Chief of Urgent Care | Physician Leadership Opportunity + Up to $450K | San Francisco, CA

Job Description

Job Description

Opportunity Overview

The Chief of Urgent Care is responsible for providing clinical, operational, and strategic direction for the Urgent Care service line. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, timely, and patient-focused care while enhancing access, efficiency, workforce engagement, and financial outcomes.

Reporting to the Chair of Primary Care, the Chief collaborates closely with the Administrative Director in a dyad leadership model to oversee daily operations, enhance performance, and guarantee reliable care delivery across all Urgent Care locations. This position is accountable for aligning the performance of Urgent Care with the broader organizational objectives while nurturing a culture of teamwork, accountability, and ongoing improvement.

Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic & Operational Leadership

• Guide the Urgent Care service line in accordance with the organization's strategic goals, access objectives, and community needs.
• Collaborate with the Administrative Director to manage staffing models, budgets, scheduling, and resource distribution.
• Design and execute initiatives aimed at enhancing patient access, throughput, length of stay, and provider satisfaction.
• Ensure adequate clinician coverage and staffing adaptability to address fluctuating demand, seasonal increases, and extended hours.
• Conduct regular onsite visits to maintain visibility, support frontline teams, and identify areas for operational enhancement.

Clinical Excellence

• Ensure compliance with evidence-based clinical guidelines, urgent care protocols, and quality benchmarks.
• Advocate for patient safety, risk management, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Encourage standardized clinical pathways to maintain consistency of care across Urgent Care facilities.
• Act as a clinical mentor and escalation point for Urgent Care providers.

Recruiting, Onboarding & Workforce Development

• Lead the recruitment strategy for physicians and advanced practice providers in Urgent Care, collaborating with Physician Recruitment, HR, and operational leaders.
• Engage in candidate assessment, interviewing, selection, and offer alignment to ensure a strong clinical and cultural fit.
• Oversee the onboarding and integration of new providers, ensuring a smooth and effective transition into Urgent Care practice.
• Work with Medical Directors to standardize onboarding, mentoring, competency validation, and early performance support.
• Facilitate succession planning and leadership development for Urgent Care Medical Directors and emerging physician leaders.
• Provide timely performance feedback through annual evaluations, promoting accountability, development, clinical excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Enhance provider retention through engagement, performance feedback, career development pathways, and initiatives focused on the work experience.

Performance Management

• Track and enhance performance against Urgent Care KPIs, including access, throughput, length of stay, left-without-being-seen (LWBS) rates, quality, patient experience, and financial performance.
• Optimize provider productivity, panel mix, and workflows to achieve visit volume, efficiency, and access targets.
• Collaborate with administrative, finance, and revenue cycle leaders to enhance documentation, coding accuracy, and cost management.
• Address performance gaps through data-driven improvement strategies, coaching, and standardized operational interventions.

Growth & Innovation

• Support growth initiatives for Urgent Care, including site expansion, optimization of hours, and integration with primary care, specialty services, and virtual care.
• Promote the adoption of technology, clinical decision support, and operational tools that enhance efficiency and patient experience.
• Encourage a culture of innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement within the Urgent Care team.

Collaboration & Communication

• Maintain strong partnerships with Primary Care, Emergency Medicine, specialty services, and organizational leadership.
• Clearly and consistently communicate goals, expectations, and performance updates to Medical Directors and frontline providers.
• Act as a visible clinical leader and advocate for Urgent Care throughout the organization.

Qualifications

• MD or DO with board certification in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Emergency Medicine.
• A minimum of 5 years of clinical experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership capacity, ideally within Urgent Care or ambulatory settings.
• Proven success in leading high-volume, access-driven clinical operations.
• Experience in physician recruitment, onboarding, and workforce development is highly preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking: Aligns Urgent Care performance with organizational access and growth strategies.
• Operational Acumen: Effectively manages staffing models, workflows, budgets, and demand variability.
• Talent Leadership: Recruits, develops, and retains high-performing Urgent Care teams.
• Collaborative Leadership: Functions as an effective dyad partner and cross-functional leader.
• Change Management: Guides operational and cultural change in dynamic environments.
• Results Orientation: Drives measurable outcomes with accountability.

Performance Expectations & KPIs

• Quality & Safety: Achieve top-tier performance in Urgent Care quality and patient safety metrics.
• Patient Access & Throughput: Meet or exceed targets for wait times, length of stay, and LWBS rates.
• Financial Performance: Maintain budget discipline and achieve visit volume and productivity goals.
• Patient Experience: Attain patient satisfaction scores above organizational benchmarks.
• Provider Engagement & Retention: Sustain high engagement scores, effective onboarding metrics, and low voluntary turnover rates.
• Recruitment Effectiveness: Ensure timely recruitment and successful integration of Urgent Care providers aligned with service line needs.

Role Fit Within Leadership Structure

• Chair: Responsible for service line vision, strategic alignment, and physician leadership.
• Chief: Oversees department-level execution, performance accountability, and operational leadership.
• Medical Director: Manages clinic-level execution, provider leadership, and daily oversight of care delivery.

Organization Overview

Our organization is a rapidly expanding, premier, physician-led multispecialty medical group with nearly 500 physicians and advanced practice clinicians serving patients in various regions. We provide integrated, patient-centered care across a spectrum of services, grounded in clinical excellence, collaboration, and innovation, and are a key partner within a regional care delivery network.

Community Insights

San Francisco presents a unique blend of professional opportunities, intellectual vibrancy, and quality of life for physician leaders interested in innovation and impact.

As a global center for healthcare innovation, life sciences, and research, the city attracts forward-thinking clinicians and collaborators who are shaping the future of medicine. Its robust academic environment and commitment to equity and access create an appealing backdrop for advancing healthcare.

Outside of work, San Francisco offers an exceptional lifestyle, featuring world-class dining, arts, and culture, along with easy access to Northern California's natural beauty, from coastal trails to wine country. The region's diverse communities foster both personal fulfillment and professional growth.