Job Summary:
The Hospice Medical Director provides medical leadership for the hospice program and serves as a clinical resource to the interdisciplinary team. The Medical Director collaborates with attending physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other team members to ensure high-quality, compassionate care that meets the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of hospice patients and their families. The Medical Director will provide direct patient care through hospice face-to-face recertification encounters and symptom management consultations/visits as needed, helping ensure timely access to expert end-of-life care throughout our service area. The role may be structured as a contracted position, part-time employment, or other flexible arrangement depending on the qualifications and availability of the selected candidate.
Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:
Medical Oversight:
- Provide overall medical direction for the hospice program.
- Review and certify hospice eligibility in accordance with Medicare regulations.
- Complete hospice recertifications and physician documentation requirements.
- Conduct hospice face-to-face encounters for patients entering their third benefit period and subsequent benefit periods, as required by Medicare regulations, or supervise the process when completed by a hospice nurse practitioner.
- Perform in-home, facility-based, or telehealth symptom management visits, as clinically appropriate, to evaluate complex patient needs and provide recommendations for pain and symptom control.
- Provide consultation regarding pain and symptom management.
- Serve as a clinical resource to hospice staff and interdisciplinary team members.
- Participate in development and review of individualized plans of care.
- Collaborate with attending physicians and other community providers.
- Serve as attending physician for hospice patients when appropriate.
- Ensure medical hospice services comply with Medicare Conditions of Participation, state regulations, and accreditation standards.
- Participate in establishing and maintaining hospice clinical policies and standards.
Hospice Eligibility and Certification:
- Review and certify terminal illness and hospice admissions when required.
- Provide written recertification of terminal illness for subsequent benefit periods.
- Review documentation supporting hospice eligibility.
- Participate in physician review of clinical appropriateness and prognosis.
Interdisciplinary Group (IDG):
- Serve as a medical resource to the interdisciplinary team.
- Participate in IDG meetings as required by regulation, either directly or through delegated processes when appropriate.
- Collaborate in development and review of patient plans of care.
- Assist with clinical decision-making and complex symptom management.
- Support staff education and clinical excellence.
- Promote evidence-based hospice and palliative care practices.
Quality and Compliance
- Support compliance with Medicare Conditions of Participation and applicable state regulations.
- Participate in Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) activities.
- Assist with review of hospice outcomes, quality measures, and clinical performance improvement initiatives.
- Support regulatory surveys and compliance efforts.
Symptoms and Medication Management:
- Provide consultation regarding pain and symptom management.
- Support development of evidence-based approaches to end-of-life care.
- Be available for physician consultation regarding hospice patients.
Availability:
- Ensure physician services are available 24/7 to meet patient needs, either personally or through an organized coverage arrangement.
- Serve as attending physician for hospice patients who do not have an attending physician willing or able to continue care.
Community Outreach:
- Serve as a hospice ambassador within the medical community.
- Built relationships with referring providers, hospitals, nursing facilities, and community partners.
- Promote awareness of hospice and palliative care services.
Education:
- Promote educational presentations to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, volunteers, skilled nursing facilities, and community organizations.
- Mentor hospice clinicians on complex cases.
Program Development:
- Advice leadership on emerging hospice and palliative care best practices.
- Assist with strategic planning and service development.
- Recommend enhancements to clinical protocols and care pathways.
Leadership:
- Participate in recruitment and retention efforts for hospice providers.
- Assistant with clinical ethics consultations.
- Support interdisciplinary team development and staff engagement.
The above statements are intended to be a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those stated in this description.
Position Qualifications:
Required:
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
- Current or eligible for unrestricted Vermont medical licensure.
- Eligible to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs.
- Maintain DEA and state controlled substances registrations, as applicable.
- Maintain continuing medical education relevant to hospice and palliative care.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- Commitment to patient-centered, compassionate end-of-life care.
Preferred:
- Experience in hospice, palliative care, geriatrics, oncology, family medicine, internal medicine, or hospital medicine.
- Hospice Medical Director experience.
- Experience in rural health, home-based care, geriatrics, oncology, family medicine, internal medicine, or palliative care.
- Experience conducting hospice face-to-face encounters and managing complex pain and symptom needs in home, facility, or outpatient settings.
- Board Certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
- Experience working with interdisciplinary healthcare teams.
- Knowledge of Medicare hospice regulations.