Medical Director Emergency Department

Centra Health•Lynchburg, VA

About The Position

Centra Health seeks an accomplished physician leader to serve as the Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, providing strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for emergency services across the health system. The role oversees emergency departments at three acute care hospitals (Lynchburg General Hospital, Bedford Memorial Hospital and Southside Community Hospital) and one freestanding emergency department (Gretna Medical Center) and partners with the Associate Medical Director of Emergency Medicine. The Medical Director plays a crucial role in advancing high-quality, patient-centered emergency care aligned with Centra Health’s mission, operational priorities, and long-term strategic goals. The Medical Director serves as the senior physician leader for Emergency Medicine and partners closely with the Associate Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, Chief Medical Officer, hospital presidents, nursing leadership, and operational executives to ensure reliable, efficient, and coordinated emergency care delivery across the continuum. This role extends beyond departmental oversight and requires system-level leadership to address patient flow, access to care, interdisciplinary coordination, and operational constraints that impact emergency department performance and community experience. About Centra Health Centra Health is an integrated, nonprofit healthcare system serving communities across Central Virginia and committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care through clinical excellence, innovation, and strong physician leadership.

Requirements

Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from an accredited institution
Board Certification in Emergency Medicine required
Eligible for unrestricted medical licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Eligible for medical staff appointment at Centra Health facilities
Progressive leadership experience in Emergency Medicine, preferably within a multi-site or integrated health system
Demonstrated success improving throughput, operational performance, and clinical quality outcomes
Experience leading multidisciplinary improvement initiatives across organizational boundaries
Proven ability to utilize data analytics to drive measurable improvement
Systems thinking and enterprise leadership capability
Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills
Change management and performance improvement expertise
Ability to align physicians, operations, and executive leadership around shared goals

Responsibilities

Provide enterprise physician leadership for emergency services across all Centra Health facilities.
Develop and execute strategic initiatives that improve access, quality, patient safety, and operational performance.
Align Emergency Medicine strategy with system priorities including High Reliability Organization, Patient Experience, and sustainable operational performance.
Serve as the principal physician advisor to executive leadership regarding emergency care delivery, access challenges, and system throughput.
Align workflows and best practices within Acute Care Services, and other service lines.
Lead system-wide efforts to improve emergency department throughput by addressing constraints across the care continuum, including inpatient capacity, diagnostic turnaround times, transport processes, and discharge efficiency.
Partner with radiology, hospital medicine, nursing, and operational leaders to reduce delays impacting emergency care delivery.
Promote standardized workflows that support timely clinical decision-making and reduce unnecessary variation across sites.
Advance solutions that improve access to emergency care while reducing Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) and Left Before Treatment Complete (LBTC) rates.
Establish a culture of high reliability and accountability within Emergency Medicine.
Drive adoption of evidence-based clinical pathways and standardized care practices.
Ensure readiness for regulatory and accreditation requirements.
Utilize real-time performance data to identify gaps and implement sustainable improvements in care delivery.
Lead, mentor, and develop Emergency Medicine physicians and advanced practice professionals.
Foster a professional culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Support recruitment, retention, and leadership development within Emergency Medicine.
Provide stability and engagement during periods of organizational change through transparent communication and physician partnership.
Strengthen collaboration between Emergency Medicine and inpatient, procedural, diagnostic, and ancillary services.
Work with Centra Medical Group, Service Line and Operational leaders to ensure shared ownership of patient flow and access outcomes.
Partner with community physicians and outpatient providers to improve care transitions and follow-up after emergency department encounters.
Support development of staffing models and operational structures that balance patient access, provider sustainability, and financial performance.
Participate in resource planning and operational prioritization aligned with system goals.
Promote efficient utilization of clinical resources while maintaining high standards of care.