Physician (MH Primary Care Section Chief)

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 ineligible to apply. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until August 10, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be May 22, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until position is filled. SAVAHCS is the principle teaching affiliate of the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Medical students, residents, and fellows train at our facility. The selected candidate must be eligible for a faculty appointment with the University of Arizona as duties will include the supervision and education of residents and medical students from the University of Arizona. The SAVAHCS is a tertiary care facility providing a full range of clinical services including cardiac surgery and neurosurgery. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Approved Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN22HREducationReimbursementTeam@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. 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 The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) professional staff is seeking a full-time supervisory primary care physician to provide quality service and leadership in our progressive, innovative, and highly interdisciplinary health care system for the Veteran outpatient population at our Tucson main VA campus. Serves as the Section Chief, clinic director, and primary care physician for our Mental Health Primary Care section. Works closely with the MH Primary Care Clinical Nurse Manager. Serves as the direct supervisor of 7 interdisciplinary healthcare professionals, provides administrative and clinical oversight of four (4) Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) providing primary care to Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness and/or homelessness (3 SMI-PACT and 1 H-PACT), and provides outpatient primary care for a diverse patient population working as part of a highly skilled interdisciplinary team which is integrated and co-located within Mental Health. Provides administrative and clinical supervision of MH Primary Care staff (evaluations, productivity, time and leave, etc.), assessing and treating Veterans, and providing consultation to colleagues in primary care and mental health. Demonstrates a strong commitment to Veteran-centered care and treating Veterans with co-morbid mental health and medical needs, a desire to teach, and good interpersonal skills with a desire to lead. Work Schedule: Full-time, permanent, Monday - Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.