Staff Physician/Chief of Ophthalmology Service

Staff Physician/Chief of Ophthalmology Service

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Saint Louis, Missouri

Salary Range: $400000 - $400000 Per Year

Job Summary: The Chief of Ophthalmology provides supervisory and programmatic oversight for the Ophthalmology Section at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. This leadership role serves as the primary advisor to the Associate Chief of Staff for Surgical Service and is responsible for promoting clinical excellence, academic engagement, and operational efficiency. The incumbent must be eligible for faculty appointment with Washington University, the VA's established academic affiliate partner.

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 Clinical Responsibilities Outpatient Care: Provides comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for Veterans with acute and chronic eye conditions. Performs outpatient procedures including laser treatments, intravitreal injections, and minor surgeries. Collaborates with Advanced Practice Providers, Optometrists, Technicians, and Nursing Staff to ensure continuity of care and efficient clinic operations. Inpatient Care: Offers consultation and management for hospitalized patients with ophthalmologic conditions. Coordinates care with Internal Medicine, Neurology, and other specialties. Operative Care: Performs routine and complex anterior segment surgeries. Oversees preoperative assessments, surgical procedures, and postoperative care. Leads ophthalmology cases in the OR, ensuring safety and efficiency. Emergency and On-Call Duties: Provides timely evaluation and surgical intervention for ocular emergencies. Shares equitable on-call responsibilities with other ophthalmologists. Leadership and Section Chief Responsibilities Supervises ophthalmologists, optometrists, residents, fellows, technicians, and administrative staff. Manages clinic schedules, OR block time, and staffing to optimize service delivery. Coordinates with Community Care, VISN partners, and academic affiliates. Ensures compliance with VHA, Joint Commission, and facility standards. Team-Based Care Leads a multidisciplinary team including ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, and technicians. Collaborates with staff to improve patient throughput, diagnostics, and surgical support. Fosters a collaborative and supportive team environment. Mentors junior staff and promotes professional development. Teaching and Education Provides clinical instruction to residents, fellows, and medical students. Supervises trainees in clinic, OR, and emergency settings. Conducts training for ophthalmology technicians, optometry staff, and nurses. Participates in educational conferences, case reviews, and morbidity/mortality discussions. Administrative and Professional Duties Participates in Surgical Service leadership meetings and committees. Conducts performance evaluations and peer reviews. Oversees credentialing, privileging, and continuing education for section staff. Ensures accurate and timely documentation in CPRS/VistA/FEHR. Leads quality improvement initiatives and monitors performance metrics. Research and Scholarly Activity (if applicable) Encourages and participates in clinical research related to ophthalmology. Facilitates collaboration with academic affiliates on research and scholarly projects. Supports staff involvement in quality improvement and academic initiatives. Scope of Practice / Privileges Holds privileges for outpatient and inpatient ophthalmology care, including routine and complex surgeries and emergency eye care. Exercises administrative authority over section operations and personnel. All privileges and supervisory roles are subject to approval by the Professional Standards Board and Chief of Staff. Supervisory Controls Reports directly to the Associate Chief of Staff for Surgical Service. Provides direct supervision to ophthalmology staff and oversight of APPs, nurses, technicians, and trainees. Performance is evaluated based on clinical outcomes, quality metrics, and overall section performance. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; Full-Time (Tour may be negotiated during selection)

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: Must be eligible for faculty appointment with an established academic affiliate partner of St. Louis VA Health Care System. Preferred Experience: Supervising ophthalmologists, optometrists, residents, fellows, technicians, and administrative staff. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: More details can be found in VA Handbook 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 12/19/2025 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 CBSS-12830514-26-DRB 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: 2025-12-19