Family Medicine Physician & Founding Medical Director

Job Description

Sandbar Health is a next-generation "payvider" — a physician-led direct primary care practice and health plan in one — with an obsessive focus on the member experience. Because we both deliver care and own the cost of it, every incentive is aligned around keeping members healthy: radically better, coordinated care that members love, delivered efficiently by cutting the friction, waste, and unnecessary utilization that define most of healthcare today. Backed by experienced healthcare operators and investors, we are building the clinical and operational foundation for a direct-to-consumer health plan launching in the DC metro area.

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Clinic will be located in Ballston, VA

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Position Summary

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We are seeking a Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician to serve as our founding Medical Director, providing clinical leadership for a high-touch, technology-enabled primary care practice. As the first physician and clinical leader in the organization, the Medical Director will build and lead a collaborative POD-based care team of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), health coaches, and medical assistants to deliver preventive, relationship-driven care with a strong focus on access, continuity, and proactive population health management.

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This role is ideal for a physician who values meaningful member relationships, innovation in care delivery, and the opportunity to lead a clinical team and help shape a modern, consumer-oriented healthcare organization from the ground up.

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Core Responsibilities

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• Provide clinical leadership for the founding care POD, setting the standard for quality, access, and member experience

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• Help recruit, onboard, and mentor the clinical team as the practice scales (additional physicians, APPs, and care navigators)

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• Deliver comprehensive outpatient Family Medicine care for adult and pediatric members in a direct primary care environment

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• Lead preventive care and longitudinal chronic disease management with an emphasis on reducing downstream utilization

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• Provide same-day and next-day access through a combination of in-person, virtual, and asynchronous care modalities

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• Collaborate with APPs, health coaches, and care navigators within a team-based POD model

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• Perform office-based procedures and women's health services within scope of practice

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• Participate in proactive outreach efforts focused on preventive health, care gaps, and high-risk members

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• Utilize digital tools, structured intake pathways, and AI-supported workflows to improve efficiency and the member experience

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• Own clinical pathway development and standardization initiatives

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• Champion an obsessive focus on the member experience — hospitality, responsiveness, and proactive communication at every touchpoint

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• Lead clinical operations and inform the future scaling of the organization

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Clinical Model

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The practice is designed around smaller member panels and high-access care delivery, with efficiency coming from technology and operations so that clinician time goes to members. Panels run 500 to 750 members per provider. Each POD is one physician, one medical assistant, and up to four APPs, with health coaching built in. The care model emphasizes:

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• Preventive and relationship-driven care

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• High-touch digital communication

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• Async-first workflows for low-acuity needs

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• Proactive care coordination and navigation

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• Reduced administrative burden through technology-enabled operations

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A few specifics physicians usually want up front:

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• Panel: 500 to 750 members per provider

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• Pod staffing: 1 MA per physician, up to 4 APPs, plus health coaching

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• EMR: Canvas, with ambient AI note-taking, so your charting does not follow you home as pajama time

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• Access: same-day and next-day availability across in-person, virtual, and asynchronous visits

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• After-hours and call: partner-led telemedicine platform

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Preferred Qualifications

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• Board Certified in Family Medicine

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• Active or eligible MD or DO licensure in Washington, DC, Maryland, and/or Virginia

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• Prior clinical leadership experience (medical director, lead physician, or similar) preferred

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• Comfort managing members across the lifespan, including preventive care, women's health, and common musculoskeletal conditions

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• Experience in direct primary care, rural medicine, urgent care, emergency medicine, or value-based care environments preferred

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• Strong communication skills and comfort with digital-first member engagement

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• Interest in innovation, care redesign, and early-stage healthcare ventures

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• Collaborative and team-oriented leadership style

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• Commitment to delivering evidence-based, high-touch member care

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What We Offer

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• Opportunity to help build a next-generation healthcare model from the ground floor as its founding clinical leader

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• Smaller member panels and increased time with members

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• Collaborative interdisciplinary care environment

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• Technology-enabled workflows designed to reduce administrative friction

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• Competitive compensation package ($240,000–$300,000) with potential performance-based bonus

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• 401(k) with employer match

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• Best-in-class health, vision, and dental coverage

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• Malpractice insurance covered

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• Mission-driven culture focused on prevention, access, and member experience

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This position represents a unique opportunity for a physician leader seeking to practice and lead relationship-centered medicine within a modern, innovative healthcare platform designed to improve both member outcomes and the clinician experience.

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