Chief Medical Officer - Duke University Hospital

Job description

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.
Position Summary
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is a senior physician leadership position responsible for ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety, and operational performance at Duke University Hospital. The CMO provides executive leadership that facilitates effective collaboration among the medical staff, hospital administration, Duke University Health System (DUHS) leadership, and the governing board. This role carries executive oversight for both Quality & Safety and the Medical Staff, and is accountable for advancing safe, high-quality, patient-centered care — consistent with the mission, vision, and values of Duke University Health System and Duke University Hospital.
In close partnership with the Duke University Hospital Senior Leadership Team, the CMO establishes a strategy and culture aligned with the organization’s vision for quality measures and clinical outcomes, and directs operations to achieve remarkable patient- and family-centered care with zero patient harm.
Duties and Responsibilities
As a key member of the Duke University Hospital Senior Leadership Team, the Chief Medical Officer collaborates with the Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Quality Officer to manage house-wide clinical operations through the development of a high-value clinical operating model, care systems and protocols, and the implementation of quality improvement initiatives and standardized clinical pathways. The CMO position at DUH is expected to require 75% of the physician’s total effort. More specific duties and responsibilities include:
Executive Leadership & Strategy
• Provides strategic leadership by focusing teams and organizational units on a clear vision and distinctive strategies that yield excellent short- and long-term performance in clinical, quality, and safety outcomes; integrates evidence-based medicine practices into new and existing patient care delivery systems.
• Maintains a working knowledge of applicable national, state, and local laws and regulations, including Joint Commission and other regulatory requirements affecting the medical staff, allied health professionals, quality, safety, credentialing, and hospital operations.
• Oversees, directs, and supports medical management decisions that advance quality outcomes, patient safety, operational effectiveness, and organizational priorities.
• Develops and manages systems to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical practice, fostering the transfer of knowledge to medical and administrative staff, and providing strategic clinical leadership for Duke University Hospital patient safety and clinical quality efforts.
• Monitors the effectiveness of management practices and key performance indicators using data such as quality and safety outcomes, regulatory findings, patient experience, physician and staff engagement, budget variance, turnover, absenteeism, and other operational metrics.

Clinical Quality & Patient Safety
• Together with the Chief Quality Officer (CQO), establishes and maintains an ongoing program engaging Clinical Service Unit (CSU) medical directors, Vice Chairs for Clinical Quality and Safety, and other medical staff leaders to prioritize goals and objectives, work plans, and outcome definitions and measurements consistent with the overall organizational strategy and mission.
• Evaluates, implements, and optimizes efforts to improve the effectiveness of clinical care delivery, including appropriateness of care, resource utilization, operational efficiency, and — in partnership with the CQO — the quality and safety of care.
• In conjunction with the CQO, ensures that quality management programs are carried out in all clinical areas through the development and implementation of effective disease management programs, clinical protocols and guidelines, and other decision tools, and oversees ongoing review of clinical outcomes.
• Promotes a data-driven environment of safety, quality, and cost improvement; develops systems to review utilization of resources and objectively measure outcomes of care in the inpatient setting; monitors physician and group patterns and presents data, analysis, and interpretation to physicians and hospital committees for review.
• Fosters a culture of commitment within the medical director network to facilitate inpatient capacity management and throughput, including length-of-stay goals, site-of-care transitions, collaboration with the Emergency Department, and support of hospice and palliative care programs; provides direction and support to the hospitalist program.
• Facilitates conversations with Department Chairs and Service Chiefs regarding quality, efficiency and throughput including consult timeliness and the development of clinical pathways and standards.

Medical Staff Leadership
• Serves as the primary liaison between Duke University Hospital administration, the entity medical staff, Duke University Health System leadership, and the governing board.
• Leads the development of standard work for Clinical Service Unit (CSU) and Service Line Medical Directors at Duke University Hospital; ensures goals and objectives of each medical director are being met and provides annual feedback to medical directors on performance and expectations.
• Manages the physician and clinical practice review process for Duke University Hospital in partnership with clinical leaders across the clinical enterprise; serves as the primary authority for addressing medical staff matters and concerns; provides ongoing counsel and advice to the senior leadership team regarding medical staff issues.
• Partners with Department Chairs to elevate and address concerns around physician behavior, medical staff performance, and peer review.
• Provides oversight of physician operations medical directors; dedicates resources and time to developing physician leadership in safety, quality, and operations, with a focus on existing medical staff officers and clinical chiefs.
• Provides direct oversight of the Medical Staff, ensuring strong alignment between clinical quality priorities, medical staff governance, credentialing, privileging, peer review, and regulatory compliance; ensures medical staff appointments and allied health privileges are compliant with sound credentialing practices.
• Oversees the preparation of agendas and materials for the Medical Executive Committee and other medical staff committees.

Governance, Compliance & Regulatory
• Ensures all compliance and accreditation standards are met, including Joint Commission Accreditation (TJC/JCAHO) and all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Serves as liaison with external parties and institutions, including public, governmental, regulatory, accrediting, and Duke University Health System entities; oversees and manages on-site inspections, assists inspectors and surveyors in the performance of their duties, and provides follow-up reports as required.
• In partnership with the CQO, leads the Performance Improvement Oversight Committee, the Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Committees for both Duke University Hospital and DUHS, the DUH Clinical Service Unit Medical Directors series, and the DUHS Chief Medical Officers’ series.
• Works with Duke University Hospital leadership, incorporating TJC and other key quality indicators, to provide the leadership necessary to meet regulatory requirements and guidelines.

Operations & Administration
• Assures the ongoing development and implementation of policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of medical staff services, quality and safety programs, personnel, and other resources as needed.
• Integrates clinical care quality and management with nursing, operations, and finance; partners with members of the senior leadership team, particularly the CNO and COO.
• Demonstrates effective leadership through delegation, organization, and coordination of intradepartmental activities and interdepartmental integration.
• Develops effective processes for staff development, engagement, and retention.
• Prepares and submits reports as necessary in an accurate and timely manner.
• Performs other related duties incidental to the work described herein.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Ability to direct, instruct, and advise administrative and medical staff in the approved methods, procedures, and practices employed in effective health care administration.
• Effective response and management of day-to-day problems and concerns presented by administrative and medical staff.
• Ability to challenge the organization to reach greater levels of excellence while creating an environment of mutual respect and collaboration.
• Ability to evaluate public safety and quality concerns and translate them into effective operating procedures.
• Effective coordination of various hospital functions and activities for maximum cooperation and efficiency.
• Strong operational and clinical data analytic skills; ability to employ proven management techniques to obtain maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
• Excellent knowledge of current health care administration principles and practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ease with public speaking and the ability to conduct meetings and conferences on a wide variety of matters.
• A philosophy of collaboration and teamwork; comfort working in groups, forming teams of physicians and management personnel, and collaborating across diverse groupings.
• Strong interpersonal and active listening skills to interact effectively with individuals of all backgrounds, experience levels, and educational levels.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to synthesize complex clinical and operational data to drive evidence-based decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications
Education
• Medical degree (MD/DO) required; must be board certified in a specialty.
• Physician must be a member of the faculty of Duke University School of Medicine, hold active privileges at Duke University Hospital, and maintain an active clinical practice.
• Proven physician leadership experience in complex health care delivery systems with demonstrated results in clinical integration, transformation, and clinical information technology initiatives.

Experience
• A minimum of seven (7) or more years of combined clinical practice and health care leadership experience, including active participation in a leadership role within a medical staff organization.
• A minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of progressive management experience within a health care delivery system.

Degrees, Licensures & Certifications
• MD/DO with an unrestricted medical license required.
• Board certification in medical management preferred.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions:
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.