System Medical Director - Occupational Medicine

Reading Hospital is seeking a System Medical Director, Occupational Health and Employee Health Services. This provider will support the strategic vision and direction of Occupational Health and Employee Health Services for Tower Health. This physician will provide clinical leadership for system Occupational Health & Worker’s Compensation matters and provide subject matter expertise as well as clinical oversight of Occupational Claims for Workers Compensation. This individual will also serve as the System Medical Director for enterprise Occupational Claims, including fiscal oversight.

Highlights:

• Collaborating with the dyad partner to support the strategic vision, direction of Occupational Health and Employee Health Services for the system.
• Collaborating with dyad to ensure systematic approach is used for the delivery of employee and occupational health care while ensuring compliance with local, state and federal regulations and regulatory requirements as well as equity access and treatment in all areas.
• Providing clinical leadership for system Occupational Health & Worker’s Compensation matters and provides subject matter expertise as well as clinical oversight of Occupational Claims for Workers Compensation. Serves as the System Medical Director for enterprise Occupational Claims, including fiscal oversight. Acts as medical subject matter expert in Worker’s Compensation matters. Works closely with Worker’s Compensation attorney and insurers and third-party administrator(s) to ensure that both that the institution and employee’s needs are met.
• In this highly matrixed role, the incumbent is responsible for partnering with the dyad partner System Director, Employee Health, Wellness & Integrated Disability, the Chair of Family Medicine, Human Resources, enterprise Safety Officer, Medical Director of Epidemiology, Infection Control & Prevention, Chief Medical Officer, and acts in a consultative manner for all entities within the system where expertise is required.

Essential Functions

• Holds responsibility for the quality of medical care delivered in the Tower Health Employee Health and Occupational Medicine practices.
• Delivers clinical care to employees, particularly in difficult or complex cases. Assumes a lead role in resolving patient-related issues that require medical expertise and/or management support.
• Together with the dyad partner, collaborates in the development and implementation of policy and practice that promote employee wellness, infectious disease avoidance & mitigation, and general employee safety, keeping the medical staff informed of changes.
• Supports the Epidemiology, Infection Control & Prevention (EICP) Department to control outbreaks and thus potential employee exposure to infection. Supports the development of the IPC Risk/Analysis/Intervention Plan and collaborates to review data on hospital acquired infections and to recommend and support control strategies. Assists in setting policy and interventions around Vaccination initiatives.
• Supervises advanced practice providers in Tower Health Employee Health and Occupational Medicine practices and is a partner for their recruitment and retention. Provides opportunities for growth and education for clinical staff. Participate in teaching staff.
• Identify new opportunities to improve the employee experience with Tower Health Employee Health and Occupational Medicine practices and thus improve the patient experience.
• Assures program compliance with regulatory agencies and hospital policy.
• Develops and maintains the necessary clinical policies and practices and disseminates these throughout the health system.
• Develops and supports Worker Safety program through clinical leadership.
• Develops, reviews, collaborates on periodic and ad hoc analyses regarding the quality of Occupational Health and Employee Health Services programs, the general occupational health of the workforce, incident tracking and trending, and exposure data. Ensures the proper distribution of such reports and interprets the results so that responsible parties may take corrective action where needed. (FOR EXAMPLE: Masking policies, Fit testing, needle stick policies, TB exposure Plan)
• Serves as a clinical resource to TH Employee Health and Occupational Health. May serve as a consultant in Occupational Health to other departments.
• Collaborates and provides clinical expertise and oversight to the Worker’s Compensation, FMLA and Case Management programs. Assures that the hospital is meeting OSHA standards to keep our employees safe in conjunction with the safety officer. Need certified employee safety officer- get input from legal, risk (self-insured); emergency management (Raf)
• • Supports safety investigations
  • Supports OSHA investigation response
  • Reviews data to evaluate trends in employee safety
  • Leads or otherwise contributes to safety committee meetings as required
  • Chairs periodic meeting between relevant stakeholders regarding Workers Compensation case exposures as well as strategies for resolution.
• Medical Review Officer (MRO) supporting enterprise internal drug testing procedures and external client support.
• Promotes the use of technology throughout the institution as a means of increasing efficiency and improving job performance.
• Is competent to deliver clinical care relevant to this position in an adult care setting.
• Performs all duties inherent to managerial role. Participates in hiring, training, evaluation and termination of assigned staff according to hospital policies and procedures.
• Performs other special projects and duties as assigned.

Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 697-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including: Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, an emergency department that includes a Level I Trauma Center, and the Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. Healthgrades® has recognized Reading Hospital as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2023. This is the second year in a row (2022-2023) Reading Hospital has been in the top one percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance. It is also listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for seven consecutive years.

Videos:

Virtual Tour – Reading Hospital

Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health  

Living in Berks County – From Reading Fellows (Video)

Websites:

Reading Hospital Campus Map

Facts About Reading Hospital

Berks County Living Website

Newcomers Guide to Berks County

Pennsylvania’s Americana Region

Contact Name: Brittany Kulp

Contact Email: Brittany.Kulp@towerhealth.org

Contact Phone: 484-587-9535 (Call or Text)

• BC/BE in Occupational Medicine - Preferred. If not BC/BE in Occupational Medicine, candidate must be board certified in another specialty with significant experience in Occupational Medicine. 
• Must maintain a current, unrestricted medical license and be a member in good standing of the Tower Health Medical Staff and THMG.
• THMG will commit to providing incumbent physician education related to management training.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the PA workers compensation system, pertinent DOH regulations and particularly PA Act 148.
• Understanding of relevant legislative framework including but not limited to: OSHA, ADA, FMLA, GINA.
• • OSHA certification 
  • MRO certification 
• Strong knowledge of workers compensation.
• Excellent oral/written communication skills.
• Strong education/teaching skills.

PHYSICIAL DEMAND:

• Individuals must be able to meet established specific physical requirements of the job including sitting at a desk or meeting table, reaching, lifting, pulling, bending, stooping, twisting, standing, walking, etc.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL EFFORT:

• Work involves the potential for exposure to unusual elements, such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises.
• Individuals must be able to meet established specific physical requirements of the job including sitting at a desk or meeting table, reaching, lifting, pulling, bending, stooping, twisting, standing, walking, etc.
• Moderate physical activity. Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 25 pounds or standing and/or walking for more than four (4) hours per day.
• Work environment involves exposure to potentially dangerous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment.
• Will work with blood or blood-borne pathogens and will require OSHA training.

Tower Health is a regional integrated healthcare system that offers compassionate, high-quality, leading-edge healthcare and wellness services to communities in Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. With approximately 11,500 employees, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Tower Health has partnered with Drexel University College of Medicine to open a new medical school one-half mile walking distance from Reading Hospital, a regional medical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health. The school opened in 2021 and is currently accepting enrollment applications for the second class in 2024. In addition, Reading Hospital is the main training hospital for the medical school and supports ACGME accredited residency and fellowship programs. For more information, visit towerhealth.org