Associate Chief Medical Officer, Quality & Safety – Duke Health Integrated Practice, Durham, NC

The Associate Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) for Quality and Safety is a part-time Physician or Advanced Practice Provider role overseeing the clinical quality agenda and coordination of patient safety and clinical quality activities across the Duke Health Integrated Practice (DHIP). The ACMO leads the DHIP Quality Oversight Committee and drives initiatives identified in the DHIP Strategic Plan related to patient quality and safety. This leader ensures compliance and continued accreditation from The Joint Commission and oversees DHIP quality reporting for CMS and commercial payers. The role combines part-time leadership with part-time clinical effort and is open to both physician and advanced practice provider applicants.

The ACMO is an executive member of the DHIP Clinical Peer Review Committee (CPRC). In the absence of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the ACMO may assume the responsibility of the CMO, including those responsibilities related to the credentialing verification process.

This role works in partnership with Nursing and Patient Care Services, maintaining a close working relationship with the Nursing Patient Safety Officer/Ambulatory Safety Director. The Nursing Quality & Safety team, which reports up through Nursing, is a critical partner in advancing patient safety and clinical quality across DHIP, and ongoing collaboration between this position and Nursing leadership is essential to the success of the role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead organizational initiatives to elevate patient safety awareness and drive improvements in clinical quality across all departments, DHIP clinics and community practices
• Promote a culture of quality, safety, and continuous improvement throughout DHIP by overseeing promotion, implementation, and scaling of the Duke Quality System (DQS) throughout DHIP clinics and operations, and by building capability and alignment within and across clinician quality leaders
• Coordinate with leaders across the Duke University Health System (DUHS) whose work focuses on clinical quality and safety, including the DUHS Chief Quality Officer, the Duke Primary Care (DPC) Sr. Medical Director for Quality, the DPC Chief Patient Safety Officer and Sr Medical Director for Performance Excellence, the DUHS Chief Medical Officer, the Nursing Patient Safety Officer/Ambulatory Safety Director, Nursing and Patient Care Services leadership, and the CMOs of all practices and hospitals across the Duke Health enterprise
• In collaboration with the DHIP CMO and Ambulatory Chief Operating Officer, improve the reliability of systems, processes, and the environment of care within DHIP Clinics
• Review clinic safety performance improvement activities, including safety reporting system reports and corrective action plans. Provide medical leadership for all DHIP root-cause analyses and sentinel events
• Serve on key oversight committees within DHIP focusing on clinical quality and safety, including the DHIP CPRC and the DHIP Medical Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
• Serve as Executive Sponsor for DHIPs compliance with The Joint Commissions Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation. Oversee development and implementation of DHIPs quality and safety policies and procedures
• Oversee the accreditation and implementation of DHIPs Primary Care Medical Home activities
• Serve as DHIPs liaison with Accountable Care Organization, Duke Connected Care, to ensure compliance. Support DHIP population health efforts in partnership with Duke Primary Care and Duke Population Health Management Office
• In coordination with DHIP Performance Excellence leadership, oversee DHIPs quality reporting unit, including reporting quality information to Medicare and other payers. Represent DHIP in external quality, safety, and outcomes collaboratives and benchmarking organizations Qualifications.

Minimal qualifications for Physician candidates: 

• Healthcare administration (MHA, MBA, MPA, etc.) and/or quality and safety (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, CPPS, CPHQ, etc.) certifications preferred
• Leadership experience

Minimal qualifications for APP candidates:       

• BLS and Masters Degree
• National certification as an NP or PA  
• Leadership experience

APP candidates who officially apply should mark their credentials as an MD on the actual application (due to physician credentials being the only option on this application portal).  This allows all candidates to apply for this role through the same portal.  All physician and APP candidates will be reviewed and evaluated based on their credentials and experience listed on their CV.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Proficiency in quality improvement methodologies, healthcare quality standards and benchmarks, patient safety principles and best practices, and accreditation standards
• Strong systems thinking and process thinking orientation, with the ability to analyze work systems, uncover root causes, and redesign processes for flow, quality, and reduced variation
• Demonstrated understanding of Lean Management System principles, including waste identification, value stream thinking, standard work, and visual management
• Experience in leading quality improvement and safety initiatives in a complex healthcare environment
• Strong sense of ethics and integrity in handling sensitive information and making clinical decisions
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Skilled in fostering a collaborative and psychologically safe work environment
• Ability to adapt to changing healthcare environments, shifting regulatory requirements, and evolving reimbursement landscape.

Work Experience:

• Progressive senior leadership experience in clinical leadership, quality improvement, and patient safety within a complex academic or multi-entity health system.

Reporting Structure:

• Reports to: DHIP Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
• May assume DHIP CMO responsibilities in their absence.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideasan exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

PLEASE NOTE: To be considered for this position, please attach your CV and letter of interest, select SUBMIT APPLICATION, and complete the application questions.