Jail Health Physician, Substance Use Disorder Lead

King County•Various Locations throughout King County, WA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Public Health’s Jail Health Services Division is seeking a Jail Health Physician to lead the development and implementation of a multidisciplinary substance use care program in King County adult jail facilities. The position combines direct patient care as part of the JHS family medicine team with leadership of substance use disorder quality improvement, clinical guidance, and specialized program oversight. Physicians work in secure, 24/7 facilities and provide a broad scope of adult family medicine in a public health setting, including care for acute and chronic conditions, addiction medicine, and prenatal care. The physician provides addiction medicine consultation and clinical oversight for a multidisciplinary team, develops patient education and staff training, and supports partnerships with public health divisions and community stakeholders to improve care across the continuum. The position is based at King County Correctional Facility in Seattle and Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Employees must reside in Washington State within a reasonable distance of their worksite. The typical schedule is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with variable workdays and hours. Coverage includes weekday day and evening shifts, weekend and holiday day shifts, and an equal share of overnight on-call shifts. Schedules and work sites may be adjusted to meet program demands. The recruitment may also be used to create an eligibility pool for additional Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary, or Special Duty Assignment vacancies over the following six months.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited medical school and residency program.
Board certified or board eligible in Family Medicine or Emergency Medicine; if not certified, must become certified within two years of hire.
Washington State medical license obtained before hiring.
National Provider Identification (NPI) number before hiring.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration before hiring.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification with AED training before credentialing.
At least one year of direct addiction medicine care.
Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary care team and with patients from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Valid Washington State driver’s license or ability to travel throughout King County in a timely manner.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and comfort using electronic health records and keyboard-based data entry.
Ability to meet the position’s variable schedule, including weekday day and evening shifts, weekend and holiday day shifts, and rotating overnight on-call shifts.
Ability to reside in Washington State within a reasonable distance of the King County worksite.
Ability to pass a background investigation and pre-employment physical and provide proof of BLS/CPR.
Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication, and ability to develop effective working relationships.
Ability to comply with privacy and security requirements for protected health information, OSHA/WISHA guidelines, required training, and immunization requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing substance use disorders, including withdrawal treatment and medications for opioid use disorder.
Medical leadership experience, including developing and implementing clinical guidelines, policies and procedures, and continuous quality improvement methods.
Experience and interest in multidisciplinary teams that may include physicians, advanced registered nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, and peers.
Knowledge of care delivery systems and substance use disorder community resources in King County.
Two years of adult primary care experience, including women’s health care.
Experience in a correctional health care environment.
Demonstrated commitment to cultural humility, equity, racial justice, and social justice.
Lived participatory community experience with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Proficiency in a language other than English.
Board certification or board eligibility in Addiction Medicine.

Responsibilities

Diagnose, manage, educate, and counsel residents on a broad range of personal health care issues, including complex medical problems.
Perform minor surgical procedures, order medications, and refer patients to specialty services when needed.
Provide women’s health services, including gynecologic examinations and prenatal care.
Manage substance use disorders, including withdrawal syndromes, counseling, and prescribing medications for opioid and alcohol use disorders.
Respond to medical emergencies and facility medical codes to provide life support and stabilize patients.
Document medical evaluations, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, treatment outcomes, referrals, and consultations.
Train staff on clinical and procedural topics and provide technical consultation to providers and nursing staff.
Participate in developing, implementing, and evaluating treatment guidelines and service delivery models.
Work with program colleagues to support compliance with National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) standards and accreditation.
Participate in internal and external committees to maintain appropriate standards of care.
Collaborate with the health care team to support smooth clinic operations.
Participate in rotating after-hours primary care call and weekend and holiday coverage for the medical provider team.
Provide testimony when required in legal proceedings.
Lead substance use disorder quality assurance and quality improvement activities, guideline development, change management, and continuous process improvement under JHS medical leadership.
Provide addiction medicine consultation to nursing staff, clinical team members, and the community, including patient advocacy.
Provide clinical oversight for the Substance Use Disorder multidisciplinary team.
Develop patient education and clinical training for JHS team members on substance use disorder care.
Support partnerships with other Public Health – Seattle & King County divisions and community stakeholders to advance substance use care across the care continuum.
Perform other duties within the position’s scope as assigned.