The VA San Diego Healthcare System is recruiting a highly-qualified Physician - Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (PALMS). The incumbent is responsible for administrative, clinical, and programmatic leadership for the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service to ensure achievement of the clinical, research, and education goals and applicable performance measures.
Not only is San Diego "America's Finest City", but it is also one of the best places to live on the West Coast! San Diego offers miles of beautiful beaches, a thriving culinary scene, an excellent public school system, plenty of family friendly activities and a lower cost of living than San Francisco or Los Angeles! Come discover why San Diego is not just a great place to visit, but the perfect place to call home.
The VA San Diego Healthcare System is a leading care provider in Veterans Integrated Service Network 5 (VISN 5), Health Service Area 5.3, which includes VA medical centers and clinics in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be authorized for highly qualified candidates 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 major duties of this position include but are not limited to: Serves as the VA medical facility CLIA Laboratory Director, fulfilling all responsibilities of the VA medical facility CLIA Laboratory Director.
Oversees all laboratory testing performed at VA medical facility laboratories, serves as a consultant for specialty laboratories and ensures all testing is compliant with federal regulations. Directs and coordinates the patient care, administration, education and research functions of the VA medical facility PALMS. Responsible for all quality measures regarding patient services.
Provides consultation and guidance to VA health care providers regarding matters pertaining to pathology and laboratory medicine and the medical significance of laboratory findings. As the CLIA Medical Director (or delegates a voting member) participates on the VA medical facility Clinical Executive Board or analogous medical staff committee and all other appropriate committees.
Participates in applicable cross-organizational performance-improvement activities, developing and communicating to the VA medical facility Chief Of Staff (COS) objectives and coordinating efforts to integrate patient care and support services. Directs and coordinates the functions of the VA medical facility PALMS and outreach functions based upon the mission, special needs and size of the VA medical facility.
Ensures that VA medical facility laboratories performing patient care testing meet requirements for hospital accreditation. Ensures, if the VA medical facility PALMS has a blood bank or transfusion service, it maintains current Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) accreditation. Acts as a consultant for the VA medical facility when a community care provider is contracted to perform laboratory testing for VA patients.
The VA medical facility Chief, PALMS must ensure that documentation is obtained to verify the contracted laboratory is appropriately CLIA certified and, if it's a non-waived laboratory, accreditation is documented. Ensures OPPE of VA medical facility pathology physicians and all technical and quality aspects of anatomic pathology are met. Ensures FPPEs are performed as appropriate.
Oversees all PALMS-related quality reviews (e.g., OPPE, FPPE, the PLM QM Program, anatomic pathology internal quality review). Reviews and approves VA medical facility CLIA Laboratory Director appointments at VA medical facility specialty laboratories when the appointee is not a pathology physician. Establishes and implements criteria for rescreening cytopathology specimens for high-risk patients.
In conjunction with the VA medical facility COS, ensuring an ongoing mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the usefulness and appropriateness of specialized testing requests to outside reference laboratories and ensuring the testing is appropriate for patient care. Equitably assigns pathology workload to pathology staff and establishes and maintains pathologist daily schedule to include on-call services. Participates in multi-disciplinary conferences (i.e.
Tumor Board, Chest Conference, GI Conference etc.). Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
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.
stacey.johnson8@va.gov · 515-435-0382
This position is with Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.
The posted pay range is $300000 – $400000/yr.
This position requires a Other security clearance.
Applications close on 2026-11-06.
This position is open under the 'Public' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government · Retrieved 2026-10-29 · Not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM or USAJOBS.gov
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