Medical Director

Waveny LifeCare Network•Wilton, CT

21d

About The Position

The Medical Director serves as a member of the Hospice team, helping plan and develop patient and family plans of care and overseeing medications and treatment. The role certifies and recertifies patients’ eligibility for hospice based on medical criteria and available prognostic and diagnostic information, and provides medical support to the interdisciplinary team, patients, families, and attending physicians. The Medical Director collaborates with attending physicians on care plans, pain control, and symptom management, and ensures medical coverage and continuity of hospice services. The position includes supervising contract hospice physicians, conducting requested home visits, attending IDG conferences, completing required certifications, documenting care, and providing direct medical services or arranging them when an attending physician is unavailable. Additional duties include keeping current with hospice and palliative care research and practices, contributing to quality improvement, educating colleagues and physicians, reviewing treatment protocols, helping address clinical, ethical, and interpersonal concerns, updating care policies and emergency procedures, serving as a community physician liaison, and participating in community events. Other duties may be assigned by the Hospice Director.

Requirements

MD or DO degree.
Current license to practice medicine in Connecticut.
Understanding of and commitment to hospice principles and the psychosocial, spiritual, and medical aspects of hospice care.
Board certification in internal medicine or family practice.
Physical ability to drive, with visual and hearing ability to communicate in person, in writing, and by telephone.

Nice To Haves

At least five years of work experience in clinical practice of medicine, family medicine, or palliative care (preferred).

Responsibilities

Participate in planning and developing patient and family plans of care, including oversight of medications and treatment.
Certify and recertify that patients meet medical criteria for hospice admission and recertification based on available clinical indicators and information.
Serve as a medical resource for the hospice interdisciplinary team, patients, families, and attending physicians.
Complement attending physician care and collaborate to develop and update patient plans of care; meet patients’ medical needs when the attending physician is unavailable.
Provide 24-hour physician coverage, continuity of hospice medical services, and oversight of physician services.
Collaborate with attending physicians on pain control and symptom management.
Coordinate and provide direct medical care when an attending physician is unable or unavailable.
Supervise contract hospice physicians.
Conduct requested consulting home visits, including visits for face-to-face documentation requirements.
Ensure direct medical services are provided to patients, directly or through arrangements, when the attending physician is absent.
Attend IDG conferences and complete required certifications and recertifications of terminal illness.
Document care in patient clinical records, including evidence of progression of end-stage disease.
Maintain current knowledge of research and trends in hospice care and pain and symptom management.
Work collaboratively with the IDG.
Participate in performance improvement programs (QAPI).
Provide consultation and education to colleagues and attending physicians about hospice and palliative care admission criteria.
Review and develop treatment protocols and propose current intervention options.
Participate in resolving interpersonal conflicts and clinical or ethical concerns.
Participate in developing and updating patient care policies and emergency procedures.
Act as a liaison to physicians in the community.
Communicate with and counsel patients, families, and staff about end-of-life concerns.
Participate in the annual Celebration of Life and other community events.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Hospice Director.