Inpatient Psychiatry Medical Director
Listed compensation
$390K
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.
Job Description
Make your move to Alaska! Experience the midnight sun in the summer, a front-row seat to the northern lights in the winter, and the opportunity to advance your career as you broaden your scope of practice.
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital is seeking a board-certified Adult and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist to serve as Medical Director of our inpatient behavioral health unit.
The Opportunity
Join Fairbanks Memorial Hospital's 20-bed inpatient psychiatric unit and become part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered behavioral health care for Interior Alaska.
We are seeking a board-certified psychiatrist in both Adult Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry to serve as Medical Director and lead the continued growth and development of our inpatient behavioral health program.
Our unit provides acute stabilization for patients with a broad range of psychiatric conditions while emphasizing trauma-informed, least-restrictive care and strong coordination with community partners to support successful transitions after discharge.
Our department values meaningful patient interactions and recognizes that building trust leads to better outcomes. Weekly case staffing sessions with community partners allow us to collaborate and leverage local resources to provide comprehensive, individualized care.
As part of our continued investment in behavioral health services, the unit will expand in late 2027 to include additional adult capacity and the first inpatient adolescent psychiatric beds in Interior Alaska.
This is a rare opportunity to help establish this much-needed service and shape the future of inpatient psychiatric care in our region.
Compensation: $390k base salary, $37,500 estimated on-call compensation, $109,200 medical director stipend, $65k sign-on bonus.
Schedule: 220 8/hr shifts per year with an estimated 75 call shifts.
Patients: 20-bed unit, average of 12 patients per day, adult only with plans in place to expand to include a 4-bed adolescent unit by Q3 2027.
Team: The department is well-supported by 3 full-time psychiatric nurse practitioners, a healthy psychiatry per-diem bench, RNs, case managers and social workers.
Foundation Health Partners
Foundation Health Partners is a non-profit, community-owned and independently operated health system in Fairbanks, Alaska, comprised of a 152-bed community hospital, a 90-bed skilled nursing facility, and more than 15 hospital-based outpatient clinics. As the most advanced medical facility for hundreds of miles, we are committed to providing exceptional care to everyone who comes through our doors.
FHP Is Proud to Offer Its Providers
- Professional autonomy.
- Strong commitment to work-life balance.
- Comprehensive benefits package - 401k, medical, dental, vision, etc.
- $5,000 annual CME allowance plus 80 hours (2 weeks) of paid CME time.
- Licensure/credential reimbursement and covered malpractice insurance.
- Opportunity to collaborate with the state's most extensive multidisciplinary health system.
- 501(c)(3) non-profit status = eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
- 90 days of temporary housing for relocating providers.
- Submit your CV for confidential consideration to Alex Gustafson at providerrecruiting@foundationhealth.org
Living in Fairbanks
As the second largest city in Alaska, Fairbanks offers a unique blend of large town amenities, breathtaking landscapes, and plenty of wide-open space, making this community one of the most special in the country. With a rich history and plentiful diversity, Fairbanks is proud to be called the Golden Heart City, and only once you visit will you understand the name to be true.
- Second largest city in Alaska at 100,000 residents.
- College Town – University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF Community & Technical College
- Military Community – Ft. Wainwright Army Post & Eielson Air Force Base
- 16 Elementary Schools | 4 Middle Schools | 4 High Schools | robust youth sports programs
- An easily accessible airport is less than 10 minutes from the hospital
- No state income tax and no sales tax.
Summer activities: Midnight sun, hiking, fishing, camping, gold panning, kayaking, berry picking, community-wide festivals, and events.
Winter activities: Northern lights, skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hockey, curling, ice fishing, dog mushing, hunting, ice art, etc.
Check out this video about Fairbanks: We invite you to explore Fairbanks, Alaska - YouTube
Key Responsibilities
The Medical Director will lead the inpatient behavioral health unit, overseeing clinical operations and the development of psychiatric programs. They will provide direct patient care and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to ensure high-quality, trauma-informed treatment.
Requirements
The candidate must be a board-certified psychiatrist in both Adult Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Strong leadership skills and experience in inpatient psychiatric settings are required to manage the unit and its expansion.
Qualifications
- Experience
- 10+ years of experience
Certifications
Key Skills
Psychiatry — Physician Career Context
Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 66% are remote, 64% have no call, 66% require no weekends.
The cost-of-living index for Alaska is 102.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$390k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $381k in an average-cost state. 58.9% of Alaska clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Work-life score | 6.0 / 10 · above average in physician roles | ranked against 22,220 Physician roles listingslisting-based score, 0–10 |
| Listed pay | $390k | Psychiatry median $325k (middle half $312k–$403k)13 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$381k in purchasing power | Alaska index 102.4 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 66% remote · 64% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | $65k sign-on · loan repayment | US Physician listings: 28% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 12% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| Psychiatry hiring demand | #27 of 28 specialties | postings stay open a median 34 days · 28% state a sign-on bonusWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 728 postings, 654 closed |
| New Psychiatry listings | 1,345 in the last 30 days | 1,053 the 30 days before (+28%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Psychiatry pay trend | −1.4% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Inpatient Psychiatry Medical Director at Foundation Health a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Physician roles — ranked against 22,220 active Physician roles listings on WeekdayDoc.
Location & Logistics
Alaska has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$390k midpoint, that is roughly $16k–$27k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.
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