Medical Director, Health & Counseling Center

Medical Director, Health & Counseling Center

Job no: 498834

Work type: N/A

Location: Denver, CO

Categories: Student Health / Counseling

Division: University Health & Counseling Serv

The University of Denver seeks a student-centered physician leader to serve as the Medical Director of the Health & Counseling Center within the Division of Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence. Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health and Wellness, this leader will provide strategic and clinical direction for medical services in the Health & Counseling Center (HCC) while also maintaining a substantial direct care presence in service to DU students. The role is designed for a physician executive who will spend 60% of time in direct clinical care and 40% of time in leadership, administration, partnership development, and program advancement.

Position Classification: In accordance with applicable Colorado law, this position is an independent contracted position and will be governed by the terms and conditions of the applicable employment agreement.

Appointment Terms: This is a full-time role.

Compensation: The base salary range for this position is $225,000-$250,000 plus fringe benefits (including malpractice insurance, license fees, workers' compensation, and DEA renewal). The total budgeted cost of the position, inclusive of salary and fringe, is approximately $320,000 annually.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.

The University of Denver

The University of Denver is a private university in Denver, Colorado, with a long-standing commitment to academic excellence, student development, and whole-person education. The Health & Counseling Center is part of the university's student support infrastructure and serves as the primary on-campus resource for student medical and mental health care, wellness support, and health education.

The University's student affairs approach recognizes that students thrive when health, mental health, belonging, and academic engagement are supported together. Within that environment, the Medical Director will help shape an integrated, student-centered model of care that is clinically strong, operationally sound, collaborative across disciplines, and responsive to the evolving needs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

Health & Counseling Center

The University of Denver Health & Counseling Center is an integrated center that provides medical care, counseling support, and health promotion resources for students. DU describes the HCC as students' on-campus resource for quality medical and mental healthcare services, useful information, and other wellness support.

HCC medical services include integrated primary and same-day care, reproductive healthcare (including IUD and contraceptive implant insertion/removal), urgent care, gender-affirming care, eating disorder care, sports medicine, behavioral health collaboration, and telehealth, along with prevention-oriented and student-accessible services designed to support students while they are enrolled at DU. The Center's integrated structure creates an important opportunity for the Medical Director to partner closely with counseling and Student Affairs leaders to strengthen access, continuity, quality, public health preparedness, and the student experience.

Position Summary

The Medical Director, Health & Counseling Center serves as the senior physician leader for student medical services at the University of Denver while also functioning as a highly visible and active clinician within the HCC. The Medical Director is responsible for the clinical quality, safety, accessibility, compliance, and effectiveness of HCC medical services and works in close collaboration with counseling leadership and Student Affairs colleagues to ensure that students receive coordinated, inclusive, and developmentally trauma-informed care.

This role combines direct clinical care with strategic planning, policy development, quality improvement, CLIA-waived lab direction, interdisciplinary partnership, public health response, and administrative oversight. The Medical Director will spend approximately 60% of time delivering direct patient care and approximately 40% of time leading medical operations, advancing quality and access, supporting integrated care, and contributing to a university-wide student well-being strategy.

Reporting Relationships

The Medical Director, Health & Counseling Center reports to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health and Wellness within Student Affairs. The role partners closely with HCC leadership and collaborates regularly with campus partners across Student Affairs, disability services, student outreach and support, student conduct, athletics, housing, risk management, and university leadership as appropriate to advance student well-being and assist with campus response efforts.

Location

Denver, Colorado, at the University of Denver campus.

Essential Functions

Direct Clinical Care (60%)

• Provides direct outpatient medical care to University of Denver students through scheduled visits, same-day access), follow-up appointments, and other clinical services consistent with the scope of HCC medical practice.
• Delivers student-centered, evidence-based, developmentally and trauma-informed care to a diverse student population, with attention to access, continuity, prevention, and health education.
• Participates in clinical coverage, consultation, documentation, care coordination, and referral management to support safe, timely, and effective student care.
• Collaborates closely with counseling, psychiatry, health promotion, and Student Affairs partners to support students whose needs intersect across physical health, mental health, and campus functioning.
• Models clinical excellence, professionalism, and a strong commitment to equity, confidentiality, and service in the delivery of care.
• Serves as the supervising/collaborating physician of record for advanced practice providers within the HCC.

Clinical Leadership, Operations, and Quality (20%)

• Provides strategic and clinical leadership for medical services within the Health & Counseling Center, including primary care and related outpatient services.
• Ensures high-quality, student-centered, accessible, and clinically appropriate medical care for DU students.
• Oversees clinical standards, scope of practice, documentation expectations, protocols, and quality improvement processes for medical services in service of ongoing AAAHC certification
• Partners with clinical and administrative leaders to optimize access, continuity, scheduling, triage, patient flow, and the overall student experience of care.
• Uses clinical, operational, and satisfaction data to identify trends, measure outcomes, and guide improvements in service delivery, access, and quality.
• Serves on the HCC Leadership Team (HLT) and providing input into developing short and long-term goals, providing input into the budgeting process to ensure adequate staffing, equipment, and supplies to support high quality student care
• Creates agendas for and chairs medical staff meetings to ensure flow of information, solicit feedback and provider input, and maintain effective communication channels within the HCC and campus partners.
• Serves as lab director with responsibility for overall operation, quality, and administration of the CLIA waived laboratory at the HCC, including overseeing personnel who are competent to perform test procedures, record and report test results promptly, accurately, and proficiently and assuring compliance with all applicable regulations and standards

Integrated Care, Public Health, and Campus Partnership (10%)

• Serves as a key physician partner in DU's integrated Health & Counseling Center model, working closely with counseling leadership to strengthen coordination between medical and mental health services.
• Collaborates with Student Affairs colleagues to support a holistic student well-being strategy that is attentive to prevention, early intervention, crisis response, case coordination, and successful referral pathways.
• Provides medical leadership for campus public health preparedness, communicable disease response, immunization-related matters, and other health issues affecting the student community.
• Partners with university leaders and relevant departments to support emergency planning, campus response, and health-related communications when public health or student safety issues arise.

Administrative Leadership and Team Development (10%)

• Supervises or provides leadership to medical staff and contributes to a collaborative, accountable, and student-focused clinical culture.
• Supports recruitment, onboarding, provider development, peer consultation, and performance expectations for medical personnel as applicable to the role.
• Contributes to budget planning, resource allocation, strategic priorities, and operational planning for medical services within the HCC.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health and Wellness on matters related to student health services, clinical strategy, campus health trends, and future service development.

Opportunities and Priorities

The next Medical Director will have the opportunity to strengthen DU's integrated model of care by remaining deeply engaged in day-to-day clinical work while also helping shape the long-term direction of medical services within the HCC. Important priorities are likely to include continuing timely access to care, assisting with the institution of third-party billing for the HCC, strengthening coordination between medical and counseling services, supporting effective public health readiness, refining data-informed quality improvement, and helping articulate a compelling long-term vision for student health within the broader Health & Wellness portfolio.

This structure is especially well suited to a leader who values both practice and systems work. A successful candidate will be energized by the opportunity to care directly for students, mentor colleagues, improve clinical operations, and partner across Student Affairs to advance student well-being, persistence, and success.

The Candidate

Education and Credentials

• MD or DO degree from an accredited institution.
• Current unrestricted license to practice medicine in Colorado, or eligibility for Colorado licensure by the start of employment, full prescriptive authority, NPI number
• Board certification in family medicine, internal medicine, or another specialty relevant to college health.
• DEA registration and other credentials required for clinical practice and prescribing, as applicable.
• Required 7 years' experience in a primary care setting after residency with at least 3 years leading clinical and/or administrative operations such as quality improvement, patient safety initiatives, and supervising staff.
• Current BLS/ACLS
• Eligible to obtain adequate professional liability insurance coverage

Preferred Experience

• Significant clinical experience in ambulatory care, student health, adult and adolescent/young adult medicine, community health, or another setting relevant to college and university populations.
• Progressive leadership experience in student health, academic health, integrated care, outpatient medical practice, or complex healthcare delivery settings.
• Experience partnering with behavioral health professionals and working in multidisciplinary or integrated care environments.
• Experience with quality improvement, risk management, accreditation or regulatory compliance, and public health response.
• Experience in higher education, or demonstrated understanding of the mission, culture, and decision-making environment of colleges and universities.
• Experience leading organizational change, service redesign, or strategic change management initiatives in healthcare, higher education, or similarly complex organizations.
• An MBA, MHA, MPH, or other relevant administrative or management degree is valued and may be especially helpful for candidates with strong interest in strategy, operations, and change leadership.

Leadership Attributes

The strongest candidates will bring:

• A visible commitment to student-centered, inclusive, developmentally and trauma- informed care.
• Sound clinical judgment and credibility to lead physicians and other health professionals while maintaining an active practice.
• The ability to build trust and strong working relationships across counseling, Student Affairs, and university leadership.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to translate medical issues for non-clinical colleagues and campus stakeholders.
• Emotional intelligence, discretion, collaboration, and a bias toward practical problem solving.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, accountability, and service excellence.

Work Environment

This position primarily works in a primary care setting within the Health & Counseling Center on the University of Denver campus. The role involves regular interaction with students, medical and counseling staff, Student Affairs colleagues, and campus partners. Work includes direct patient care, confidential consultation, meetings, documentation, and leadership responsibilities in a busy student health environment. The position may involve occasional response to urgent student health, public health, or campus safety matters.

Physical Activities

The position requires the ability to perform the essential clinical and administrative functions of a physician leader in an outpatient healthcare setting. Responsibilities include providing direct patient care, utilizing medical and office equipment, reviewing and documenting information in electronic systems, communicating effectively with patients and colleagues, and moving throughout clinical and campus environments as necessary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work Schedule

This is a full-time position with a regular work schedule aligned with Health & Counseling Center operating hours. Some flexibility may be required for clinical coverage, leadership meetings, urgent student health matters, public health response, or campus needs. The Medical Director also provides consultation support to after-hours medical staff on an as-needed basis. The role is expected to maintain an on-campus presence given the direct clinical care and leadership responsibilities of the position.

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) July 26, 2026. Position to remain open until a candidate is identified.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.


Please include the following documents with your application:
1. Resume/CV
2. Letter of Interest

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker's Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non-Discrimination-Statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.

Advertised: June 10, 2026

Applications close: June 26, 2026


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