Behavioral Health Medical Director

Position Purpose:
Assist the Chief Medical Director to direct and coordinate the medical management, quality improvement and credentialing functions for the business unit.

This is a fully remote Behavioral Health Medical Director role focused primarily on case review, with opportunities to support education and process improvement. The role works across a variety of markets, states, lines of business, levels of care, and review types. The ideal candidate is agile, team-oriented, comfortable with variety, and passionate about teaching and continuous learning.

Candidates must be board certified in Psychiatry, including board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and hold a current state medical license as an MD or DO without restrictions, limitations, or sanctions from government programs. Addiction specialty experience is preferred but not required.

• Provides medical leadership of all for utilization management, cost containment, and medical quality improvement activities.
• Performs medical review activities pertaining to utilization review, quality assurance, and medical review of complex, controversial, or experimental medical services, ensuring timely and quality decision making.
• Supports effective implementation of performance improvement initiatives for capitated providers.
• Assists Chief Medical Director in planning and establishing goals and policies to improve quality and cost-effectiveness of care and service for members.
• Provides medical expertise in the operation of approved quality improvement and utilization management programs in accordance with regulatory, state, corporate, and accreditation requirements.
• Assists the Chief Medical Director in the functioning of the physician committees including committee structure, processes, and membership.
• Conduct regular rounds to assess and coordinate care for high-risk patients, collaborating with care management teams to optimize outcomes.
• Collaborates effectively with clinical teams, network providers, appeals team, medical and pharmacy consultants for reviewing complex cases and medical necessity appeals.
• Participates in provider network development and new market expansion as appropriate.
• Assists in the development and implementation of physician education with respect to clinical issues and policies.
• Identifies utilization review studies and evaluates adverse trends in utilization of medical services, unusual provider practice patterns, and adequacy of benefit/payment components.
• Identifies clinical quality improvement studies to assist in reducing unwarranted variation in clinical practice in order to improve the quality and cost of care.
• Interfaces with physicians and other providers in order to facilitate implementation of recommendations to providers that would improve utilization and health care quality.
• Reviews claims involving complex, controversial, or unusual or new services in order to determine medical necessity and appropriate payment.
• Develops alliances with the provider community through the development and implementation of the medical management programs.
• As needed, may represent the business unit before various publics both locally and nationally on medical philosophy, policies, and related issues.
• Represents the business unit at appropriate state committees and other ad hoc committees.
• May be required to work weekends and holidays in support of business operations, as needed.