Physician - Chief of Microbiology

Job Description

Join our Team at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, CA as a Physician - Chief of Microbiology! 

The Section Chief of Microbiology is part of the key leadership of Lab Medicine Service and is the management official responsible for Microbiology including clinical, administrative, education and research, and applicable performance measures. The incumbent serves as the Section Chief of Microbiology in Lab Medicine Service at the San Francisco VA Healthcare System (SFVAHSC). The usual duty station is at the SFVA Medical Center (SFVAMC), San Francisco, CA. 

The major duties of the Chief of Microbiology include, but are not limited to the following:

• Direct effective and safe operations that are in compliance with standards established by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), The Joint Commission (JC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), etc.
• Ensure all laboratory operations meet regulatory mandates (success in accreditation inspections) and help maintain laboratory accreditation and certification.
• Provide clinical consultation on patient care to technical personnel and healthcare providers. Ensures communication and coordination between the laboratory and the clinical services. The Chief should always be available unless on personal leave, at which time he/she will appoint a designee to provide coverage (e.g., Section technical supervisor and/or Clinical Pathologist).
• Review and approve all new and revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Microbiology and ensures required periodic SOP reviews are carried out.
• Ensure accurate test results with turn-around-times (TAT) that meet the reasonable and possible expectations of the medical staff and accrediting agencies, when adequately supported with necessary resources from facility administration and human resource management services.
• Work and communicate with section technical supervisor/specialists and ensure appropriate testing reagents & supplies.
• Promote an effective, balanced relationship with academic affiliate(s), VHA business partners (diagnostic industry, vendor, reference lab) and other VHA facilities that result in a joint and mutually advantageous partnership.
• Participate in the Lab Medicine Quality Management (QM) program, addressing appropriate and practical QM needs as required by accreditation, regulation, internal and external assessments.
• Teach and supervise residents, fellows, medical students, CLS interns and other healthcare personnel who seek training within the field of pathology and laboratory medicine (P&LM) and clinical laboratory science. Ensures P&LM residency training and CLS internship training goals and objectives are met in the areas of clinical microbiology.
• Participate in scholarly and creative activities, which may include basic laboratory and/or clinical research, aiming to better serve patients.
• Service as the Assistant Site Director of UCSF Clinical Pathology Residency and/or Assistant Chief of Lab Medicine Service, etc. 

 Benefits and Features

• Expected Salary range from $200,000 - $400,000 per year (negotiable based on candidate's qualifications, credentials and experience).

• Work Schedule: Negotiable (8-10 hour Day Shift once trained).
• 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 days 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.

We encourage you to consider VA employment in San Francisco, CA. We offer both a mission you can put your heart into and a home for fun, new experiences. Join a team that values a healthy home/work life balance and be rewarded by your role in keeping the promise to those who served.

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 2025, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $23,500, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $31,000.
• 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