Director of Primary Care

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 ineligible to apply.

Duties

• Lead with purpose in a role that blends clinical impact, leadership, and the opportunity to shape Veteran care across southeast Missouri. The John J.
• Pershing VAMC is seeking a physician leader to serve as Director of Primary Care, overseeing provider operations, clinical quality, access initiatives, and primary care performance across the medical center and surrounding community-based outpatient clinics.
• This is an opportunity to influence care delivery at both the patient and system level while remaining actively engaged in clinical practice.
• This position offers the rare balance of meaningful leadership responsibility and hands-on patient care, allowing you to continue practicing medicine while helping drive the future of Veteran healthcare. Why West Plains?
• Nestled in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, West Plains combines small-town warmth with the amenities needed for comfortable day-to-day living, all surrounded by the natural beauty of southern Missouri.
• Whether you enjoy fishing, hiking, kayaking, hunting, camping, or simply escaping crowded city life, this region delivers.
• Highlights include: Extremely affordable cost of living and housing Scenic Ozark landscapes with rivers, lakes, and outdoor recreation nearby Strong regional medical presence and community appreciation for physicians A slower pace of life that supports physician wellness and work-life balance For physicians seeking meaningful work without sacrificing quality of life, West Plains offers something increasingly hard to find in medicine today: room to breathe. Why VA?
• Serving Veterans is unlike any other mission in healthcare.
• At VA, you have the privilege of caring for men and women who have served this country, many of whom carry stories, sacrifices, and experiences that profoundly shape the care relationship.
• Physicians at VA often describe the work as deeply meaningful because it allows them to practice patient-centered medicine with purpose, continuity, and impact.
• You are not driven by RVUs alone.
• You are part of a mission larger than yourself.
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.
• VHA Physician Total Rewards.
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
• Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance Contract Buy Out Program: This position may be eligible for the Physician / Provider Contract Buy Out Program (CBOP), which authorizes VHA to buy out service contracts (Locum agreements, loan repayments, sign-on bonus contracts, Physician-owned practices) in exchange for employment at certain rural or highly rural facilities for a period of obligated service (minimum 4 years).
• 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 Director of Primary Care shall oversee all physician and Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner practice within the JJPVAMC and surrounding CBOC locations in Primary Care Service.
• This includes supervising the day-to-day operations of the providers assigned, serving as the oversight and lead for all primary care performance metrics and requirements, managing primary care policies, processes and protocols, etc. The incumbent shall participate in activities designated to meet all relevant requirements, including those of TJC and other accredited agencies.
• Incumbent is expected to practice in his/her discipline at least 50% of the time to maintain clinical proficiency.
• Incumbent will be a key member of the clinical leadership team and reports directly to the Service Chief – Primary Care at JJPVAMC.
• Incumbent will also serve as the Physician Champion and User Role Assignment Coordinator (URAC) for EHRM (Cerner) roll out for the JJPVAMC.
• The successful candidate should possess excellent leadership skills, be knowledgeable and proficient with the principles of system redesign, including implementation and promotion of outpatient clinic access and hospital flow as well as well versed in electronic health records systems Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Primary Care.
• Previous leadership training or demonstrated leadership experience is highly preferred.
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 0800-1630

Requirements

• 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.

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. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a C.V. and/or resume. Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed. Special Note for Applications:

To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted ‘Resume’ document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the ‘Other’ document upload field.