology. Board certification (ABIM) preferred; board eligibility considered. Active, unrestricted medical license in the U.S. Proven leadership experience in multi-site or complex health systems. Commitment to education, outcomes, and continuous improvement. Sleep Medicine training/certification desirable but not required. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook and Directive 5019

How to Apply: 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. To apply for this position online, complete steps 1 and 2 above by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/27/2026 to receive consideration. Please note, this announcement may close prior to the closing date indicated if the position is filled through other means. If you are unable to apply online before the closing date click here and include the CBTA-12902726-26-NB in the Notes field. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Application Deadline: 2026-04-27