Job Summary The Center’s Medical Officer is the chief clinician at the FQHC and is responsible for delivery of quality medical care to patients of the Center, the Medical Officer functions as a member of the multi-disciplinary health care team within the scope of his or her medical practice, but also oversees the entire medical staff and provides clinical direction at the Center.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provides clinical services.
   1. Maintains clinical expertise and competency (to include age specific competency) as well as demonstrates thorough knowledge of procedures to deliver quality primary health care.
   2. Provides clinic sessions, as scheduled, in direct patient care at clinic site, including extended hours clinics.
   3. Provides services in a full time capacity per week in clinic, negotiated in accordance with how many administrative hours are required. Provides a minimum of 3360 primary care encounters. The total number of encounters will be contingent upon the negotiated administrative time after the first full year in this capacity to determine a baseline.
   4. Examines, diagnoses, treats and/or refers patients assigned to physician’s panel, on an in-patient and out-patient basis (as per individual employment agreements); prescribes pharmaceuticals, other medications, and treatment regimens as appropriate to assessed medical conditions. Follows appropriate standards of care for each patient.
   5. Refers clients for appropriate specialty care services, lab and x-ray and any other ancillary services that are appropriate for patient’s management and care. Reviews all lab and x-ray reports for patients under his/her care on a timely basis and makes medical management decisions appropriately.
   6. Maintains a problem oriented health record for each patient seen in accordance with the Center’s established Health Information Management policies and procedures to include providing appropriate and legible documentation.
   7. Ensures that patient and family/significant others are educated about diagnosis and the plan of care, as designated authorization by the patient. Acts as a resource for facilitating communication when necessary.
   8. Participates in specified health promotion, education and/or prevention programs as needed i.e. diabetes collaborative/health fairs etc.; attends and participates in clinic meetings / departmental meetings and other clinic functions as required by the Center.
2. Provides clinical direction.
   1. Serves on center committees as assigned. Serves as Chair of the Medical Department’s CPI Committee and Peer Review Committee.
   2. Designs, develops, and implements appropriate Medical Department policies, protocols and procedures which are in compliance with the most current accepted professional standards.
   3. Assists in the provision of technical assistance and health education in the community as requested.
   4. Assists in the preparation of an operating budget for the Medical Department, and in conjunction with the Finance Director Participates in short and long term program planning for the Medical Department and the entity, including development of goals and objectives.
   5. Provides consultation to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors regarding the Center’s clinical direction.
   6. Travels when necessary to fulfill the entity’s needs and attends meetings as necessary to represent the Center.
   7. Participates in the preparation of grant applications for the Center and assumes primary responsibility for developing and implementing the medical health care plan.
   8. Assists in the coordination and integration of the corporation’s medical programs and services with other corporate programs and services for the welfare of the corporation’s patients.
   9. Assumes responsibility/accountability for delegating, directing, and supervising patient care activities. Trains, mentors and supervises students and clinical support staff engaged in activities and procedures, as appropriate. Supervises, advises, counsels, disciplines and evaluates all Medical Department professional providers and nursing staff in conjunction with the Executive Director.
   10. Participates in the analysis of community health problems and assists in the development of the community health care plan.
   11. Participates in Continuous Quality Improvement/Risk Management activities.
   12. Participates in the review and development of patient care policies, including health maintenance schedules and continuity of care.
   13. Participates in the review and development of protocols and standing orders.
   14. Implements the plans, procedures and protocols for the medical team.
   15. Serves as a resource and positive, proactive leader for the department.
   16. Accepts responsibility for remaining current with medical and health care trends and information that impact the medical practice.
   17. Leads the health care team in identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing patient and family needs to develop a plan of care.
   18. Participates in the evaluation of products, procedures, and patient care standards.
3. Maintains professional courtesy at all times.
4. Performs all other related duties as assigned.
5. Provides Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Direction
   1. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) will be the main Leader and Supervisor of the Quality Improvement Program.
6. The CMO is an active member of the Continuous Quality Improvement committee.
   1. The CMO is accountable to the CEO and is responsible for working with the CEO and the Quality Coordinator in the development and implementation of the CQI Plan, QI/QA operating procedures and completion of the QI/QA assessments. The CMO monitors QI/QA outcomes and is involved in updating QI/QA operating procedures.
7. The CMO as Quality Leader will be responsible for assuring that the CQI program is functional and practical and will result in real-life improvement in quality of services in the clinics that has a real-life impact to the patients in the community. Chosen quality goals and quality measures should be objective, easily measurable, and reportable. The quality goals and measures should reflect the needs of the organization and the needs of the patient population and the community.
8. The CMO will be responsible for reporting quality data to the other providers, and will be involved in providing specific quality action plans.
9. The CMO assists in assuring the QI/QA process are integrated in to all aspects of clinical and organizational operations and is therefore multidisciplinary and a part of all daily activities. This multidisciplinary approach allows for the knowledge, skills, experience, and perspectives of different individuals within the team to make lasting improvements.  The CMO helps foster a culture where every person in the organization is aware that their input on clinical quality and risk issues is important and are encouraged to freely report quality/risk issues and ideas for improvement whenever the need arises. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required

• Knowledge of advanced principles of health promotion, prevention and motivation
• Knowledge of protocols in general and an ability to quickly gain specific knowledge of the Center’s current operational protocols
• Knowledge of medical terminology and appropriate abbreviations
• Demonstrates knowledge of the Texas Medical Practice Act
• Ability to document, with clarity, all information relevant to a patient’s needs
• Ability to effectively present information in small group situations to patients, Center staff, and the general public
• Ability to use office equipment including but not limited to computers, fax machines, telephones and copiers
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills

Preferred

• Ability to be clinically fluent in Spanish
• Knowledge of public health principles and practice

Credentials and Experience

Required

• Minimum of five years medical experience

• Medical degree from an accredited school of medicine

• Completion of an accredited residency program in an appropriate medical specialty

• Current unrestricted license from the Texas Board of Medical Examiners to practice as a physician in the State of Texas

• Annual continuing medical education as required by Board specialty
• Must be registered and have current DEA, DPS and other such certificates to legally operate a practitioner in the State of Texas

• Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Healthcare Professionals Certification

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