Vice President, Chief Medical Officer for Christian Hospital with BJC HealthCare

Chief Medical Officer for Christian Hospital with BJC HealthCare

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is a key executive leadership role responsible for overseeing the medical staff office, quality and patient safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, infection prevention, pharmacy, clinical operations, physician behavior, physician education, physician leadership, physician advisors, utilization management, margin stabilization work that affects physicians, physician documentation, system standardization, and health system clinical oversight. The CMO ensures the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care and fosters a culture of safety, excellence, and continuous improvement.

Leadership: The CMO is a key member of the executive leadership team, providing strategic direction and guidance on all medical and clinical matters.

Collaboration: The CMO works closely with other executives, department heads, and medical staff to achieve organizational goals.  

Accountability: The CMO is accountable for ensuring the highest standards of patient care, safety, and regulatory compliance.  

Innovation: The CMO drives continuous improvement and innovation in clinical practices and patient care delivery.

Christian Hospital has been serving St. Louis and the surrounding metro areas since 1903. U.S. News & World Report ranks Christian Hospital No. 5 in St. Louis for overall clinical excellence and No. 9 in Missouri, which puts us in the top 6% of all hospitals in the state!

The U.S. News adult methodology ranks clinical specialties and rates common care procedures and conditions. Christian was nationally ranked as “high performing” in the clinical specialty of geriatrics and in the following seven of 21 common procedures and conditions: heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, diabetes, COPD, pneumonia and stroke. High performing in a specialty means we were in the top 10% nationally of all evaluated hospitals for that specialty or procedure and condition.

Northwest HealthCare, six miles west of Christian, offers 24- hour emergency care, the Sleep Disorders Center and a variety of outpatient diagnostic and imaging services.

Role Purpose

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is a key executive leadership role responsible for overseeing the medical staff office, quality and patient safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, infection prevention, pharmacy, clinical operations, physician behavior, physician education, physician leadership, physician advisors, utilization management, margin stabilization work that affects physicians, physician documentation, system standardization, and health system clinical oversight. The CMO ensures the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care and fosters a culture of safety, excellence, and continuous improvement.

Essential Accountabilities

1. Medical Staff Office Oversight:

Provide leadership and direction to the medical staff office.  Ensure effective credentialing, privileging, and peer review process.  Foster strong relationships with medical staff and promote collaboration.

2. Quality and Patient Safety:

Develop and implement strategies to improve patient outcomes and safety.  Oversee quality improvement initiatives and performance metrics.  Ensure compliance with national quality standards and best practices.

3. Regulatory Compliance:

Ensure adherence to all relevant healthcare regulations and accreditation standards.  Lead efforts to maintain compliance with federal, state, and local laws.  Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies. 

4. Risk Management:

Identify and mitigate potential risks to patient safety and organizational integrity.  Oversee the development and implementation of risk management polices and procedures.  Lead investigations and responses to adverse events and incidents.

5. Infection Prevention:

Develop and oversee infection prevention and control programs.  Ensure compliance with infection prevention standards and guidelines.  Collaborate with clinical staff to reduce healthcare-associated infections.

6. Pharmacy Oversight:

Provide strategic direction to the pharmacy department.  Ensure safe and effective medication management practices.  Promote collaboration between the pharmacy and clinical teams.

7. Clinical Operations:

Oversee the delivery of clinical services and ensure operational efficiency.  Collaborate with department heads to optimize resource utilization.  Implement evidence-based practices and clinical protocols.

8. Physician Behavior and Professionalism:

Promote a culture of professionalism and ethical behavior among physicians.  Address issues related to physician conduct and performance.  Foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all medical staff.

9. Physician Education:

Develop and oversee continuing medical education (CME) programs.  Ensure physicians have access to the latest medical knowledge and best practices.  Promote lifelong learning and professional development among medical staff.

10. Physician Leadership:

Provide mentorship and leadership development for medical directors and other physician leaders.  Foster a culture of leadership and accountability among physicians.  Support succession planning and development of future medical leaders.

11. Physician Advisors:

Oversee the work of physician advisors to ensure alignment with organizational goals.  Facilitate communication between physician advisors and clinical staff.  Ensure physician advisors are effectively supporting clinical decision-making and patient care.

12. Utilization Management:

Develop and oversee utilization management programs to ensure appropriate use of resources.  Collaborate with clinical staff to optimize patient care and resource utilization.  Monitor and analyze utilization data to identify areas for improvement.

13. Margin Stabilization:

Lead initiatives to stabilize and improve financial margins related to physician services.  Collaborate with finance and clinical teams to identify cost-saving opportunities.  Ensure financial sustainability while maintaining high standards of patient care.

14. Physician Documentation:

Oversee physician documentation practices to ensure accuracy and compliance.  Implement training programs to improve documentation quality.  Monitor documentation performance and provide feedback to physicians.

15. System Standardization:

Lead efforts to standardize clinical practices and protocols across the health system.  Ensure consistency in patient care delivery and operational processes.  Collaborate  with clinical leaders to implement best practices and reduce variability. 

16. Health System Clinical Oversight:

Provide clinical oversight for the entire health system to ensure high-quality care.  Monitor clinical performance and outcomes across all facilities.  Implement strategies to improve clinical efficiency and effectiveness.

Position Requirements

The CMO will possess the following combination of skills and experience:

• MD or DO degree and licensure or ability to obtain unencumbered MO medical licensure.
• Board Certification recognized by ABMS or AOBMS.
• MBA, MHA or other advanced degree in related field preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of clinical experience beyond residency training.
• A minimum of ten years of leadership experience and a track record of success in significant roles of progressive responsibility.
• Comfortable working in an environment that has medical groups of varying size and contractual relationships.
• Previous physician contract management experience is desirable.
• Clearly knowledgeable in their field of expertise yet able to demonstrate humility and exceptional skills in developing and forging successful working relationships with executive leadership, physicians, and other key functional stakeholders.
• Able to lead to clear decisions in a changing, often ambiguous, environment.
• Systems thinker with the ability to partner with the President in strategic and tactical planning and implementation.
• Technically savvy with strong quantitative/analytical acumen.
• Extensive familiarity with EMRs.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem solving, analytic, and oral and written communication skills. In particular, the ability to foster teamwork and coordination of care among diverse stakeholders is essential.
• Proven ability to develop relationships, quickly gain credibility, influence and partner with staff, business leaders and the clinical community. Adaptable and flexible style of collaborating.

BJC Total Rewards

At BJC we’re committed to providing you and your family with benefits and resources to help you manage your physical, emotional, social and financial well-being.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vison, life insurance, and legal services available first day of the month after hire date
• Disability insurance* paid for by BJC
• Pension Plan*/403(b) Plan funded by BJC
• 401(k) plan with BJC match
• Tuition Assistance available on first day
• BJC Institute for Learning and Development
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time Off benefit combines vacation, sick days, holidays and personal time
• Adoption assistance

To learn more, go to www.bjctotalrewards.com/Benefits

*Not all benefits apply to all jobs

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Equal Opportunity Employer