Physician (General Surgeon)

Surgical Team Position

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is seeking an experienced professional to join our dynamic Surgical team. If you have expertise in routine General Surgery, including abdominal, hernia, soft-tissue, endocrine, oncologic, trauma surgeries we want to hear from you! VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not approved

EDRP Authorized: Approved. Position(s) listed under this Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) MAY be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants selected for an EDRP-eligible position will be notified in their conditional job offer. The selectee must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval, award amount (up to $200,000), and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply.

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

Duties will include the following but not limited to:

Position Overview

• Provides comprehensive surgical care for Veterans at SAVAHCS.
• Works within the multidisciplinary Surgical Service (General Surgery Section).
• Ensures compliance with VHA, Joint Commission, NSO, and VASQIP requirements.

Clinical Duties

• Perform full spectrum general surgical procedures (abdominal, hernia, soft-tissue, endocrine, oncologic, trauma).
• Conduct outpatient evaluations, inpatient management, operative care, and post-operative follow-up.
• Participate in call rotation for urgent and emergent surgical needs.
• Complete pre-operative assessments and collaborate with PAT and anesthesia teams.
• Document care in CPRS/VistA Surgery Package per VHA directive requirements.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Participate in VASQIP reviews, mortality/morbidity conferences, and NSO reporting.
• Adhere to surgical safety guidelines (correct-site surgery, retained-item prevention).
• Support departmental initiatives to improve surgical access, efficiency, and patient safety.

Education & Training

• Teach and supervise residents, fellows, students, and APPs in an academic VA environment.
• Contribute to competency assessments and interdisciplinary educational efforts.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Attend surgical service meetings and interdisciplinary rounds.
• Collaborate with anesthesia, nursing, quality, risk management, and other specialties.
• Support workflow optimization and performance improvement projects.

Work Conditions

• Requires manual dexterity, long procedure times, and ability to perform strenuous surgical tasks.
• Participation in nights, weekends, and on-call schedules as needed.
• Must maintain privacy, cybersecurity compliance, and sensitive data protection.

Performance Expectations

• Provide high-quality, evidence-based, Veteran-centered care.
• Maintain timely documentation and effective communication.
• Uphold VHA standards for professionalism, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Work Schedule: Full-time, permanent, nights, weekends, and on-call schedules as needed