Physician - County Medical Director (San Diego County)

About Us

Community health is about more than just vaccines and checkups. It’s about giving people the resources they need to live their best lives. At Neighborhood, this is our vision: a community where everyone is healthy and happy. We’re with you every step of the way, with the care you need for each of life’s chapters.

At Neighborhood, we are Better Together.

As a private, non-profit 501(C) (3) community health organization, we serve over 500,000 medical, dental, and behavioral health visits from more than 95,000 people annually. We do this in pursuit of our mission to improve the health and happiness of the communities we serve by providing quality care to all, regardless of situation or circumstance.

Since 1969, our employees have been making this mission a reality. Regardless of the role, our team focuses on being compassionate, having integrity, being professional, always collaborating, and consistently going above and beyond. If this sounds like an organization you would like to be a part of, we would love to meet you.

ROLE OVERVIEW and PURPOSE

The County Medical Director will strategically design and enhance patient care delivery within our healthcare system by implementing innovative approaches to care team formation and patient allocation.

Reporting directly to the Associate Chief Medical Officer (ACMO), this position will oversee multiple clinics across the county, ensuring optimal utilization of clinical resources and improving patient outcomes.

The County Medical Director role represents a critical opportunity to optimize patient care delivery, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency within our healthcare system.

By leveraging interdisciplinary care teams and innovative patient allocation strategies, we can ensure that patients receive the right care from the right providers at the right time, ultimately advancing our mission of providing high-quality, patient-centered care.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Vision

• Provides strategic leadership to drive growth and development in areas of underserved medical needs within a designated county
• Develops and forecasts long-term plans (three-to-five-year planning) to enhance healthcare delivery and meet the evolving needs of the community

Team Management

• Manages a medical team of Clinician Leaders, including Senior Regional Medical Leads, and Associate Regional Medical Leads
• Establishes and manages interdisciplinary care teams composed of Medical Doctors and Advanced Practice providers, as well a per diem Provider pool to optimize patient care across clinics
• Fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the medical team

Operational Optimization

• Collaborates with the operations team to establish constructive workflows that optimize clinician efficiency and enhance patient care outcomes
• Designs and implements strategies to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance overall operational performance

Care Team Development

• Collaborates with clinical leadership to create multidisciplinary care teams, consisting of medical doctors and advanced practice providers
• Participates in examining patient complexity to appropriately allocate patients to Medical Doctors or Advanced Practice Providers
• Establishes systems for accurately assessing patient panels and allocating patients to appropriate care teams based on clinical complexity
• Provides guidance on patient allocation protocols to ensure that complex cases are managed by physicians, while routine visits are handled by advanced practice providers
• Conducts training sessions for clinicians on team-based care models, patient allocation strategies, and best practices in patient management

Utilization Management Oversight

• Oversees the clinical component of utilization management, ensuring appropriate and judicious uses of medical services are consistently rendered
• Collaborates with utilization management teams to develop and implement strategies for optimizing resource utilization, identifying/referring to appropriate inhouse services, minimizing unnecessary costs, and promoting evidence-based care practices

Workflow Management

• Evaluates and measures workflows to effectively manage care teams and facilitate cross-coverage to ensure continuity of care
• Develops protocols and guidelines to standardize clinical practices and enhance coordination among team members

Direct Care

• Administers or prescribes treatments
• Discusses potential side effects to medications and/or immunizations with patients
• Promotes health by advising patients about diet, hygiene, and methods for disease prevention
• Refers patients to medical specialists for consultant services for their well-being, as needed
• Follows up with patients regarding progress in high risk or emergency cases
• Conducts physical examinations to provide information needed for admission to schools, consideration for jobs, or eligibility for insurance coverage

Education/Experience

• Medical Degree (MD or DO) from an accredited institution required
• Valid CA Medical and DEA License required
• Board certification in a medical specialty required
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification though an American Heart Association (AHA)- Approved source is required upon hire and must be maintained as a condition of employment.
• AHA- approved courses include an in-person, hands-on skills check with a certified instructor using a mannequin to demonstrate CPR and emergency response techniques.
• Online-only BLS courses without a live skills check do not meet this requirement.
• Seven years’ clinical experience in primary care or relevant specialty
• Experience in higher-level leadership roles within healthcare organization

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including superior composition, typing, and proofreading skills
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
• Knowledgeable about and experience with healthcare operations and experience in optimizing workflows
• Demonstrated commitment to serve underserved populations and addressing healthcare disparities
• Ability to think strategically and drive innovation in healthcare delivery
• Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Excellent planning and organizational ability
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
• Ability to work with highly confidential information in a professional and ethical manner

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift/carry 25 lbs/weight
• Ability to stand for long periods of time

COMPLIANCE (Safety & HIPAA)

• Follows all safety procedures as outlined in Neighborhood Healthcare’s Illness and Injury Prevention Plan (IIPP) and report any injuries and/or unsafe conditions immediately
• Maintains current knowledge of policies and procedures as they relate to safe work practices
• Follows all safety procedures and report unsafe conditions
• Uses appropriate body mechanics to ensure an injury free environment
• Familiarity with location of nearest fire extinguisher and emergency exits
• Follows all infection control procedures including blood-borne pathogen protocols
• Maintains privacy of all patients, employee and volunteer information and access such information only on a need-to-know basis for business purposes
• Complies with all regulations regarding corporate integrity and security obligations
• Reports all behavior and/or activity that are unethical, fraudulent, or unlawful

Pay range: $302,700.00 - $514,600.00 per year, depending on experience. (DOE)

Compensation Disclosure: The posted salary range reflects the designated pay grade for this position.

While this range represents the broader classification of the role, actual compensation will be based on several factors, including but not limited to: the candidate’s overall knowledge, skills, and experience, market data and industry benchmarks, internal equity within the organization, Budgetary considerations and organizational needs.

As a result, placement within the range is not guaranteed, and the full pay grade range may not be utilized.