Virtual Primary Care Physician

Virtual Primary Care Physician

Duke Primary Care (DPC) is seeking a physician to serve as a Virtual Primary Care Physician within DPC's dedicated Virtual Primary Care practice, part of the Virtual Care Team (VCT).

Virtual Primary Care Physicians are clinicians responsible for addressing the personal health care needs of new and established patients primarily through virtual, video-based encounters. The Virtual Primary Care (VFPC) practice functions as a digital front door for patients seeking primary care at Duke Health, expanding access and geographic reach beyond existing in-person clinic capacity across North Carolina and, over time, into adjacent states. Physicians will develop long-term, patient-centered relationships with the goal of achieving outstanding health outcomes and an exceptional patient experience and will be expected to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary, virtual, team-based environment. Physicians will have training in internal medicine, family medicine, or internal medicine & pediatrics (IM-Peds).

Physicians in this role work at the top of their license within standardized, virtual-optimized care pathways designed intentionally for virtual care delivery. They provide comprehensive primary care - diagnosis and treatment of acute illness, evaluation and management of chronic disease, and preventive and wellness care - via video visits. The role is supported by a dedicated Virtual Care Center nursing and triage team, remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools, and Duke Primary Care's population health resources, with coordination through Duke Health's network of Urgent Care and in-person locations for services like labs, imaging, and evaluations that cannot be completed virtually.

Virtual care will be provided from home or another location that facilitates private interaction with patients. Preferred FTE for this position is 1.0; part-time (less than 1.0) FTE positions will be considered.

DPC physicians are subject to the employment terms outlined in the DUAP Physician Employment Agreement.

VFPC shifts may be scheduled as 4, 6, 8, or 12-hour shifts - 7 days a week - 8 AM to 8 PM pending business need. VFPC team members can provide care from home or another location that facilitates private interaction with patients. VFPC may see urgent/acute patients as capacity allows.

Responsibilities of a Duke Virtual Primary Care Physician include but are not limited to:

1. High quality patient care delivery through video visits, including but not limited to: diagnosis and treatment of acute illness; evaluation and management of chronic disease; and comprehensive wellness and preventive care.

2. Direct contact and consultation with the patient, their family members and/or friends via virtual platforms to ensure effective communication of patient care plans.

3. Extensive and on-going collaboration with inpatient/outpatient provider specialists to develop the plan of care.

4. Accurate and timely completion of indirect clinical work including but not limited to: results, patient calls, patient advice requests, forms, and In Basket management.

5. Effective engagement and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of caregivers including but not limited to nurses, certified medical assistants, pharmacists, behavioral health specialists, dieticians, diabetes educators, and health coaches.

6. Collaborative working relationship with fellow colleagues including advanced practice providers.

7. Effective clinical teaching for health profession learners from across Duke University.

8. Accurate and timely completion of all clinical and professional records and documentation to assure compliance with local, state and federal regulatory, licensure and accreditation requirements.

9. Work to create a positive work culture within cross-departmental teams and align this work with primary care service line initiatives.

Responsibilities specific to Virtual Care Delivery include but are not limited to:

1. Serve as a virtual front door to Duke Health for new patients - conducting virtual new-patient intake visits and establishing longitudinal primary care relationships through video encounters.

2. Deliver care within standardized, virtual-optimized care pathways, working at the top of license to better align patient demand with available clinical resources and efficiently expand new-patient access.

3. Partner with the Virtual Care Center nursing and triage team for real-time triage, asynchronous communication, and virtual rooming workflows, ensuring patients receive timely responses and appropriate escalation of care.

4. Incorporate remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools (e.g., Cadence, Validic) to collect and act on key clinical data such as blood pressure, weight, and glucose, supporting longitudinal self-management and clinical decision-making outside the traditional in-person clinic.

5. Coordinate with Urgent Care and in-person services for labs, imaging, and in-person evaluation of acute issues that cannot be fully addressed virtually, ensuring seamless transitions between virtual visits and necessary in-person care.

6. Coordinate, schedule, and order laboratory studies, diagnostic procedures, and referrals via video encounter; explain the necessity, preparation, nature, and anticipated effects of scheduled diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients and their families.

7. Document in the patient's medical record all relevant data including but not limited to results of diagnostic tests and laboratory results, and the patient's condition and response to therapies/interventions.

8. Stay updated on the latest in primary care, telemedicine innovations, digital health tools, and clinical guidelines, and contribute to the continuous improvement of virtual care workflows.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.