Clinical Director

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Clinical Director is responsible for providing medical oversight to their team, championing and driving improvement initiatives, supporting academic partnerships, serving as the clinical point of contact for grant projects, and delivering direct patient care. The Clinical Director also involves providing leadership and guidance to clinical staff, ensuring high-quality care, and advancing GPTLHB's mission through active participation in strategic planning and quality improvement efforts. This position works with other clinical staff to establish medical protocols and treatment regimens.

Essential Functions:

Provide comprehensive medical oversight to the clinical team, including physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals, ensuring adherence to established protocols and best practices.

Collaborate with clinical staff to establish, review, and update medical protocols and treatment regimens that align with current evidence-based guidelines.

Monitor clinical operations to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and internal policies, addressing any deviations promptly.

Lead quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care, safety, and operational efficiency within the clinic.

Identify areas for improvement through data analysis and feedback from staff and patients, and implement strategies to address identified gaps.

Collaborate with the Chief Improvement Director and other leadership team members to integrate improvement initiatives into the clinic’s strategic plan.

Establish and maintain relationships with academic institutions to support clinical education, research collaborations, and training programs.

Supervise and mentor medical students, residents, and fellows, providing a supportive learning environment and ensuring educational goals are met.

Participate in curriculum development and educational activities that promote continuous learning among clinical staff.

Serve as the primary clinical liaison for grant-funded projects, ensuring that clinical perspectives are incorporated into project planning and execution.

Work with grant teams to develop project protocols, oversee clinical data collection, and ensure alignment with the clinic’s mission and patient care standards.

Provide clinical expertise in grant writing and reporting, contributing to the success and sustainability of funded initiatives.

Deliver high-quality direct patient care, including comprehensive assessments, diagnoses, treatment planning, and follow-up care.

Maintain an active patient panel, balancing administrative duties with clinical responsibilities to meet the needs of the patient population.

Stay current with advancements in medical care and integrate new practices into patient treatment as appropriate.

Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to clinical staff, fostering a culture of teamwork, respect, and continuous improvement.

Conduct regular team meetings, case reviews, and professional development sessions to promote high standards of clinical practice.

Address clinical performance issues and collaborate with HR and department leaders to implement corrective actions and professional development plans.

Actively participate in strategic planning sessions, contributing medical expertise to align clinical operations with GPTLHB's mission and goals.

Champion initiatives that support the health and well-being of the community, ensuring that clinic services are responsive to the needs of patients.

Engage with external stakeholders, including community leaders and healthcare partners, to promote the clinic’s mission and enhance service delivery.

Professional Behavior:

• Effectively plan, organize workload and schedule time to meet the demands of the position.

• Work in a cooperative and professional manner with OHC and GPTLHB staff.

• Treat Great Plains tribes and collaborators with dignity and respect.

• Utilize effective verbal and written communication skills.

• Advance personal educational development by attending training sessions and seminars as appropriate.

• Exemplify excellent customer service with tribal stakeholders, health board colleagues, program partners, service recipients, visitors and guests.

• Foster a work environment of wellness, courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness and respect.

• Relate well and work collaboratively with coworkers and all levels of staff in a professional manner.

• Consistently demonstrate respect for and acceptance of differing capabilities, cultures, gender, age, sexual orientation and/or personalities.

• Maintain and ensure organizational privacy and confidentiality.

• Handle crisis and tolerate stress professionally.

• Be self-directed and take proactive initiative to assist others.

• Resolve issues with other departments and coworkers without direct supervision if needed.

• Exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when situations require and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that would adversely affect the work environment.

• Promote an alcohol, tobacco and drug-free lifestyle.

• Embrace modes of appearance and attire that reflect a professional presence.

• Adhere to GPTLHB policies and procedures.

• Other duties as assigned by the Supervisor

Requirements:

• Participates in Core Connections training and applies GPTLHB Core Connections concepts and practices in their work.

• Familiarity and/or experience working with American Indian populations and respect for and knowledge of traditional, cultural, and spiritual practices of diverse American Indian communities, as well as an ability to work with other culturally and ethnically diverse populations.

• Possess the ability to resolve issues with other departments and coworkers without direct supervision.

• Able to exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when situations require and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that would adversely affect the work environment.

• Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including evenings, weekends and overnight or extended travel as necessary.

• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to community members, relatives, and employees of the organization.

• Proficiency with computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other Internet technologies.

• Valid driver’s license must be kept current, and certificates, credentials or licenses must be kept current and consistent with regulations required by applicable federal, state and/or grant regulations.

Supervisory Control:

The supervisor sets the overall objectives and resources available. The employee and supervisor, in consultation, develop deadlines, projects, and work to be done.

The employee is considered an expert and is responsible for planning and carrying out the assignment, resolving most of the conflicts that arise, coordinating the work with others as necessary, and interpreting policy on their own initiative in terms of established objectives. In some assignments, the employee also determines the approach and methodology to be used. The employee keeps the supervisor informed of progress and potentially controversial matters.

Completed work is reviewed only from an overall standpoint in terms of feasibility, compatibility with other work, or effectiveness in meeting requirements or expected results.

Guidelines:

Guidelines include state and federal laws and regulations, OHC policies and procedures, OHC Medical Staff Bylaws, professional standards of medical practice, medical standing orders, and Centers or Medicare and Medicaid Services Conditions of Participation manual. These guidelines are not applicable to every situation encountered and require independent judgment, selection and interpretation in application.

Complexity:

The work includes varied duties requiring many different and unrelated processes and methods that are applied to a broad range of activities or substantial depth of analysis, typically for an administrative or professional field. Decisions regarding what needs to be done include major areas of uncertainty in approach, methodology, or interpretation and evaluation processes that result from such elements as continuing changes in program, technological developments, unknown phenomena, or conflicting requirements.

The work requires originating new techniques, establishing criteria, or developing new information.

Scope and Effect:

The work involves isolating and defining unknown conditions, resolving critical problems, or developing new theories.

The work product or service affects the work of other experts, the development of major aspects of administrative or scientific programs or missions, or the well-being of substantial numbers of people.

Personal Contacts:

Contacts are typically with clinical providers, patients, employees, community resource agencies, patient family members, CDC, State Departments of Health, local Health Departments, Tribal Health programs, and the general public.

Purpose of Contacts:

Contacts are primarily for obtaining, furnishing, exchanging and providing factual medical information.

Physical Demands:

The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items. The work may require specific, but common, physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity. The employee must be able to read, write, speak and hear.

Work Environment:

The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, requiring use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

Supervisory and Management Responsibility:

This position is a first level supervisor and is usually responsible for the work performance of a small group of employees or a larger group with a homogeneous objective (i.e., employees all perform same basic type of work). The employee is responsible for planning, organizing and monitoring day‑to‑day work on a short‑term cycle. This position assigns work to subordinates, adjusts workflow to maintain balance among positions and meet priorities or deadlines, and makes minor changes in structure, methods, or procedures as necessary to accommodate changes in work pattern, emphasis, or capability. The employee may recommend major changes for higher level action. The employee usually counsels with employees and hears and resolves minor complaints and grievances and participates in performance evaluation and personnel management recommendations.

Direct Reports:

Medical Staff

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree from an accredited medical school and successful completion of post graduate training and an approved residency program. Must have a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in any U.S. State or Territory. Current, valid, unrestricted Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) License. Must obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements.

This is an executive-level management position requiring post-secondary education and/or considerable experience. Individuals must have applicable education and/or experience applying a wide range of concepts, principles, and practices of a professional or administrative occupation to difficult and complex work assignments; or applicable education and/or experience applying comprehensive, intensive, practical knowledge of a technical field, and skill in applying this knowledge to the development of new methods, approaches, or procedures.

Preferred Education Requirements:

Medical degree (MD or DO) from an accredited institution.

Current, valid, unrestricted DEA License.

Preferred Experience Requirements:

Licensed to practice medicine in any U.S. State or Territory.

Minimum of 5-7 years of clinical experience, with leadership or supervisory experience preferred.

Demonstrated experience in quality improvement, project management, or academic collaboration.

Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.

The GPTLHB is a tribal organization that follows tribal preference laws. Our policy is to give preference to qualified Indian/Tribal candidates over qualified non-native candidates in hiring decisions if all other qualifications are equal.

Compliance with our Employee Health Procedure is a condition of employment. You are required to agree that you will comply with all job-related employee health screening and immunizations prior to your first day of employment. Jobs require that you have documentation that you have completed the following immunizations prior to your first day of employment: MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Varicella (Chicken Pox), Hepatitis B, Influenza, T-dap (Tetanus - Diphtheria - Pertussis), and COVID-19 vaccination is required .

Employment is contingent upon the outcome of all required criminal background checks.