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Denver Health
Denver, Colorado

Medical Director, Correctional Care

Family MedicineIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$227k-$279k

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about nights and shift pattern.

Posted 26m ago · Verified live

Job Description

We are recruiting for a mission-driven Medical Director, Correctional Care to join our team!

We're with you for life’s journey. At Denver Health, purpose isn’t just something we believe in—it’s something we live every day, for life’s journey.

Our Values

Respect | Belonging | Accountability | Transparency

Department

Denver Sheriffs

Job Summary

The Medical Director role includes both direct patient care as well as clinical and operational leadership of the care provided at both Downtown Detention Center and the Denver County Jail.

The Medical Director ensures patients in the correctional setting receive appropriate, high quality, timely medical care that is delivered according to established medical standards and evidence-based guidelines. This role supervises other physicians and clinicians both clinically and administratively.

The Medical Director has primary responsibility for recruiting new clinicians to maintain needed clinical access. This role furthermore collaborates with nursing and operational leadership to assess and maintain quality and patient safety standards.

These environments of care have a higher level of clinical acuity, behavioral health acuity, social complexity, and environmental hazard than typical ambulatory care settings.

The detention centers employ a high level of security, which impacts daily working conditions, including clinical operations, safety, and availability of clinical resources.

Environmental awareness, critical thinking, skillful communication, comfort with complex stakeholder management, experience overseeing quality improvement, and effective decision-making skills are essential for success in the role.

The Medical Director reports to The Chair of Family Medicine and also has support from and responsibility to the Department Chairs of Psychiatry and Dental, as well as Denver Health's Chief Medical Officer and Chief Ambulatory Officer. The Medical Director will receive eight hours of administrative time per week and will be responsible for one on-call weekend per month and one on-call night per week.

Essential Functions

Provide preventive care as well as therapeutic care to patients with acute and chronic illnesses. Admit to medical unit within correctional care refer to hospital for higher level of care and consult specialists as needed. Care includes the management of complex medical illnesses, and performance of procedures learned in training. (65%)

Responsible for management of staff and the operations of health services at Denver Sheriff Health Services. Assist in the education and training of medical students, residents, interns, and others If physicians-in-training are involved in the care of patients in correctional care, provide supervision in accordance with ACGME requirements. (10%)

Oversee quality and safety of care in correctional care, including direct participation or assigning a physician designee for all mortality reviews, regular review/revision of clinical protocols, regular review of all patient safety incidents/reports and trends, utilization management/review, correctional care and DHHA quality committees, and DHHA risk management activities. (10%)

Serve as a primary on-site liaison, in partnership with the Senior Administrator of Health Services in Correctional Care, with the Sheriff’s Department and Department of Corrections leaders regarding all clinical care provided in correctional care at either facility. (10%)

Work together with the Senior Health Administrator who is responsible for regulatory compliance as it relates to ACA, NCCHC accreditation and state and federal requirements to maintain compliance. Participates in committees when needed to help ensure compliance with regulatory agencies. (5%)

Education

Doctorate Degree Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine from an accredited school of medicine Required

Work Experience

1-3 years of outpatient clinic experience with demonstrated leadership qualities and evidence of leading initiatives at the clinic or division level, or oversight of advanced practice providers. Required and

1-3 years of correctional care experience preferred

Licenses

MD-Physician - State Medical Board Required And

  • BLS-Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) - AHA - American Heart Association or American Red Cross Required and
  • CCHP-Certified Correctional Health Professional - NCCHC - National Commission on Correctional Healthcare

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Has adequate knowledge and skill of all privileged procedures as outlined in the Denver Health and Hospital Authority Department of Family Medicine Clinical Privileges documentation.

Computer skills required.

Shift

  • Work Type
  • Regular

Salary

$227,300.00 - $279,200.00 / yr

Benefits

At Denver Health, we take care of the people who take care of our community.

Our benefits are built to support your life, your family, and your future — with generous paid time off, fully paid parental leave, exceptional retirement contributions, comprehensive health coverage, and nationally recognized well-being programs.

We invest in your growth through tuition assistance, career advancement pathways, and professional development — while also offering meaningful financial advantages through loan forgiveness eligibility and employer contributions.

When you join Denver Health, you’re joining a mission-driven organization that invests in you.

  • Here is a small list of our benefit programs:
  • Ambient AI digital scribe with Epic integration for all ambulatory providers!
  • Paid time off starting at 28 days per year, inclusive of vacation, personal/sick, and 7 Holidays
  • 100% paid parental leave up to 6 weeks
  • Immediate eligibility for retirement plans with employer contribution up to 9.5%
  • Generous medical, dental, vision plans in addition to employer paid disability and life insurance.
  • Comprehensive well-being programs including on-site employee fitness center located on Denver Health main campus and nationally recognized RESTORE Center
  • Free RTD EcoPass (public transportation)
  • Childcare discount programs & exclusive perks on large brands, travel, and more

Tuition Reimbursement & Assistance

  • Education, coaching, and professional development opportunities through the Workforce Development Center (WFDC) that support internal career growth and advancement pathways
  • Professional clinical advancement program & shared governance
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer+ free student loan coaching and assistance navigating the PSLF program
  • National Health Service Corps (NHCS) and Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) eligible employer

About Denver Health

Denver Health is an integrated, high-quality academic healthcare system considered a model for the nation that includes a Level I Trauma Center, a 555-bed acute care medical center, Denver’s 911 emergency medical response system, 10 family health centers, 19 school-based health centers, Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety, the Public Health Institute at Denver Health, Denver Health Medical Plan and Denver Health Foundation.

As Colorado’s primary, and essential, safety-net healthcare system, Denver Health is a mission-driven organization that has provided millions in uncompensated care for the uninsured each year.

Located near downtown Denver, Denver Health is just minutes away from many of the cultural and recreational activities Denver has to offer.

Denver Health is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We value the unique ideas, talents and contributions reflective of the needs of our community. All job applicants for safety-sensitive positions must pass a pre-employment drug test, once a conditional offer of employment has been made. Applicants will be considered until the position is filled.

Key Responsibilities

The Medical Director provides direct patient care and clinical leadership for correctional facilities, ensuring high-quality medical services and safety standards. This role also manages clinical staff, oversees quality improvement initiatives, and acts as a liaison with the Sheriff’s Department.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Doctorate in Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine and possess 1-3 years of outpatient clinic experience with leadership qualities. A valid state medical license and BLS certification are required, with correctional care experience preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Correctional medicineStaff supervisionEvidence-based medicineMedical protocol development

Family Medicine — Physician Career Context

In Colorado, the Family Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$258k (40 salary observations; 75 listings), vs ~$266k nationally (593 salary observations; 2,226 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Family Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 8% are remote, 48% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

Family Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is up 13.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Colorado is 103.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$253k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $246k in an average-cost state. 60.9% of Colorado clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Family Medicine Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 36 employers

12
<$295k
13
$295k-330k
16
$330k-365k
7
$365k-400k
2
$400k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks45 jobs · 36 employers

401k / retirement match
93% this job
Sign-on bonus
67%
CME allowance
67%
Relocation assistance
47%
Loan repayment
36% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physician, Internal Medicine - Foster City Medical Center

Sutter Health · Foster City, California

$370k-$425k
#2

Primary Care Physician- Arvada

Impact to Health · Arvada, Colorado

$300k-$400k
#3

Optum CA - Primary Care Physician | Banning, CA

$239k-$393k
#4

Primary Care Physician

$346k-$391k
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.2this job 4.2
Better work-life than 30% of Family Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 2,385 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Denver

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$560k≈ 2.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,881/mo≈ 10% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
25 min
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Denver Health logo

About Denver Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Denver, CO
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Ambient AI digital scribe with Epic integration for all ambulatory providers
Paid time off starting at 28 days per year, inclusive of vacation, personal/sick, and 7 Holidays
100% paid parental leave up to 6 weeks
Immediate eligibility for retirement plans with employer contribution up to 9.5%
Generous medical, dental, vision plans in addition to employer paid disability and life insurance
Comprehensive well-being programs including on-site employee fitness center and nationally recognized RESTORE Center
Free RTD EcoPass (public transportation)
Childcare discount programs & exclusive perks on large brands, travel, and more