Medical Director Transfer Center

Northern Arizona Healthcare•Flagstaff, AZ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Director of the Transfer Center (TCMD) is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all patient transfer activities between outlying facilities in Northern Arizona and receiving physicians at NAH. This role serves as the primary point of contact for policies, protocols, quality assurance, and communications related to the transfer center. The TCMD ensures safe, high-quality patient transfers, develops and maintains acceptance protocols, collaborates with outpatient care physicians and service line medical directors, and works to ensure seamless communication and treatment among facilities. The position also involves acting as a liaison between transfer center staff and the NAH medical staff, participating in specialty department meetings, and providing education on EMTALA. A key aspect of the role is establishing and overseeing a quality assurance and performance improvement program, including reviewing specific case types like mortality within 24 hours, upgrades in care, early discharges, double transfers, and 'lost cases' (patients not accepted or retained). The TCMD will also review requested cases and collaborate with transfer center staff on policies and quality assurance. The Medical Director must be an active member of the NAH medical staff in good standing and will set annual performance goals in collaboration with an administrative partner, subject to approval by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Performance will be formally reviewed annually.

Requirements

Must be an active member of the NAH medical staff in good standing.
Perform all duties in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and standards of medical practice, including EMTALA.
Ensure protocols are reviewed no less than annually and updated as clinically or operationally warranted.
Collaborate with outpatient care physicians and providers within the NAH system.
Work in cooperation with NAH service line medical directors to develop and implement outreach programs.
Ensure expert and seamless communication and care coordination for all patients within the Northern Arizona service area.
Identify, filter, and refer for review cases meeting criteria established under this Agreement.
Review specific case types on a monthly basis: Mortality within Twenty-Four (24) Hours, Upgrade in Level of Care within Eight (8) Hours, Early Discharge within Twelve (12) Hours, and Double Transfers.
Review all instances in which patients were not accepted or retained at NAH ('Lost Cases').
Provide structured feedback and recommendations to hospital administration and service line leaders regarding methods to reduce the incidence of Lost Cases.
Provide appropriate feedback to the relevant accepting service line when warranted by the findings of Lost Case review.
Conduct or facilitate a review of any transfer center case upon request by an involved physician or provider.
Communicate the results of case reviews to all involved parties, relevant staff, safety committees, and other appropriate stakeholders.
Collaborate with transfer center staff in the implementation, ongoing management, and periodic revision of all policies, protocols, and quality assurance activities.
Perform all services described herein in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including EMTALA, applicable state medical practice acts, and all accreditation standards applicable to NAH.
Promptly notify the Facility of any actual or potential compliance concerns arising in connection with the transfer center service line.
Establish no fewer than three (3) and no more than five (5) professional performance goals for the forthcoming calendar year.
Submit Annual Goals for review and written approval of the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of NAH prior to taking effect.
Undergo formal annual performance review by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer, or their designees, regarding progress toward and achievement of approved Annual Goals.

Nice To Haves

Collaboration with outpatient care physicians and providers within the NAH system where clinically appropriate.
Development and implementation of outreach programs serving the Northern Arizona region.
Ongoing education for NAH medical staff regarding EMTALA obligations and regulations governing accepting and referral center responsibilities, in cooperation with the Facility's legal and risk management departments.
Review of Mortality within Twenty-Four (24) Hours, Upgrade in Level of Care within Eight (8) Hours, Early Discharge within Twelve (12) Hours, and Double Transfers.
Review of Lost Cases due to Capacity Limitations, Staffing Limitations, Service Unavailability, Delay in Securing a Physician, Delay in Securing a Bed, Recommendation for Higher Level of Care, Continuity of Care, Physician Refusal, and High Call Volume.
Review of any transfer center case upon request by an involved physician or provider.
Establishment of Annual Goals in collaboration with the Medical Director's designated administrative dyad partner.
Annual performance review conducted in a manner consistent with the Facility's standard performance evaluation policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and oversee all patient transfer activities between outlying facilities and NAH receiving physicians.
Serve as the primary point of contact for policies, protocols, quality assurance programs, and communications related to the transfer center.
Ensure processes are in place for the safest, highest quality, appropriate transfer of patients and pertinent information.
Continuously develop, review, and maintain acceptance protocols in cooperation with service line medical directors and staff physicians.
Collaborate with outpatient care physicians and providers within the NAH system to ensure continuity of care for transferred patients.
Develop and implement outreach programs serving the Northern Arizona region in cooperation with NAH service line medical directors.
Ensure expert, seamless communication and treatment for all patients amongst facilities.
Serve as the designated liaison between transfer center staff and the NAH medical staff.
Attend specialty department meetings to ensure specialty-specific acceptance protocols are adequate, current, and aligned with operational and clinical needs.
Provide and support ongoing education for NAH medical staff regarding obligations under EMTALA and applicable regulations.
Establish, maintain, and oversee a quality assurance and performance improvement program for the transfer center service line.
Identify, filter, and refer for review cases meeting established criteria.
Review specific case types monthly, including mortality within 24 hours, upgrades in level of care within 8 hours, early discharges within 12 hours, and double transfers.
Review all instances where patients were not accepted or retained at NAH ('Lost Cases') and conduct ongoing analysis of contributing factors.
Conduct or facilitate a review of any transfer center case upon request by an involved physician or provider.
Collaborate with transfer center staff in the implementation, ongoing management, and periodic revision of all policies, protocols, and quality assurance activities.
Perform all services in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including EMTALA.
Promptly notify the Facility of any actual or potential compliance concerns.
Set annual performance goals (3-5 goals) in collaboration with a designated administrative dyad partner, subject to approval by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer.
Participate in the annual performance review of progress toward and achievement of approved Annual Goals.