Medical Director, Rheumatology

About 9amHealth

9amHealth is an AI-enabled virtual specialty care platform focused on managing high-cost chronic conditions at scale.

The company partners with employers, health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers to deliver comprehensive, cost-effective medical care for individuals living with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.

Members receive access to specialized clinicians, including endocrinologists, obesity medicine specialists, and clinical pharmacists, at-home lab testing, prescription medications, and lifestyle support.

9amHealth was founded in 2021 and is backed by leading healthcare investors like Define Ventures, SemperVirens, 7Wire Ventures, and The Cigna Group Ventures.

Role Summary

The Supervising Medical Director, Autoimmune Program, provides clinical leadership, direct patient care, and program oversight for 9amHealth's autoimmune care offering. This physician will deliver direct consultative care to members, set clinical protocols, supervise and support the multidisciplinary care team, ensure clinical quality and safety across the member experience, and serve as the senior clinical authority for questions and escalations related to autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

This role begins with direct consultative patient care, delivered via synchronous and asynchronous visits, comprising approximately 50% of time, balanced with clinical leadership and program-building responsibilities. Over time, as the program grows, responsibility will shift toward staffing, supervising, and growing a team of clinicians — including rheumatologists, physicians, and advanced practice providers (APPs).

Key Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care (~50% of role, initially)

Provide direct consultative care to members with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including initial and follow-up visits as needed

Deliver expert clinical guidance on member questions related to autoimmune disease management, in coordination with the member's existing rheumatologist and/or PCP

• Serve as a clinical touchpoint for members with complex or higher-acuity needs
• Team Building & Clinician Management (increasing responsibility over time)
• Build staffing models, clinical workflows, and supervision structures to support a growing clinical team
• Develop and implement training for physicians, APPs, and other care team members on the management of the autoimmune population
• Supervise APPs and physicians in accordance with applicable state supervision and collaboration requirements
• Recruit, hire, and onboard additional clinicians, including rheumatologists, as the program scales
• Transition direct-care responsibilities to the growing team over time while maintaining oversight of clinical quality and management of clinicians.

Clinical Oversight

Serve as supervising physician of record for the Autoimmune Program, providing medical oversight consistent with applicable state and federal regulations

Develop, review, and maintain clinical protocols and escalation criteria for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions

• Provide clinical review and guidance on complex or ambiguous member cases escalated by the care team
• Ensure alignment between program protocols and current rheumatology standards of care

Program Quality & Strategy

• Partner with clinical leadership, product, and operations teams to shape and improve the autoimmune program
• Monitor clinical quality metrics and member outcomes; identify opportunities for improvement
• Support development of member-facing and internal educational content on autoimmune disease management
• Provide client success and commercial teams with clinical support for new sales and existing clients.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure the program operates within applicable scope-of-practice, telehealth, and licensure requirements across states served
• Maintain clear boundaries between program support and the member's existing rheumatology/PCP relationships
• Participate in chart review, quality assurance, and risk management processes as required

Qualifications

• Required
• MD or DO with active, unrestricted medical license(s); board certification in Rheumatology (ABIM)
• Significant clinical experience managing patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions
• Experience supervising or collaborating with multidisciplinary care teams (nursing, coaching, nutrition)

Strong understanding of virtual/telehealth care delivery models and comfort with innovative models of care delivery, including use of AI.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable translating clinical protocols into clear, actionable guidance for non-physician team members

• Preferred
• Prior experience in a medical director, supervising physician, or clinical leadership role
• Experience with digital health, remote patient monitoring, or chronic condition management programs
• Multi-state licensure or willingness to obtain additional state licenses

What Success Looks Like

• Clinical protocols and escalation boundaries are current, clear, and consistently followed by the care team
• Members receive safe, high-quality support that appropriately complements (rather than duplicates or conflicts with) their existing rheumatology care
• Care team members have a reliable, responsive source of clinical guidance for complex cases
• Program clinical quality metrics meet or exceed targets
• A capable, well-supervised clinical team (rheumatologists, physicians, and/or APPs) is successfully recruited and built out as the program scales
• What you can expect at 9amHealth

At 9amHealth, you'll join the exciting environment of a startup with the stability of highly experienced founders that have successfully built a business from scratch. We foster a collaborative learning mindset and a passion for improvement. You'll work with a brand-new product alongside a small, flexible team of people eager to shape technology, infrastructure, and culture.

Our team members are spread across the globe, with physical sites in San Diego, California, and Vienna, Austria, but we value your culture regardless of where you work.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance, along with flexible PTO and work from home options. We provide a professional development budget and support continuing education, empowering our team to grow alongside the company.

Team members have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on chronic disease management and patient outcomes while contributing to a collaborative, mission driven culture focused on improving healthcare accessibility and affordability.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Diabetes disproportionately impacts BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) communities. We are committed to creating a workforce that reflects our patients and creating a positive healthcare experience for them. We welcome applications from people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, and foreign born residents.