Cardiology Lead Physician | Wake Forest High Point Medical Center | High Point, NC

The Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist enterprise is comprised of six hospitals in and around Winston-Salem, NC and an extensive outpatient clinic network. The flagship Winston-Salem campus features a 933 bed tertiary care center, Brenner Children’s Hospital, and a comprehensive cancer center, providing access to advanced subspecialty care, research, and academic resources.

High Point Medical Center, part of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, is a 351-bed facility and the second-largest hospital in the Wake Forest enterprise, serving a regional population of more than 600,000 across North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad. Cardiovascular care is centered at the Congdon Heart & Vascular Center, offering a full spectrum of advanced cardiac and vascular services within a state-of-the-art facility. Services include invasive, non-invasive, and interventional cardiology; cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology services; comprehensive cardiothoracic and vascular surgery; advanced imaging and diagnostic testing; cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation through the Heart Strides program; and preventive cardiology and risk factor management.

Job at a Glance

• Position Type: Full-Time
• Practice Setting: Ambulatory, Hospital-Based, Administrative Leadership
• Specialty: Cardiology (All Cardiology Subspecialties Considered)
• Leadership Reporting Relationship: Reports directly to David Zhao, MD, Wake Forest Baptist Area Service Line Leader, Cardiovascular Services

Job Description

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is seeking an experienced and collaborative physician leader to serve as High Point Cardiology Practice Lead Physician. This leadership opportunity is designed for a cardiologist who is passionate about advancing clinical excellence, physician engagement, operational performance, and strategic growth across a thriving regional cardiovascular practice.

The High Point cardiology program continues to expand and currently includes 10 non-invasive cardiologists and 5 interventional cardiologists, with ongoing physician recruitment planned to support future growth. The High Point Lead Physician will play a key role in guiding practice operations, supporting physician and APP teams, and ensuring alignment with cardiovascular service line initiatives across the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Area.

This position offers the opportunity to partner with local and regional leaders to optimize care delivery while maintaining a strong clinical practice.

Position Overview

The High Point Cardiology Practice Lead Physician serves as the senior physician leader for cardiovascular services in High Point and is responsible for physician leadership, practice optimization, operational oversight, and local implementation of service line strategy.

Working in close collaboration with regional cardiovascular leadership, hospital administration, and physician colleagues, the Practice Lead Physician will ensure a high-performing, patient-centered cardiovascular program while fostering physician engagement and supporting continued growth.

This leadership role is designed to maintain a strong clinical presence while providing dedicated time for physician leadership and operational oversight.

• 85% Clinical Effort devoted to patient care within the physician's cardiology subspecialty.
• 15% Administrative Effort dedicated to physician leadership, practice management, strategic planning, operational oversight, quality initiatives, recruitment, and service line alignment activities.

The Practice Lead Physician will balance ongoing clinical responsibilities with leadership duties, serving as the primary physician leader for the High Point cardiology practice while ensuring continued growth, operational excellence, and alignment with regional cardiovascular service line objectives.

Leadership Responsibilities

Physician Leadership

• Provide direct physician leadership for the High Point cardiology practice.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, quality, and patient-centered care.
• Support physician recruitment, onboarding, retention, and professional development efforts.
• Promote physician engagement and address practice-related challenges in partnership with operational leadership.
• Represent the High Point cardiology practice in regional cardiovascular leadership discussions.

Practice Optimization & Operational Oversight

• Partner with practice administrators and operational leaders to improve access, efficiency, productivity, and patient experience.
• Oversee day-to-day practice operations and support implementation of system-wide cardiovascular initiatives.
• Monitor and improve key operational, quality, and performance metrics.
• Identify opportunities for growth and service expansion within the High Point market.
• Assist in developing and executing strategic plans for cardiovascular services locally and across the region.

Regional Service Line Collaboration

• Work closely with the Service Line Clinical Leaders for:
• • Heart Failure
  • Electrophysiology (EP)
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Cardiac Imaging
• Ensure alignment of cardiovascular service line operations across Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist while maintaining appropriate focus on local community needs.
• Support standardization of clinical pathways, quality initiatives, and best practices across practices and hospitals.

Hospital Partnership

• Collaborate closely with the High Point Medical Center President and Chief Medical Officer.
• Lead and support local quality, safety, value, and cost-management initiatives.
• Serve as a physician champion for system transformation, performance improvement, and patient outcomes.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Maintain an active clinical practice within the physician's cardiology subspecialty.
• Provide high-quality cardiovascular care consistent with system standards.
• Participate in service line development and strategic planning activities.
• Support educational and mentoring opportunities for physicians, advanced practice providers, and trainees as appropriate.

Candidate Qualifications

MD or DO from an accredited medical school.

Board Certified in Cardiology.

Any cardiology subspecialty considered

Demonstrated physician leadership experience required

Strong communication, relationship-building, and change management skills.

Commitment to quality improvement, physician engagement, and operational excellence.