VA San Diego Chief of Psychiatry

The VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) is seeking an experienced Psychiatrist to serve as our Chief of Psychiatry. Reporting directly to the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOSMH), the Chief will lead a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary team dedicated to delivering high-quality psychiatric care to our nation’s Veterans.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide clinical oversight for all Psychiatry Service physicians and providers.
• Lead the full spectrum of acute and intensive psychiatric services, (e.g. outpatient, inpatient, acute, intensive, and emergency psychiatry, as well as Neuromodulation (TMS and Ketamine).
• Oversee training programs for UC San Diego (UCSD) psychiatry residents, fellows, medical students, and trainees in psychology and pharmacy.
• Balance administrative leadership with academic engagement, teaching, and/or research, with 10–40% of time dedicated towards clinical care.
• Guide performance improvement efforts aligned with VASDHS and Mental Health Service Line goals.
• Supervise Section Chiefs and support staff, fostering collaboration across departments and with senior leadership.
• Promote and manage VA-approved research activities, supporting academic advancement and innovation in care delivery.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of psychiatric care at a major VA medical center, contribute to cutting-edge research, and mentor the next generation of mental health professionals

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8am - 4:30pm excluding Federal Government holidays. This position is not eligible for telework or hybrid work.

Qualifications:

• S. Citizenship
• Unrestricted U.S. Medical License
• Successful completion of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accredited residency in psychiatry
• Board Certification
• 5 years of leadership experience.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in Acute and Intensive Psychiatry
• Prior Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) experience
• Experience in administering programs, clinical operations, teaching, and research
• Experience in program evaluation
• Experience in VHA Quality Improvement initiatives and metrics

We offer:

• $320,000 - $336,000 compensation package based on training, experience, and local labor market.
• Guaranteed salary increases.
• CME: up to $1,000/year.
• Malpractice: VHA physicians are covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
• No employment contracts, noncompete clauses, or restrictive covenants.
• 26 days paid vacation; 13 days paid sick time; 11 paid federal holidays.
• Federal Retirement Pension and separate 401K with 5% agency match.
• Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance.

To explore this opportunity further, please forward copy of your Curriculum Vitae to Jacob (Jay) Colón @ Jacob.Colon@va.gov.

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 Federal holidays with pay annually
• 5 Days paid absence to attend approved CME courses

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA) Lifetime Healthcare Insurance options available
• Dental & Vision: Our insurance options also include exceptional vision and dental plans (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• VA employees have the option to use Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use tax-free dollars to pay for medical, dental, and vision care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance plan
• Term life insurance, family, and additional coverage options are available with the cost shared by the Federal Government
• Long-term care insurance is available as an option

Federal Retirement Plan:

• VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan composed of 1) Social Security benefits, 2) FERS-RAE basic benefits (pension), and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 12.2% of the employee’s salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 16.6% of the employee’s salary
• Similar to the 401(k) savings plans widely available in the private sector, the TSP allows employees to tax defer a portion of their income each year, subject to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service. For calendar year 2020, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $19,500, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $25,500.
• The Federal Government also provides an automatic basic contribution (1% of salary) and up to 4% of salary in matching contributions, depending on the amount of the employee contribution
• For retired military personnel, these benefits are in addition to full monthly retirement pay or pension
• In addition to FERS, VA provides health care insurance coverage for retired personnel
• Disability Retirement
• Employees are vested in a federal pension after only 5 years service

The VA San Diego Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 22 (VISN 22). VISN 22 includes medical centers and clinics in Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico.  

The VA San Diego Healthcare System serves the health care needs of about 116,553 Veterans in San Diego County and Imperial Valley County in California. Our health services are available to more than 231,083 Veterans who live in the area.  

We provide our patients with health care services at various locations in and around San Diego. Facilities include our Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center and community-based outpatient clinics in Chula Vista, Escondido, El Centro, Kearny Mesa, Oceanside, and Sorrento Valley. We also operate a domiciliary facility that provides state-of-the-art residential care to Veterans who need extended care and rehabilitation for recovery, health maintenance, improved quality of life, and a smooth transition back into their communities.

At the VA San Diego Healthcare System, we conduct research to discover knowledge, develop VA scientists and health care leaders, and create innovations that advance health care for Veterans and the nation. We offer Veterans the opportunity to participate in and benefit from our work. Our goal is to use research to promote better health and health care for all. 

Our research and development service is one of the largest research programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. In FY2022, we received over $44.2 million in research funding and had more than 200 principal investigators working on over 650 active projects.  

Several?of our investigators?have received the William S. Middleton Award–the highest national VA research award–for their contributions to the study of kidney function, HIV/AIDS, alcohol/drug addiction, and memory. 

The Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center is a teaching hospital that provides a full range of health services for Veterans, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research.  

Our medical center is primarily affiliated with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. We also have a partnership with San Diego University through the VA Nursing Academy, which provides funding to help VA health care facilities nationwide expand and strengthen their nursing programs.

Every year, we provide training for 1,271 medical interns, residents and fellows, as well as 331 other clinical trainees, in areas such as nursing, pharmacy, dental and dietetics.

We’re proud of our partnerships with top institutions and organizations that support the educational mission of the VA. 

Our facilities and programs have received accreditation from the: 

• The Joint Commission
• Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF): Aspire Center, Spinal Cord Injury, Medical Rehabilitation, Wellness and Vocational Rehabilitation Enhancement, Homeless Veterans Programs, and Substance Abuse
• Recovery and Rehabilitation Treatment Program
• College of American Pathologists
• American College of Radiology (ACR): Mammography, CT and MRI
• American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)
• American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation 
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Registered Blood Bank and Mammography Program
• Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA)
• Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) 

The VA San Diego Healthcare System has received the following awards: 

• Dr. Mark Fuster received a VA Merit Award for a research project titled “Glycocalyx targeting and augmenting cellular immunity in lung cancer.”
• As Co-Investigators in a VA funded “Lung Precision Oncology Program” award (11/1/2020 -10/31/2025), VA San Diego se cured additional funding of $180,000 per year for the next three years to hire a dedicated Nurse Practitioner to support our Lung Cancer Screening Program and a Coordinator to further support the Pulmonary Section’s more general Lung Cancer diagnosis and care platforms.
• Dr. Michael Lam received a VA Career Development Award for a research project titled “Impact of sleep disruption on immune responses in sepsis."
• The Equine-imity Project, an equine-assisted therapeutic life skills program developed in San Diego in 2019 by HUD-VASH social worker, Dina Seerden, received a $57,000 Veterans Health Administration Innovators Network award.
• The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) recognized Elaine Minsch, previously the SCI/D Inpatient and Outpatient manager with a PVA Clinical Excellence Award. She earned the PVA 2021 Nursing Leadership Award.
• Energy Star Award
  San Diego VA Medical Center (SDVA) earned the highly sought-after ENERGY STAR award for the 12th year.