Physician - Deputy Chief Pathologist

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.

Located in historic downtown Charleston, SC, the Ralph H. Johns VA Medical Center is a tertiary care teaching hospital providing the highest level quality for more that 75,000 Veterans along the South Carolina and Georgia coast. The Ralph H. Johnson VA is rated the second fastest growing VA in the U.S. for percentage patient growth. For the past three years, the Charleston VA has been rated a 5-Star medical center for quality and efficiency, the highest possible rating according to VA's Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning Value(SAIL) model. The 152-bed hospital includes six outpatient clinics, a 20-bed nursing home, women's health, and the full range of inpatient and outpatient care including Medical and Surgical Intensive Care. The VAMC provides more than 934,000 outpatient visits and approximately 4,300 inpatient stays annually. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized 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 PLMS Deputy Chief Pathologist duties: The PLMS Deputy Chief Pathologist is a supervisory position, but as an AP/CP Pathologist they are ultimately still responsible for the diagnostic interpretation of any anatomic pathology and clinical laboratory work assigned to them. Serve as the acting PLMS Service Chief on an as needed basis. In addition to supervising a PA, two CT and the AP supervisor, responsibilities may also include delegation as the Medical Director of a clinical laboratory section. The complexity of the AP/CP work is commensurate with RHJ VAMC being a level 1A complexity facility. Participate in rotating off-shift service call on nights and weekends. Grossing when non-Pathologist grossers and Pathology Residents are not available. Responsible for interpreting all aspects of Surgical Pathology as assigned. Responsible for clinical lab consultation service as assigned. Responsible for interpreting all aspects of Gyn and Non-Gyn cytology with occasional ROSE when Cytotechnologist staff is not available. Routine Dermatopathology sign out with staff Dermatopathologists available for consultation. No autopsies, bone marrow interpretations or medical kidney biopsy interpretations are performed in-house, but Pathologists are responsible for releasing all associated outside reports in VistA. On service and during off-shift call, responsible for all aspects of frozen section diagnosis when on-call Histotechnologists are not available. Participate in all PLMS Quality Assurance programs and oversee the OPPE-related 10% retrospective review of all anatomic pathology cases. Participate in the facility's RQI quarterly BLS program. Ensure compliance with federal statutes, VA directives and policies, local facility policies, and all accreditation standards. Actively participate in facility and service committees as assigned. Other duties commensurate with the role of a supervisory Deputy Service Chief. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm (Subject to change based on agency needs).

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 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.