Neurology Physician-Section Chief Neurology Outpatient Subspecialty Clinic

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) , a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & 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.

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until 09/30/2026.

Duties

The section Chief of the Subspecialty Neurology Clinic will supervise on‑board personnel and evaluate prospective new hires, oversee compliance with all applicable regulations, and deal with patient complaints, credentialing and peer‑review issues, and with inquiries and investigations from Congress, the White House, and VA and national investigative bodies. The individual will participate as a member of Neuroscience Service Line (NSSL) and Atlanta VA Medical Center‑wide committees responsible for peer review, accreditation, and systems redesign and quality improvement projects, as assigned by the Chief of the Neuroscience Service Line (NSSL). The incumbent will carry out administrative duties as assigned in a timely, resourceful, and efficient manner. He or she will demonstrate interpersonal verbal and written communication skills that enable him/her to establish and maintain professional relationships with other professionals whether supervisees, peers, or supervisors and leaders at Atlanta VA Medical Center. The Section Chief will also be expected to spend some time providing direct patient care in his/her subspecialty and to perform some share of other clinical duties (inpatient consultation, consult triage, etc.), consistent with other (administration and research) responsibilities and workload. This responsibility will include evaluating and prioritizing consultation requests, obtaining valid and focused medical history and physical examination, ordering and evaluating appropriate laboratory and imaging studies, planning and prescribing treatment, coordinating care and management of other providers to include oversight of physician expanders (NP or PA), as a member of multidisciplinary health care delivery team. Incumbent would teach and provide consultation to other health care providers with occasional consultation to inpatient services.

The physician would participate in and/or manage all aspects of a general neurology outpatient clinic, including clinical, administrative, academic, and research components if warranted. The physician would manage patient workload within available staffing, which may include support of physician assistants or nurse practitioners. The physician would perform the usual administrative components of patient care management, such as: documentation of progress notes and consultation findings in an electronic medical record, dictation and electronic signature of OP reports and hospital discharge summaries, electronic entry and signature of all doctor’s orders for inpatients and outpatients, etc.

The incumbent’s duties include (but are not limited to) the provision of neurologic evaluation and treatment of Veterans with compassion on both an inpatient and outpatient basis along with the education and counseling of Veterans and their families on medical conditions/treatments. BLS certification is required.

The Incumbent shall keep all information concerning VA beneficiaries confidential. Information will not be disclosed to any person, except as authorized in writing and according to all applicable laws.

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 identification 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). 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 allopathic 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 accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post‑medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post‑training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non‑US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), 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.
  • Exceptions:
    • 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 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.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience: Board certified/board eligible Neurologist.

Physical Requirements

Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. however, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

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:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year 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.

Benefits

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 U.S. 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, 7:30 am‑4:00 pm. Subject to change based on Agency Needs.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign‑on Bonus): May be authorized to a highly qualified candidate.

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact View email address on click.appcast.io , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.