Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

14d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Colorado School of Medicine (SOM) seeks an accomplished physician leader to serve as Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs (SADCA) and Chief Medical Officer of CU Medicine. This is a premier executive leadership role responsible for shaping the clinical strategy, quality, access, growth, and integration of the School of Medicine’s extensive clinical enterprise. The SADCA serves as the senior physician executive responsible for aligning the SOM’s academic mission with high-value, patient-centered, financially sustainable clinical care across all SOM clinical platforms. This leader works in close partnership with SOM department chairs, CU Medicine leadership, University of Colorado Hospital Authority (UCHA), Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO), and key regional affiliates to advance excellence in patient care, education, and research.

Requirements

MD or DO degree with active board certification
Active clinical practice in specialty
Academic appointment at the Associate Professor or Professor level
Minimum of 10 years of senior medical leadership experience
Experience leading complex, multi-site, multi-specialty clinical enterprises

Nice To Haves

Deep expertise in: Faculty practice models and physician compensation, Healthcare finance and market dynamics, Value-based care and payer strategy
Record of academic achievement in clinical program development
Demonstrated success as a champion of: Patient safety, High-quality, equitable care, Operational excellence, Clinical growth and access
Proven ability as a: Strategic negotiator, Enterprise communicator, Change leader
Strong emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and ability to lead through influence
Commitment to excellence in education and research

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of a unified, multi-year clinical enterprise strategy aligned with the SOM strategic plan
Identify and advance opportunities for: o Programmatic growth o New market development o Service line expansion
Oversee strategic growth of clinical programs beyond the University of Colorado Hospital campus
Guide integration of acquired practices and new clinical partnerships
Serve as the senior physician executive accountable for patient safety and clinical quality
Oversee clinical compliance with state and federal regulations
Oversee CU Medicine Board policies
Oversee Peer review and credentialing processes
Partner with legal, compliance, and risk leadership on sentinel events and performance improvement
Establish a culture of transparent, actionable performance reporting
Oversee Productivity metrics
Oversee Ambulatory operations
Oversee Benchmarking and institutional outcomes
Monitor referral patterns and guide access optimization strategies
Align performance management with quality, growth, and sustainability goals
Provide executive oversight of Faculty practice management
Provide executive oversight of Access and capacity planning
Provide executive oversight of Clinic operations and patient experience
Align physician compensation models with quality, access, growth, and academic priorities
Ensure seamless integration of medical students, residents, and fellows into clinical operations
Guarantee that clinical growth strategies enhance—rather than compromise—the educational mission
Serve as the senior physician liaison to: UCHA, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, VA Medical Center, National Jewish Health
Mediate interdepartmental and intersystem clinical service issues
Serve as physician ambassador to payers, community partners, and affiliated systems
Lead adoption of: Telemedicine, Digital health platforms, AI-enabled clinical workflows, Remote monitoring and access optimization tools
Support pilot programs and scale successful innovations system-wide