The University of Chicago (UChicago) is seeking an experienced physician leader to serve as Medical Director in Student Wellness. The Medical Director provides executive leadership in overseeing the primary care service within Student Wellness, leading efforts to assess, evaluate, and improve clinical quality; assess and evaluate professional practice; oversees patient safety initiatives and adherence to standard of care; and has ultimate oversight and responsibility for ensuring the care provided to students is of the highest clinical excellence. In addition to direct patient care responsibilities, the Medical Director will be responsible for influencing, directing, and assessing all clinical activities to ensure the care provided is of the highest quality and is consistently safe. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Student Services, the Medical Director serves as an essential member of the Student Wellness leadership team, working collaboratively across functions and providing consultation and guidance to campus partners. The Medical Director partners with the other clinical leaders on matters related to planning, organizing, and directing patient care activities, and with the administrative leadership on matters related to operations and administrative management. The primary care providers (MDs, DOs, and NP/APPs), clinical leadership, and nursing teams report to the Medical Director.

The successful candidate will possess strong clinical skills, experience in clinical administration and the supervision of a multidisciplinary staff; demonstrated cultural competence; an understanding of college-age and young adult healthcare issues; excellent communication skills; and the ability to convey health information to variety of audiences.


About the UChicago Student Wellness

As part of Campus and Student Life, UChicago Student Wellness integrates multiple services related to care of the students’ health and well-being. Located in the new Student Wellness Center (opened in 2020), UChicago Student Wellness provides primary care, counseling, psychiatry, and health promotion services to eligible students. Our mission is to provide students with comprehensive health, counseling, and wellness services to support their academic, personal, and professional success, and our vision is to redefine the field by providing exceptional, integrated wellness services that enable students to thrive. These efforts are supported by our iCARE values – inclusion, collaboration, agility, respect, and excellence – which guide our efforts to provide exceptional care to our students in a safe and welcoming environment.


Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the physicians and advance practice provider team, as well as nursing and other clinical leaders.
  • Coach, mentor, and influence the provider team to achieve consistently high performance.
  • Oversee provider practice, quality oversight, patient safety programs and activities, and the ongoing assessment and evaluation of professional practice.
  • Foster a work climate that encourages positive staff morale, upholds open communication, and foster a team-based approach to care.
  • Apply interpersonal skills to promote and influence a positive working environment.
  • Provide input into the development of clinical policies, protocols, and procedures.
  • Ensure compliance with University of Chicago and UChicago Medicine policies and procedures as well as professional and regulatory agencies.
  • Monitor, lead, and directly address opportunities to improve standards of care to ensure departmental compliance on matters related to clinical quality, patient safety, environment of care, and provision of care.
  • Oversee and participate in rotation and delivery of after hours’ on-call coverage.
  • Resolve conflict effectively; utilizes problem-solving skills to promote a positive working environment.
  • Lead efforts to foster a collegial, patient-first culture within the Student Wellness Center.
  • Maintain a small clinical caseload, providing direct patient care.
  • Work cross-functionally and collaboratively with colleagues in psychiatry, counseling, and health promotion, as well as clinical specialties at UChicago Medicine.  Actively seeks areas of collaboration.
  • Serve as a member of the Student Wellness leadership team.
  • Serve as the clinical expert for the specific patient population and is accountable for the implementation evidence-based practice. Informs patients regarding general preventative care practices as well as individualized care plans.
  • Manage people and resources to ensure safe and efficient patient care operations. Partner with other divisions to ensure optimal patient throughput. Collaborate with the team to ensure application of safe staffing and scheduling guidelines.
  • Perform other related work as needed.


Qualifications

Education:

  • A Doctor of Medicine (MD) or doctor of osteopathy (DO) degree from an accredited medical school.

Experience:

  • Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in a clinical setting.
  • Minimum of three (3) years of experience leading clinical and/or administrative operations, with a demonstrated ability to lead a medical practice. Seven (7) or more years of such leadership experience preferred.
  • Demonstrated effective leadership of providers, a provider group, and/or a clinical department.
  • Demonstrated clinical competency, teaching skills, and sound judgement.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
  • Ability to build collaborative, productive relationships with stakeholders across the University and University of Chicago Health System.
  • Strong organizational skills and the requisite judgement to manage competing priorities.
  • Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills and strong analytical skills.
  • Proficiency in the use of computers and medical record systems.

Licenses and Certifications:

  • Current board certification in internal medicine, family medicine, or related specialty.
  • Current license to practice medicine in the state of Illinois or ability to become licensed in Illinois within six months of hire.
  • Ability to meet the Medical Staff Office credentialing standards and maintain medical privileges at UChicago Medicine.

Preferred Competencies

  • Direct experience in the college health setting.
  • Experience working on or leading a patient safety or quality improvement committee.
  • Directly related leadership experience such as managing a medical group, medical staff, or clinical department.
  • Ambulatory care experience in a primary care setting.
  • Ability to provide culturally competent care to a diverse population.
  • Experience working with diverse populations strongly preferred.
  • Patient education and social skills necessary for working with young adult population.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to present effectively to diverse audiences.
  • Ability to understand the impact of public health emergencies such as disease outbreaks and manage effectively through related incidents.


Application Process

UChicago has partnered with Keeling & Associates in this search process. Applications should include a cover letter and resume and must be sent, preferably in PDF format, to recruiting@KeelingAssociates.com. The subject line of the email should read “UChicago – Medical Director.” Confidential inquiries and nominations should be addressed to Gordon Winsor, Consultant and Director, Executive Search, at gwinsor@KeelingAssociates.com. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible; review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.


About the University of Chicago

Founded in 1892 by John D. Rockefeller, the University of Chicago is one of the world’s preeminent universities, with a history of world-renowned research and education. More than 90 Nobel laureates are associated with the University, including six current faculty members. The University of Chicago is known for its excellent faculty, increasingly diverse student body, distinctive urban campus with strong community connections, and a robust global presence. U.S. News and World Report ranked the University 3rd in its latest annual survey of the best universities. The University enrolls more than 18,000 students, more than half of which are enrolled in graduate and professional programs.

The University of Chicago operates a major medical center, the nation’s largest academic press, two national laboratories, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the renowned N-12 Laboratory Schools that have led many innovations in education, and four charter school campuses on the South Side of Chicago.

The University of Chicago is located in a dynamic, thriving city, where opportunities abound to learn from, contribute to, and engage with the surrounding community. In the heart of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, a racially and economically diverse residential community of 43,000 people on the shores of Lake Michigan and about fifteen minutes south of downtown Chicago, the University of Chicago features traditional English Gothic and modern buildings designed by world-class architects.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University’s Statements on Diversity are at https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

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