Division Chief of Acute Care Surgery

This is a professor-level faculty position offering the opportunity to shape the future of trauma and critical care across our health system and region.

As Chief, you will oversee a division of trauma surgeons, acute care surgeons, intensivists, advanced practice providers, trauma quality specialists. You will direct trauma program operations, and drive growth in clinical, academic, research, and quality initiatives. You will partner closely with hospital and nursing leadership, emergency medicine, critical care, orthopedics, neurosurgery, radiology, and prehospital services to deliver outstanding, verified trauma care for adult and pediatric patients.

Highlights of the Position

• Shape the vision and strategy for trauma surgery at the region's only academic medical center.

• Comprehensive trauma services spanning resuscitation, operative and non-operative management, critical care, and rehabilitation coordination for Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma centers .

• Future-focused innovation including expansion of damage-control resuscitation, advanced hemorrhage control, REBOA, robotic surgery and trauma-informed multidisciplinary pathways.

• Integrated performance improvement (PI) program with robust analytics, trauma registry support, and participation in TQIP/NTDB.

• Regional growth - expand access to high-quality trauma and acute care surgical services across northeastern New York through aligned protocols and outreach.

Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Division of Acute Care Surgery and Critical Care

• Oversee daily operations including faculty and administrative staff, budget management, incentive plans, and division quality programs.

• Oversee the surgical intensive care units (Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), and Stepdown Unit.

• Coordinate clinical coverage (ED, OR, ICU, inpatient floors) and trauma call schedules in accordance with verification standards.

• Foster collaboration across surgery, emergency medicine, critical care, orthopedics, neurosurgery, radiology, anesthesiology, rehabilitation, social work, and prehospital partners.

Academic & Research

• Support academic growth through teaching, mentoring, and scholarship with medical students, residents, fellows, APPs, and faculty at Albany Medical College.

• Advance clinical and translational research; present at regional and national societies; contribute to multicenter studies and registry-driven outcomes research.

Program Development & Quality

• Oversee a comprehensive trauma Performance Improvement & Patient Safety (PIPS) program-case reviews, loop closure, trends analysis, and action plans.

• Develop and optimize trauma clinical pathways, massive transfusion protocols, sepsis bundles, geriatric trauma, and pediatric trauma care standards.

• Drive innovation in trauma surgery (e.g., minimally invasive approaches (laparoscopic and robotic), critical care best practices, prehospital integration).

• Develop robust emergency general surgery pathways

Regulatory & Compliance (Medical Director Duties)

• Ensure continuous compliance with American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma verification standards, including resource requirements, surgeon availability, credentialing, education, and PI processes.

• Oversee trauma registry operations, data quality, and timely submission to NTDB/TQIP ; review benchmark reports and lead performance improvement initiatives based on findings.

• Maintain readiness for verification/consultative site visits , including document preparation, policy/procedure alignment, and multidisciplinary staff engagement.

• Ensure adherence to New York State Department of Health trauma center regulations, EMTALA , and Joint Commission standards relevant to trauma care, quality, and patient safety.

• Oversee trauma education requirements (ATLS, ACLS, PALS), CME, and competency for clinical staff; support OPPE/FPPE processes and credentialing for trauma providers.

• Partner with emergency management on disaster preparedness , surge planning, mass casualty incident response, and hospital-wide drills.

• Collaborate with nursing and administrative leadership on trauma policies, bylaws, call coverage , and on-call response times ; ensure 24/7 access to essential trauma resources.

Culture & Faculty Development

• Build a faculty development program focused on teaching excellence, scholarly productivity, and leadership.

• Partner with section chiefs, trauma medical director, administrative leadership, and APP supervisors to strengthen team dynamics, engagement, and retention.

• Collaborate with the department chair on faculty development, recruitment, and workforce planning.

Qualifications

• MD/DO or equivalent with board certification in General Surgery and fellowship training in Surgical Critical Care or Trauma Surgery ; eligibility for New York licensure.

• Preferred experience as a Trauma Medical Director or Associate Director at a verified trauma center (ACS COT preferred).

• Academic credentials suitable for appointment at the professor level at Albany Medical College.

• Proven success in program leadership, performance improvement, multidisciplinary collaboration, and faculty management.

• Experience with ACS verification standards , TQIP/NTDB , PI methodology, and regulatory compliance.

• Master's in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or completion of a formal leadership program is highly desired.

• Active engagement in clinical research and quality improvement initiatives.

We offer a highly competitive benefits package, including:

• Competitive base salary (540K - 571K) commensurate with experience and academic rank, with additional incentive bonus opportunity.

• Robust sign-on bonus .

• Relocation assistance to help make your move seamless.

• Comprehensive health insurance ( medical, dental, vision ).

• Generous paid time off and holiday schedule.

• Albany Med retirement plan plus a 403(b).

• Annual CME allowance and dedicated CME time.

• Occurrence based- malpractice coverage.

• Employee wellness programs and mental health support.

This position is not eligible for a J1 waiver , but candidates on an H1B or O1 visa may apply.