Hospice Medical Director

Job Description

Job Description

Reports To: Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer

At Luminary Hospice, we are a mission-driven organization that empowers our team members to shape our culture in order to allow them to provide the highest quality support to patients and families throughout their entire end-of-life journey.

Our mission is to deliver personalized care that radiates compassion and preserves dignity for all that we are honored to serve on their end-of-life journey. We are centered on caring for the whole person – with expert medical care, pain management as well as emotional and spiritual support along with resources, information, and emotional support for families and caregivers.

The hospice Medical Director will have overall responsibility for the medical component of the hospice program. 

The hospice Medical Director will provide oversight of physician services by complementing attending physician care, acting as a medical resource to the interdisciplinary group, assuring continuity of hospice medical services, and assuring appropriate measures to control patient symptoms.  The Medical Director will serve as a hospice champion – promoting and representing the program to physicians, physician groups, discharge planners, other referral sources, community health organizations, and potential donors, as appropriate.

1. Devoting his/her best ability to the proper management of the program
2. Providing overall medical direction to the program
3. Assuring that the established policies, bylaws, rules, and regulations of the organization are followed in the program
4. Adhering to requirements, terms, and conditions required by Medicare Conditions of Participation, accrediting body, and federal and state statutes governing the provision of services
5. Establishing and continually reviewing policies and procedures related to patient care, medical education, and emergency procedures
6. Developing and continually reviewing, in cooperation with the Executive Director/Administrator and/or Chief Clinical Officer/Clinical Director, criteria to monitor the quality of the education programs provided to physicians, personnel, and volunteers
7. Evaluating quality assessment performance improvement (QAPI) plans and monitoring to identify medical education needs in cooperation with the Executive Director/Administrator and/or Chief Clinical Officer/Clinical Director.  Participates in QAPI teams and activities, as needed
8. Proposing organizational programs to address the needs identified (with the assistance and input of consultants of the specialties where medical education needs were identified)
9. Working with the Executive Director/Administrator and/or Clinical Director, after implementation of the programs, to determine the impact of said programs on the quality of care
10. Serving as a hospice champion in the community
11. Acting as a liaison to community physicians by providing consultation and education to colleagues and attending physicians related to admission criteria for hospice and palliative care
12. Acting as medical liaison with other physicians at Luminary Hospice
13. Providing training regarding the medical aspects of caring for terminally ill patients to physicians, personnel, and volunteers
14. Reviewing patients' medical eligibility for hospice services, in accordance with hospice program policies and procedures, and establishing the plan of care in conjunctions with attending physician and interdisciplinary group prior to providing care written certification of terminal illness
15. Providing written certification of the terminal illness for all subsequent benefit periods
16. Performing face-to-face encounters within thirty (30) days of the third and subsequent hospice benefit certification periods and attest to the encounter.  (NP may complete the encounter and report findings to the hospice physician.)
17. Consulting with attending physicians regarding pain and symptoms management for hospice patients
18. Managing oversight of the patient's medications and treatments
19. Acting as medical resource to the hospice interdisciplinary group
20. Attending interdisciplinary group meetings and working in a team approach with the group
21. In conjunction with the attending physician and interdisciplinary group, reviewing and updating the plan of care at least every 15 days, or more frequently as needed
22. Documenting care provided in the patient's clinical record, providing evidence of progression of the end-stage disease process
23. Acting as primary physician for patients whose referring/attending physicians desire to relinquish that care and/or if the referring/attending physicians are not available for further contact
24. Maintaining current knowledge of the latest research and trends in hospice care and pain/symptom management
25. Reviewing and developing protocols for treatment, and proposing the most current options for interventions
26. Develop and implement procedures and protocols in regard to OSHA standards, including the handling of hazardous medications
27. Demonstrating knowledge in communications, and counseling patients and family/caregivers dealing with end-of-life issues
28. Participating in resolution of interpersonal conflict and issues of clinical and ethical concern
29. Ensuring that competent physician services are routinely available on a 24-hour basis to meet the general medical needs of the hospice patient to the extent the needs are not met by the attending physician
30. Assisting with evaluation of protocols and procedures with respect to quality and cost outcomes 

The above statements are intended to be a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job.  The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those stated in this description.

1. Licensed as a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy in the state without restriction or subject to any disciplinary or corrective action.
2. Maintains controlled substances registration with state and federal authorities.
3. Have experience in hospice or palliative care and/or training in end-of-life care.
4. Participates in ongoing medical education activities related to the medical care of hospice and palliative care patients.
5. Not excluded from participating in the Medicare program

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit or stand. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Luminary Hospice is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. All employment decisions at Luminary Hospice are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.

This position is a contract role and is not eligible for benefits.