Physician - Transplant Surgery

Summary Ralph H. Johnson VA can be found in beautiful downtown Charleston. With its rich history, vibrant culture, idyllic coastal location, exquisitely preserved architecture, and celebrated dining selections, Charleston is one of America's best loved destinations. Settled alongside the Ashley rivers and Atlantic Ocean, Charleston has a subtropical climate with mild winters and warm, sunny summers. Charleston proper is surrounded by communities that extend beyond the historic peninsula. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. 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 (subject to change based upon agency needs). Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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. 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: Transplant Surgery Expertise - Fellowship training in abdominal organ transplantation from an ASTS-accredited program, with a primary focus on kidney transplantation. -Demonstrated experience performing deceased donor and living donor kidney transplants as primary surgeon. -Experience with complex transplant recipient operations, including vascular reconstruction, re-transplantation, and management of sensitized recipients. - Familiarity with donor nephrectomy techniques, including laparoscopic/robotic-assisted living donor nephrectomy. -Experience in the evaluation and management of transplant recipients and living donor candidates across the transplant continuum. Preferred Experience: Program Development and Leadership - Experience in building, launching, or leading a kidney transplant program, including OPTN certification activities, protocol development, and regulatory compliance. - Demonstrated leadership in multidisciplinary transplant programs, including collaboration with nephrology, transplant coordinators, anesthesiology, and hospital administration. - Prior service as OPTN-designated Primary Surgeon or in a transplant program director/leadership role. -Experience with UNOS/OPTN data reporting, quality metrics, and outcomes monitoring. Academic and VA Affiliation -Experience working in academic medical center, teaching hospital, or VA healthcare system. - Prior experience with VA or federal healthcare system administrative and regulatory frameworks. - Record of scholarly activity, including peer- reviewed publications, presentations, or teaching in transplant surgery. The following Selective Placement Factor (SPF) is a prerequisite for this position. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be found ineligible and will not be referred for further consideration, regardless of other qualifications. SPF: Candidates must: (1) be board eligible or board certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery (ABS);(2) have completed a fellowship in abdominal organ transplantation from a program accredited by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) or equivalent, with primary training in kidney transplantation: AND (3) be eligible to serve as OPTN- designated Primary Surgeon for a kidney transplant program in accordance with current OPTN Bylaws. Applicants must provide documentation of ABS board eligibility or certification, transplant fellowship completion, and current status or eligibility for OPTN Primary Surgeon designation with their application materials. QRF1: Knowledge of OPTN /UNOS Regulatory Framework and Transplant Program Compliance -Demonstrated knowledge of OPTN Bylaws, UNOS policies, and CMS Conditions of participation as they relate to kidney transplant problem operations. This includes experience with OPTN membership requirement, Primary Surgeon designation criteria, data submission obligations, and program certification or recertification activities. QRF2: Skill in Surgical Leadership and Multidisciplinary Program Development -Ability to provide strategic and operational leadership for a kidney transplant program, including clinical protocol development, quality improvement initiatives, and coordination across nephrology, transplant coordinators, anesthesiology, and hospital administration. Experience building or growing a transplant program from early-stage development through operational maturity is highly valued. QRF3: Ability to Perform the Full Spectrum of Kidney Transplant Surgical Procedures -Proficiency in decease donor and living donor kidney transplantation as primary surgeon, including complex recipient operations, vascular anastomosis techniques, re-transplantation, and management of surgical complications. Experience with minimally invasive living donor nephrectomy techniques (laparoscopic or robotic-assisted) is preferred. QRF4: Ability to Collaborate Within a Federal Healthcare Environment Demonstrated ability to work effectively within a large, complex health care systems, particularly VA, DoD, or other federal healthcare settings, including familiarity with federal administrative structures, academic affiliation agreements, and health professions training programs. Experience or familiarity with VA-specific quality and safety frameworks (e.g., NSQIP, VASQIP) is a plus. QRF 5: Skill in Communication, Teaching, and Scholarly Contribution Ability -Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, multidisciplinary care teams and hospital leadership. Evidence of contributions to transplant surgery education, training of residents and fellows, and scholarly activity (publications, presentations, quality improvement projects) in field of transplantation. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted). Education Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.] NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.