PHYSICIAN - Part Time

Medical Director

Applegate Village, Freehold, NJ

Skilled Nursing / Long-Term Care / Assisted Living

Position Summary

The Medical Director provides clinical leadership, medical oversight, and guidance for residents receiving services within the skilled nursing, long-term care, and assisted living communities. The Medical Director works collaboratively with administration, nursing leadership, attending physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacy, rehabilitation, infection prevention, and other members of the interdisciplinary team to promote high-quality, resident-centered care.

The Medical Director serves as a key clinical resource to leadership and staff and supports the organization’s commitment to resident safety, quality outcomes, regulatory compliance, and continuous performance improvement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership

• Provide medical leadership and clinical oversight for the community.
• Promote evidence-based, resident-centered standards of care.
• Provide consultation and guidance regarding complex clinical situations, changes in resident condition, hospitalization prevention, and transitions of care.
• Support effective communication and coordination among physicians, advanced practice providers, nursing staff, residents, and families.
• Assist in establishing appropriate clinical policies, protocols, and standards of practice.
• Promote appropriate goals-of-care and advance-care-planning discussions.

Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement

• Participate actively in the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program.
• Review clinical outcomes, trends, hospital transfers, readmissions, falls, infections, medication-related events, wounds, and other quality indicators.
• Identify opportunities for clinical improvement and assist leadership in developing corrective and preventive strategies.
• Participate in quality, safety, pharmacy, infection prevention, and other clinical committees as appropriate.
• Support initiatives designed to improve resident outcomes and quality of life.

Regulatory Compliance

• Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements governing skilled nursing, long-term care, and assisted living services.
• Provide medical leadership during regulatory surveys and assist with responses to clinical findings when appropriate.
• Collaborate with administration and nursing leadership to address identified clinical or regulatory concerns.
• Maintain awareness of changes in regulations and accepted standards of geriatric and long-term care medicine.

Physician and Provider Oversight

• Promote appropriate standards of practice among attending physicians and other medical providers serving residents.
• Assist with credentialing, clinical expectations, and provider performance review as applicable.
• Facilitate communication between medical providers and facility leadership.
• Address concerns involving availability, responsiveness, documentation, continuity of care, and adherence to organizational policies.
• Help ensure appropriate physician coverage and access to medical services.

Medication Management and Pharmacy Services

• Collaborate with pharmacy services, nursing, and providers to promote safe and appropriate medication use.
• Support antimicrobial stewardship and appropriate prescribing practices.
• Participate in review of medication-related trends, polypharmacy concerns, psychotropic medication utilization, and adverse drug events.
• Promote medication-reduction strategies when clinically appropriate.

Infection Prevention and Emergency Preparedness

• Provide clinical guidance to the Infection Prevention and Control program.
• Support surveillance, prevention, investigation, and management of communicable diseases and outbreaks.
• Provide medical input regarding vaccination programs and infection-control practices.
• Participate in emergency preparedness planning and provide clinical leadership during infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or other emergencies as appropriate.

Resident and Family Support

• Promote dignity, autonomy, informed decision-making, and resident choice.
• Support effective communication with residents and families regarding significant clinical issues when needed.
• Promote appropriate advance directives, goals-of-care discussions, palliative care, and hospice services.
• Help address complex medical or ethical issues involving residents and families.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Work closely with the Executive Director/Administrator, Director of Nursing, Assistant Director of Nursing, Infection Preventionist, rehabilitation team, social services, pharmacy, dietary services, and other department leaders.
• Participate in interdisciplinary meetings and clinical reviews as appropriate.
• Serve as a clinical resource and mentor to nursing leadership and other members of the care team.
• Encourage a culture of collaboration, accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from an accredited medical school.
• Current and unrestricted medical license in the state in which the community operates.
• Board certification or board eligibility in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, or another appropriate specialty preferred.
• Experience providing care to older adults strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in skilled nursing, long-term care, assisted living, post-acute care, or geriatric medicine preferred.
• Certified Medical Director (CMD) credential preferred or willingness to obtain.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements applicable to long-term care and senior living.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, collaboration, and clinical decision-making skills.

Key Competencies

The Successful Medical Director Will Demonstrate

• Strong knowledge of geriatric and long-term care medicine
• Clinical leadership and sound medical judgment
• Understanding of quality improvement and regulatory compliance
• Effective interdisciplinary collaboration
• Strong communication with residents, families, physicians, and staff
• Commitment to resident dignity, safety, and quality of life
• Ability to analyze clinical trends and identify opportunities for improvement
• Ability to balance quality of care, resident preferences, regulatory requirements, and responsible utilization of healthcare resources

Reporting Relationship

The Medical Director works collaboratively with the Administrator/Executive Director and Director of Nursing and provides medical leadership to the interdisciplinary clinical team. The Medical Director maintains appropriate independence in exercising professional medical judgment.

Schedule / Availability

This position may be structured as part-time, contracted, or employed based on organizational needs. Current schedule would be part time, one and a half days on Monday and Friday. Saturdays could be an optopm.