Physician Intensivist

Physician Intensivist

The Staff Intensivist delivers direct patient care to ICU/IMU patients, evaluates patients requested for ICU/IMU admission and supervises activities of the ICU team to ensure quality healthcare is provided efficiently to ICU patients. The intended process of ICU daily operations will be consistent and provided with minimal variation from day to day, week to week. The Staff Intensivist is responsible to the Critical Care Medical Director and works collaboratively to ensure program adherence to evidence-based medical standards, quality initiatives and reliable execution of intended ICU daily processes.

Clinical Responsibilities:

• The Intensivist will deliver and direct daily patient care for ICU/IMCU patients. These activities include but are not limited to direct patient care and coordination of care activities.
• Manages care for patients while in the ICU/IMCU.
• Responsible for implementing, coordinating, and administering the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients requiring care in the Critical Care Setting.
• Serves as primary coordinator with ultimate responsibility for ICU patients, between multiple physician caregivers/consultants, nursing ancillary services, physicians, and patients/families/caregivers.
• Actively directs and coordinates daily multi-disciplinary critical care rounds.
• During the day and night shifts the Intensivist on duty will remain within the ICU or within the hospital attending to ICU related activities during the entire shift.
• The Intensivist will be free from all competing responsibilities during his ICU clinical shift (e.g. no office, procedures, Pulmonary consultation or non ICU related activities, etc).
• If outside the ICU, the physician will respond to calls within 5 minutes by phone and presence in the ICU within 10 minutes of a request by nursing, ancillary staff or other physicians
• The Intensivist will evaluate all new patients and requests for admission in timely fashion but at least within 30 minutes of request, 24/7/365.
• Care of patients will be expressly limited to patients within the ICU/IMU, those patients whose admission to the ICU is requested, and patients transferred from the ICU where ongoing critical care consultation is medically necessary and appropriate.
• Supervises the activities and deployment of Mid-Level providers on the Intensivist Service

Organizational Responsibilities:

• Oversees daily ICU operations to ensure that intended process (daily Multi-Disciplinary Rounds, Admission/Discharge decision-making, day-ahead bed planning, timeliness of response to requests, etc.) is occurring in intended fashion.
• Works with Critical Care Medical Director, Intensivist Service and ICU Team to gain standardization around daily ICU process (Ex: "Day in the ICU" guidance document) and reduce individual variation in how daily operations are performed in the ICU.
• When "on service" acts as the designee of the Critical Care Medical Director in executing intended ICU process and operations.
• Participates in the scheduling system for Intensivists designed to minimize fragmentation of care and optimize continuity of care at all times during a patient's stay.
• Participates in regular documented meetings with the Intensivist staff to address patient flow, quality, scheduling and patient and physician relationships and other topics as necessary to improve efficiency, timeliness and reduce unintended variation in care and process.
• Is responsive and provides timely feedback, routinely communicates and collaborates collegially with the Critical Care Medical Director, other physicians, hospital leaders and Critical Care operations staff regarding clinical care and services for patients under the care of the Intensivist Service.
• Participates in design and development of clinical pathways, care management protocols and performance improvement initiatives.
• Advises Critical Care Medical Director re: appropriate medical resources to assist in the management of complex or difficult cases or in the triage and assignment of Critical Care beds.
• Provides oversight of Critical Care bed allocation during Capacity Alert.
• Participates in educational activities for the ICU Team.
• Participates on hospital committees as appropriate to the delivery of critical care services within the hospital. Regularly attends medical staff, departmental meetings and other committee meetings as assigned.
• Participates in assuring compliance of Intensivist Service in meeting Joint Commission, HIPPA, Corporate compliance and hospital, medical staff policies, procedures, protocols and standards.
• Consults with medical staff to discuss optimal methods of treatment for specific diagnoses and facilitates achievement of care coordination goals through this peer-to-peer communication.
• Actively participates with case management and hospital operational leadership for communication, feedback, problem solving, training and sharing of program results.
• Assists in investigation and triage and resolution of quality of care and patient safety issues.
• Assists the Medical Director in the monitoring, investigation, and proactive addressing of all customer service issues concerning this service that arise from patients, families, medical staff or hospital staff

Unit Management Responsibilities:

• The Intensivist will participate actively in and directly supervise daily unit management activities necessary for the efficient, timely, consistent, safe and cost effective delivery of ICU services to patients of the hospital.
• Assure that all patient admissions, transfers and discharges to and from the ICU/IMCU are evaluated and processed in timely fashion.
• Participation in ongoing quality improvement and performance improvement activities including oversight of data collection, high value medicine protocols and algorithms.
• Interacts with other departments as necessary to facilitate the smooth operation of the ICU.
• Determination of essential laboratory, diagnostic and support services required for patient care.
• Provide comprehensive plan of care and status information at "turnover" to oncoming Intensivist.
• Supervise undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education in the ICU/IMCU on a daily basis (as necessitated by presence of UGME and GME trainees).
• Assures that residents comply with medical staff rules and regulations.
• Participates in Resident performance evaluations.
• Participates in Mid-Level Provider, Nursing, respiratory and ancillary staff education.
• Implement patient care protocols, policies and procedures for the ICU/IMCU.
• Collaborate for efficient utilization, management and patient flow in ICU/IMCU.
• Participate in the system for Quality Assurance monitoring and optimum utilization of resources within the ICU/IMCU.
• Share responsibility for the quality, outcomes and operational management, clinically and fiscally, of the Critical Care service.
• Determine and advise re: required monitoring capabilities.
• Participate in Performance Improvement projects.
• Participate in development of new strategies to improve outcomes and efficiency.
• Participate in reliable execution of existing policy, procedures and best practices.
• Participate in protocol/guideline development and evaluation.
• Participate in evaluation of outcomes.

Educational/Experience Requirements:

• Required Minimum Education: Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Surgery or Anesthesia with active subspecialty certificate of Special Qualifications in Critical Care Medicine, or eligible to sit for Critical Care Boards within 1 year of employment.
• Agrees to work in a 24-Hr. Intensivist Directed Multidisciplinary Team Model

• Required Minimum Experience: Minimum of 3 years Critical Care practice experience.

Required License/Certifications:

• Graduate of an accredited school of medicine (Doctor Degree).
• Completion of residency in specified field of specialty.
• Current state license to practice medicine, DEA and CDS.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Expert knowledge to perform and/or supervise critical care procedures in accordance with policy and procedures.
• Experience in and dedication to the role of Quality improvement initiatives.
• Commitment to scholarship.
• Interest in outcomes and other forms of research.
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.
• Demonstrated persuasive clinical leadership and teambuilding skills.
• Excellent motivator and communicator, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work creatively and independently.
• Fundamental knowledge of PC based applications.
• Desire to participate in teaching activities and mentoring of medical students.