Medical Director/ Medical Director Designee

Heart of Hope Asian American Hospice Care•San Jose, CA

134d•$160 - $200•Onsite

About The Position

Heart of Hope Asian American Hospice Care is a non-profit Hospice licensed by the state of California in 2016 and accredited by CHAP with zero deficiencies in 2017 and 2023. We are looking for an exceptional Medical Director/ Medical Director Designee to join our leadership team. A contracted Medical Director/ Medical Director Designee is needed to operate this hospice organization in San Jose, California. This is a unique opportunity to share your passion for end-of-life care with a non-profit hospice organization to promote and to deliver compassionate care to patients and families facing end-of-life challenges in the Silicon Valley Area. This position provides a great opportunity for enhancing cultural competence and professional growth.

Requirements

Current and unrestricted California Physician and Surgeon license in good standing, with no disciplinary actions against the license within the past seven (7) years.
A minimum of two (2) years of full-time supervisory or managerial experience within the last five (5) years in a hospice, home health agency, or providing palliative care.
Demonstrated ability to supervise and provide clinical direction to interdisciplinary professional teams.
Deep knowledge of hospice eligibility criteria, Medicare Conditions of Participation, and CMS billing and documentation requirements.
Familiarity with CDPH licensing requirements, CHAP or equivalent accreditation standards, and California Health and Safety Code provisions governing hospice agencies.
Ability to engage tactfully and compassionately with patients, families, staff, and the broader medical community — with cultural humility and sensitivity to the Asian American communities we serve.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong clinical documentation practices.
Must be a California licensed driver with an automobile insured in accordance with state and/or organization requirements.

Nice To Haves

Board certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) preferred; candidates with equivalent clinical experience in end-of-life care are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Provide clinical supervision and perform administrative duties as necessary to assure the successful clinical operation of the agency and to monitor the quality of care provided to patients.
Work to ensure the agency is and remains compliant with all applicable laws, regulations, rules, and standards governing medical care for hospice patients, including CDPH licensing requirements and CMS Conditions of Participation.
Serve as a member of the interdisciplinary team (IDT) and provide medical leadership to the IDT and agency staff.
Participate in interdisciplinary team conferences and contribute to collaborative care planning and clinical decision-making.
Participate as needed in the admission process, including issuing physician orders necessary for the development of each patient's hospice plan of care.
Confirm patient eligibility for hospice services and prepare written certification statements for patients who do not have an attending physician, in accordance with hospice program policies.
Review statements of prognosis and eligibility certifications prepared by attending physicians or the IDT to ensure appropriate admission and recertification for hospice services.
Consult with patients' attending physicians and hospice staff as requested to support continuity and quality of care.
Assist in developing an individualized plan of care for each patient and family, including assessment of the patient's needs, identification of services to be provided, and management of discomfort and symptom relief.
Coordinate efforts with attending physicians to ensure hospice patients receive medical care when the attending physician is unable or unavailable to provide such care.
Work with the agency to provide and/or arrange for 24-hour on-call physician availability to deliver Medical Director services as needed.
Offer advice and information to agency staff and referring physicians on medical interventions consistent with hospice philosophy and each patient's plan of care.
Participate in the approval of patient admissions to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities for respite care, general inpatient care, or residential care, and ensure appropriate care is provided in those settings.
Participate in patient conferences and provide input and guidance on the medical management of patients' plans of care.
Consult with physicians, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals regarding potential hospice patients and existing patients' plans of care, as requested.
Serve as a physician liaison and provide education regarding the hospice concept and philosophy to the broader medical community, including physicians, nursing facilities, and hospitals.
Maintain all records and reports required under federal and state law and/or regulations, and make such records available for review by the agency and any applicable federal or state agency upon request.
Provide care for inpatients who are not being routinely seen by their primary physicians, as assigned. Responsibilities include history and physicals, routine visits, discharge medications, and ongoing communication with the primary physician.
Provide necessary consultation to home care patients as assigned, including but not limited to house calls, pain control, consultation and prescriptions, attendance at patient care conferences, and utilization review of out-of-protocol procedures and acute care admissions.
Provide required physician orders for patients after appropriate evaluation in accordance with state regulations, or assist the agency in identifying a qualified physician to do so.