PHYSICIAN

Physician Position

The Physician in this position provides comprehensive, high quality primary and episodic care at the Health Services for Homeless (HSH) Clinics located at the Worthington Street Shelter (New Resource Center), the Adolescent Clinic in Springfield, and other various sites. The Physician works within the HSH clinical and administrative guidelines. This position reports to the Chief Medical Officer of the City of Springfield Health Services for the Homeless (HSH) Program and provides clinical leadership to the HSH staff.

Essential Functions

• Coordinates patient care with on-site clinical staff at shelters, hospitals, and detox facilities throughout the HSH Program's 3-County Service Area.
• Refers patients when medically necessary for specialty, hospital, recuperative or other appropriate care.
• Provides appropriate patient information for continuity of care.
• Works close with the HSH Director/CEO and HSH Medical Director to: Set standards for the delivery of healthcare services at the HSH Program, develop and carry-out HSH's clinical vision, develop and implement policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Together with the Chief Executive Office, HSH Program Coordinator, and Chief Financial Officer participates in the HSH Operations Committee to ensure efficient and effective clinical operations.
• Provides direct patient care for 33 hours per week. Responsible for completing billing and medical notes in a timely manner. Works with staff in new and innovative ways of increasing the quality and efficiency of care rendered.
• Maintains active medical staff status at one Springfield acute care hospital.
• Provides clinical expertise to address complex clinical problems and access to specialized care.
• Participates and provides clinical leadership at key management meetings including: operations meetings, MIS/EMR, and medical case coordination meetings as appropriate.
• Provides clinical expertise to ensure an integrated system of patient care management including EMR system, care coordination, referral arrangements, hospital admissions, discharge planning, patient tracking, continuity of care, quality assurance, patient satisfaction and patient grievance procedures, continuous quality improvement system.
• Responsible for working collaboratively with all clinical staff to meet HSH Health Plan goals and objectives.
• Assists the HSH CEO and Chief Medical Officer in evaluating HSH program effectiveness through utilization rates, peer review, and MIS reports.
• Assists HSH CMO and Program Coordinator to ensure medical productivity expectations are met.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with other members of the healthcare and homeless services community in HSH's Service Area including providers, hospitals, public health officials and others to ensure that HSH services are appropriately targeted to the needs of the homeless populations served.
• After hours telephone call coverage duties when appropriate to support the systems already in place.
• Performs related work as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare support staff.
• Sensitive to and respectful of the educational, racial, cultural, and linguistic differences and needs of the patient population.
• Extremely detail oriented with the ability to express oneself clearly and concisely orally and in writing.
• Ability to provide effective leadership to healthcare support staff.
• Ability to think strategically and problem solve in a fast pace environment.

Education and Experience

• M.D. licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Board eligible or certified in family practice, internal medicine, or other appropriate specialty.
• Strong interest in working within multi-disciplinary medical teams and supportive service staff (case managers, social workers, outreach workers, mental health and substance abuse counselors) to provide episodic and primary care to homelessness.