Medical Director

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Lead. Inspire. Elevate Veterinary Care.

Are you a compassionate veterinarian ready to take the next step in your career? Island Animal Hospital, part of the Cara Veterinary network, is searching for a Medical Director to lead our talented team, shape medical standards, and help our hospital thrive as a trusted community hub for pets and their people.

Description

About the Location

Talk about being in the center of everything! Mercer Island is a suburb sitting in the middle of Lake Washington just outside the city of Seattle, and it’s a wonderful place to call home. We’re known for low crime, excellent schools, an inclusive, vibrant community, and of course the best possible access to lake sports like boating, kayaking, and swimming. Our own downtown has wonderful restaurants and pubs, but if you need a city fix, everything Seattle has to offer is just minutes away. And, of course, nearly everyone here loves animals, so you’ll feel very at home.

The Opportunity

As our Medical Director, you’ll combine your clinical expertise with strategic leadership to guide a dedicated team and deliver exceptional care. You’ll have the autonomy to make local decisions that best serve your patients and team—while enjoying the support and resources of the Cara Veterinary network.

You’ll Partner Closely With The Hospital Director To

• Lead, coach, and mentor a talented veterinary team
• Set and uphold standards of medical excellence
• Support recruiting, training, and professional development
• Build meaningful relationships with clients and the local community
• Foster a collaborative, positive, and authentically human culture

What We Offer

Compensation & Rewards

• Salary: $135,000–$180,000 (commensurate with experience)
• Annual Leadership Stipend – $10,000 per calendar year paid out on a quarterly basis
• Quarterly Incentive Program – up to $20,000 earning potential per calendar year based on hospital performance
• 401(k) with employer match

Health & Well-Being

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plan options)
• Employee Assistance Program for confidential support
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)- medical, dependent care, and commuter benefit options available

Time Off & Flexibility

• 120 hours of PTO per year
• 6 Floater Holidays annually
• 40 hours of paid CE time
• Birthday PTO

Professional Growth

• $3,000 annual CE allowance
• VIN, AVMA/WSVMA, and one additional membership covered
• Washington State Veterinary License and DEA license reimbursement
• PLIT coverage under Cara Veterinary
• Leadership development and mentorship opportunities

Perks

• Employee pet care discount (up to 4 pets)
• Annual uniform allowance
• Authentically human, collaborative culture focused on well-being and balance

What You Bring

• Communicate with empathy and clarity
• Advocate fiercely for patients and your team
• Value collaboration and continuous learning
• Thrive in a fast-paced, community-focused environment
• Are adaptable, accountable, and driven by purpose

Why Cara Veterinary?

Our Five Pillars Guide Everything We Do:

• Put Pets First – Every decision starts with what’s best for the pet
• Trust the Parent – We partner with pet parents as equals
• Authentically Human – We lead with empathy, accountability, and transparency
• Good Neighbors – We’re part of the community we serve
• Shake Things Up – We innovate and challenge the status quo

Ready to Lead?

If you’re ready to shape the future of Island Animal Hospital and lead with heart, we’d love to meet you.

Apply today

Apply with your resume and a brief cover letter sharing why you’re excited about this opportunity.

Requirements

Summary of Job Purpose and Function

As the Medical Director, you are not only a pinnacle of decision-making within your hospital but also the individual responsible for cultivating the very essence of your practice; from selecting and developing the best support staff to pet patient care and the client journey. Your role is paramount, overseeing a team of DVMs and the Hospital Director. You are responsible for driving the implementation of the Cara Veterinary Pillars and Core Competencies, setting the gold standard for patient care, defining the highest Quality of Care, and crafting exceptional client‑patient journeys. Your influence touches every aspect of your practice. This role requires in‑practice presence a minimum of 4 days per week seeing patients as well as weekly time outside of patient care as business requires.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Provide visionary leadership and set the standards for the DVM team, embodying Cara Veterinary's Pillars, and Core Competencies.
• DVM Team Management: Oversee the performance, development, and professional growth of all associate DVMs in the practice.
• Training and Mentorship: Establish a culture of learning and mentorship among the DVMs, ensuring they have access to and participate in ongoing professional development.
• Client‑Centered Service: Ensure a client‑centered approach is consistently practiced by all DVMs, emphasizing open communication, trust, and empathy.
• Patient Care Oversight: Supervise and guide DVMs in delivering the highest quality patient care, upholding a vision that supports the best pain control, safe anesthetic practices, wellness care, and more.
• Standards of Care: Set and enforce the highest Quality of Care and provide direct, regular feedback to DVMs in case management or medical decisions.
• Conflict Resolution: Address any conflicts or issues that arise among DVMs, promoting a harmonious work environment.
• Medical Record Review: Actively engage in medical record review to ensure excellence in documentation and care among the DVM team.
• Innovation and Learning: Encourage the DVMs to stay up‐to‐date by reading journals, attending CE events, and sharing knowledge with the team.
• Equipment and Medication Oversight: Collaborate with your DVM’s on decisions regarding hospital products, drugs, equipment, and ensure proper drug log practices.
• Workflow Streamlining: Maximize the team's efficiency and productivity through guidance and support, helping to streamline daily routines.
• Continuous Improvement: Work with the Hospital Director to implement quality improvement and medical initiatives, ensuring the highest medical standards.
• Support Team Collaboration: Foster teamwork and cooperation between DVMs, support team members, and the Hospital Director, promoting a united practice.
• Continuing Education Advocate: Act as a proponent of continuing education, both for yourself and the DVM team, facilitating access to professional development opportunities.
• Client Experience Enhancement: Collaborate with the Hospital Director to enhance the client experience, ensuring that clients receive timely, quality service.
• Financial Accountability: Ensure that DVMs understand financial and compliance reports, working with the Hospital Director to meet medical and operational excellence goals.
• Budget and Goal Planning: Partner with the Hospital Director and Cara Support Center to plan yearly hospital goals, including the operating plan and budget.
• Revenue Growth: Collaborate to consider changes in hospital hours, services, and DVM availability, emphasizing the importance of charge capture to the DVM team.

Medical Quality

• Ensures highest quality patient care (pain control, safe anesthetic practices, wellness care, care for hospitalized patients etc.) and medical decision making by the associate DVM team
• Determines Standard Operating Procedures for the hospital – including handling of patients with infectious disease, isolation protocols, anesthesia prep/monitoring standards etc.
• Works with the associate DVM team to deliver a consistent message to team and clients regarding patient care, case management and Quality of Care. Provides Chief Operating Officer with direct feedback on associate DVM case management problems or in cases where mistakes were made. Performs an internal review in such circumstances and revises protocols when appropriate.
• Provides Director of Medicine feedback on medical record review of associate DVM’s
• Along with the Chief Operating Officer, and Hospital Director, decides on products/ drugs for hospital to carry as well as equipment purchases
• Ensures drug log practices in place + secure
• Stays medically current by reading journals, attending CE events. Shares knowledge gained with associate veterinarians, technicians and other veterinarians within our hospital network
• Supports practice medical initiatives and ensures successful implementation within the hospital
• With Hospital Director ensures appropriate technical team training structure and implementation
• Plans, organizes, and conducts routine doctor meetings
• Ensures equipment problems/needs are delegated to the appropriate individual.
• Ensures the doctors schedule covers the hospital without being short doctors (Hospital Director can help to find other practice doctors to cover shifts or relief doctors, if needed)

Team

• The Medical Director is a key “problem solver” within the hospital and a go‑to person for team members in need. The Medical Director also sets the mood/team outlook for the practice. They are the ‘on the floor’ director of medical team to maximize efficiency and ensure productivity. They provide feedback to help streamline daily routines.
• Plans, assigns, and directs work; conducts monthly one‑on‑ones, and reviews development plans.
• Helps to schedule veterinary shift coverage while proactively planning time off and CE scheduling.
• Addresses team complaints and resolves problems.
• Trains the team on AAHA guidelines and practices and supervises associates to ensure compliance.
• Responsible for overseeing the development of Hospital Director and ensuring the Hospital Director has current development plans in place for each support team member.
• Participates in routine one‑on‑ones with support team members at least once a quarter

Client Service

• The Medical Director works with the Hospital Director to ensure delivery of top‑level client service to every client.
• Partners with the Hospital Director to oversee the client/patient flow to ensure clients receive timely service
• Along with the Hospital Director, the Medical Director ensures that the hospital culture is “client centered” (vs team/DVM focused) and that a “come in now” policy is followed
• Helps Hospital Director ensure high level and timely communication to clients by DVM team in the delivery method requested by the client (phone, fax, email…)

CE Opportunities

• The Medical Director is the CE advocate within the hospital. They should strive to provide themselves and the team with a variety of professional development opportunities throughout the year
• Attend local CE events and encourage team to attend as well. Create plan for CE requirements with each DVM yearly
• Enlist doctors to present in house CE at team meetings
• Share current knowledge or material from Director of Medicine with associates in the hospital
• Encourage associates to share new knowledge from CE events they attend with the rest of the doctor team and team

Financial

• The Medical Director is accountable for reviewing the Profit & Loss statement every month, and ensuring a plan is in place for improving or sustaining steady revenue growth
• The Medical Director should understand the financial and DVM compliance reports and work closely with the Hospital Director to ensure hospital goals of medical and operational excellence are met
• The Medical Director partners with the Hospital Director to work on yearly hospital goals including the operating plan and budget
• The Chief Operating Officer and Medical Director should discuss the hospital + individual doctor compliance reports (successes/challenges) at the monthly doctor meetings
• The Medical Director should stress the importance of charge capture to associate DVM’s and team and develop and enforce best practices to ensure charge capture.
• To ensure a client centered practice and continued revenue growth, the Medical Director works with the Chief Operating Officer, and Hospital Director to consider changes in hospital hours/days, services hours, DVM availability etc.

Connection

• This competency involves nurturing robust connections with pet parents, pets, the community, and fellow team members, aligning with the practice's foundational values. It centers on fostering a sense of unity and comprehension that transcends the client‑patient relationship. Team members prioritize building connections and relationships with clients and their pets, acknowledging the significance of empathy, trust, and team support, benefiting the pet's wellbeing, and enhancing the practice's harmony.
• Advocate: Advocacy is about empowering pet parents to make informed choices, advocating for the well‑being of pets within the community, and supporting one another as a cohesive team. Advocates cultivate trust, cooperation, and an inclusive culture, giving utmost importance to values such as support, trust, empathy, and inclusivity. This commitment extends beyond interactions with pet parents and pets and resonates within the broader team, creating an environment where every member is valued, heard, and supported, irrespective of their backgrounds or viewpoints.
• Communication: Communication revolves around fostering effective communication not only with pet parents but also within the team, ensuring a seamless flow of information for the highest quality of care for each patient. Team members prioritize building an atmosphere of trust, rapport, and open communication within the team, where everyone's input is valued. This extends to pet parents, pets, and the local community, creating a collaborative and supportive environment. Effective communication ensures that all aspects of patient care are well‑coordinated and harmonized, mirroring the values of the practice pillars while facilitating a culture of inclusivity and transparency.
• Trust: Trust is a cornerstone of our ability to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. It demands an open mind and a non‑judgmental approach. Trust requires empathy, allowing us to understand the unique needs and perspectives of our pet parents, pets, and team members. It involves adapting behavior and care recommendations based on cues from pet parents, pets, and team members, establishing an environment of trust and integrity that extends to the entire community. Trust advocates focus on building strong relationships and an environment where everyone feels heard and supported, aligning with the pillars.
• Resilience & Adaptability: This competency encourages viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, acknowledging that the veterinary industry, while rewarding, can also be emotionally and mentally taxing. To be resilient, we must practice self‑compassion and extend that compassion to others. This means recognizing when we need assistance and not hesitating to ask for help when it's needed. Resilient individuals offer creative solutions, maintain a positive outlook, and actively support fellow team members, mirroring the spirit of innovation and community engagement outlined in the pillars.

Hiring Qualifications

• Team Member should be available to work 4 -10 hours shifts on the floor caring for patients
• Team Member should expect to spend nearly all of their workdays standing, sitting, and typing at a computer.
• They should have a physical strength and the ability to safely lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds without assistance.
• Able to assist in lifting patients weighing more than 50 pounds.
• Must possess sufficient strength and assertiveness to effectively restrain patients and ensure the safety of clients and personnel.
• Ability to be confident around pets (ex: dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.)
• The noise level in the work environment is moderately high.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
• Requires ambulatory skills sufficient to perform duties while at hospital.
• Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb as well as manipulate (lift, carry, move) up to 50 pounds.
• Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm-hand-finger dexterity with the ability to reach and grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read information.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Team is routinely exposed to pets that may bite or scratch, and on occasion, exposed to anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards, and medication/controlled substances.

Experience, Education And/Or Training

• 3 years of experience in operations management with profit and loss and HR responsibility preferred or 7+years of practice
• A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, or equivalent, from an accredited university.
• State Veterinary Board License and must be in good standing for the state in which they intend to be hired, prior to their start date.

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive listing of duties expected of this position. This job description, the duties and expectations may change at any time.