Summary

The New Mexico VA Health Care System is seeking highly qualified eligible candidates for a Section Chief of Pulmonary Sleep Medicine. This is an open continuous announcement and will remain open until May 6 - 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 20 - 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. Qualified candidates must meet eligibility requirements for a faculty appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico based upon qualifications and experience.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine
• The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed
• Current - full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State - Territory - or Commonwealth of the United States - or in the District of Columbia
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training - approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification
• (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) - b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) -OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States) - which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences
• Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs)
• PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e. - not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis
• PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged
• rather - they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision
• Additionally - surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Preferred Experience: Completion of an accredited fellowship in Sleep Medicine
• Board certified or board eligible status in Sleep Medicine Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Must be able to physically and mentally perform the duties of Physician under normal and emergent conditions.

Duties

• The New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is the sole VA hospital in state and serves as a referral center for a broad geographic region encompassing not only New Mexico but also southern Colorado
• It supports 13 community-based outpatient clinics distributed throughout its catchment area
• The NMVAHCS sleep center is the sole occupant of Building 77 on the main campus
• this recently-constructed building includes a sleep lab capable of performing up to six in-lab attended overnight studies
• The sleep program also has a strong and active home sleep apnea testing program
• Our TeleSleep program - which allows home sleep apnea testing to be performed via the outlying community-based clinics - has been lauded regionally for its ability to care for rural veterans
• The current sleep team comprises three physicians - one physician assistant - an RT/MIT manager and 10 RT/sleep technicians
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• 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 This position is for a Board Certified/Board Eligible sleep medicine physician interested in supervising a dynamic team servicing a high-volume of diverse and complex veterans with sleep-disordered breathing
• The incumbent would be responsible for direct supervision of sleep physicians - advanced practice providers - and a RT/MIT manager
• Expected clinical duties include interpretation of in-lab studies - home sleep apnea testing - and downloads - as well as seeing/evaluating patients in sleep clinic
• The role would also include dedicated administrative time - including but not limited to participating in quality improvement initiatives - attending relevant VA and operational meetings - participating in VISN committees - monitoring various metrics - and employee oversight
• The NMVAHCS maintains a strong relationship with the University of New Mexico - and the candidate would have a strong interest in in academic medicine and education of trainees
• The role would require maintaining an academic appointment on the clinician educator track
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm