Associate Director, Same Day Access (Physician)

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building: John Jay Hall
• Salary Range: $225,000 - $245,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director, Clinical Services & Training, the Associate Director of Same-Day Access is a physician-leader responsible for the clinical leadership and oversight for Same-Day Access within the Columbia Health Medical Services.  The Associate Director oversees medical providers caring for students presenting with acute, episodic, and time-sensitive primary care concerns.

The incumbent serves as a key clinical liaison between the Same-Day Access team and senior leadership of Medical Services on clinically-based issues. The Associate Director facilitates effective communication, coordination, and integration of care and promotes the consistent, efficient, and safe delivery of clinical care.  

The Associate Director supports Medical Services strategic initiatives, provides clinical leadership, consultation, and staff development, and promotes alignment of Same-Day Access with broader Medical Services clinical and organizational priorities to ensure high-quality clinical care.

The Associate Director maintains an active clinical practice as a physician and provides direct patient care as a member of the Same-Day Access team. The incumbent independently evaluates, diagnoses, and manages acute and time-sensitive medical conditions and serves as a clinical resource to physicians, Nurse Practitioners, nursing staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team, including consultation regarding complex or higher-acuity clinical presentations.

The Associate Director serves as the designated authority for Same-Day Access in the absence of the Director, Clinical Services & Training, providing continuity of clinical leadership, decision-making, and oversight for the functional area. The Associate Director also provides cross-coverage for the Associate Director of Primary Care, as needed.

This is an essential onsite role with some evening and weekend requirements.  Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care (80%)

• Serve as a member of the core team providing Same-Day Access, providing high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centered, and culturally inclusive care to students presenting with acute illnesses, injuries, and other urgent or time-sensitive medical concerns requiring same-day evaluation and treatment.
• Provide direct patient care for same-day primary care medical visits, independently evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and managing a broad range of acute and episodic medical conditions in accordance with established clinical standards, policies, and protocols.
• Obtain appropriate medical histories; perform relevant physical examinations; order, interpret, and follow up on diagnostic testing necessary to evaluate, diagnose, and manage presenting medical conditions.
• Assess patient acuity and clinical urgency, initiate appropriate interventions, and determine the appropriate level and disposition of care. Facilitate consultation, referral, or escalation to specialty care, external urgent care, or emergency services when clinically indicated.
• Develop and implement appropriate treatment and follow-up plans, including medication management, patient education, and recommendations for ongoing care.
• Serve as a clinical consult to nursing staff regarding the triage and management of patients presenting with acute, urgent, or time-sensitive medical concerns, including telephone triage as appropriate.
• Collaborate with physicians, Nurse Practitioners, nursing staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team to facilitate clinical decision-making, continuity and coordination of care, and efficient patient flow.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with patients regarding diagnoses, treatment recommendations, diagnostic results, medications, referrals, follow-up plans, and indications for seeking additional or emergent medical attention.
• Evaluate patients' responses to treatment and plans of care, modify clinical management and follow-up recommendations as clinically appropriate.
• Promote the consistent, efficient, and patient-centered delivery of Care while maintaining established standards for clinical quality, patient safety, and service excellence.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete documentation of patient encounters, clinical decision-making, treatment plans, and follow-up care in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) in accordance with Columbia Health policies and procedures, professional standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Leadership (20%)

• Provide consultation and serve as a clinical consult to colleagues managing higher acuity or complex patient presentations.
• Supervise assigned clinical providers and provide ongoing leadership and support.  Lead meetings with providers as needed; assess and identify needs of the assigned team and communicate gaps or emerging issues and collaborate with the senior leadership team on appropriate strategies and initiatives.
• Evaluate the performance of direct reports, including establishing clear performance expectations, goals, priorities, and objectives. Provide ongoing feedback as well as mentorship; nurture professional development and identify development opportunities aligned with individual and organizational needs.
• Identify issues that impede delivery of quality care and work with the Director of Clinical Services to collaborate on short-term improvements and plans for long-term process improvements for practice related services, as well as compliance, communication, and patient satisfaction.
• Participate in chart reviews and peer reviews. Ensure clinical documentation compliance by auditing the electronic health record (EHR) for timeliness, accuracy, quality, and completeness.  Follow-up with providers regarding identified deficiencies and ensure appropriate correction action.
• Address performance, conflict, and accountability concerns among direct reports in a timely and consistent manner. In collaboration with the Director, Clinical Services & Training, and Columbia Health Human Resources, manage the development and implementation of appropriate performance improvement and corrective action strategies, as needed.
• Participate in recruitment, and selection of clinical providers to support the staffing and operational needs of Same-Day Access Care. Collaborate with the Director, Clinical Services & Training, Medical Services leadership, and Columbia Health Human Resources.
• Support the effective and timely onboarding and integration of newly hired clinical providers, ensuring clear understanding of Same-Day Access expectations, clinical standards, policies, protocols, workflows, and broader Medical Services and Columbia Health priorities.
• Ensure adherence to clinical policies, protocols, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements among direct reports.  Address deviations from established standards and implement appropriate corrective actions in collaboration with senior leadership and human resources.
• Function as a member of the Quality Management Committee. Contribute to relevant program-specific QM projects collaborating closely with leadership of other disciplines as determined by the Director and senior leadership team.
• Lead emergency preparedness committee with responsibilities including setting agendas and leading committee meetings, leading mock drills and reviewing all code/emergency response events in the practice. Propose and execute practice improvements in collaboration with the Director, Clinical Services and Training based on code reviews. Consult with the Associate Director, Emergency Management as appropriate.
• Ensure that direct reports consistently adhere to established clinical policies, protocols, workflows, documentation requirements, and standards of practice, address deviations from policy and protocol among direct reports. 
• Identify clinical, quality, workflow, and service-delivery gaps and collaborate with the Director, Clinical Services & Training, and other members of the Medical Services leadership team to develop and implement appropriate improvement strategies. Promote accountability for established clinical and organizational expectations and ensures that identified concerns are appropriately addressed and escalated when necessary.
• Foster a culture of respect, collaboration, inclusivity, accountability, and continuous improvement while promoting teamwork and excellence in patient care. Model and reinforce Columbia Health values and leadership expectations and promote alignment with the clinical and strategic direction established by Medical Services senior leadership.
• Maintain professional competencies by attending educational programs and participating in professional organizations.  Develop and evaluate personal goals for professional growth; participate in CME opportunities; and utilize external resources, including professional associations and seminars.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• MD or DO degree from an accredited institution.
• Current, NY State physician license and DEA registration.
• Board certification or board eligibility in a primary care-related specialty, including Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, or another relevant clinical specialty.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and Infection Control certification.
• Minimum of five years of post-training clinical experience in outpatient primary care, ambulatory care, urgent care, community health, student health, or a closely related clinical setting, including progressively responsible clinical leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, and developing physicians, advanced practice providers, and other clinical professionals.
• Demonstrated experience providing clinical leadership in a fast-paced ambulatory environment involving acute, episodic, and time-sensitive medical concerns.
• Experience leading or contributing to quality management initiatives designed to enhance clinical care, patient safety, operational effectiveness, access to care, and the patient experience.
• Strong clinical judgment and demonstrated ability to assess patient acuity, manage complex and time-sensitive clinical situations, and appropriately determine when escalation to a higher level of care is required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate effectively across disciplines and build productive working relationships.
• Ability to model and lead based on organizational values and direction from leadership.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing clinical care and leadership in a high-volume same-day access, urgent care, ambulatory acute care, or walk-in clinical setting.
• Experience practicing in a college or university student health setting or providing healthcare to college-aged and young adult populations.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary clinical teams that include physicians, Nurse Practitioners, nursing staff, and other healthcare professionals.
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating clinical workflows, protocols, and practice standards to improve quality, access, efficiency, and continuity of care.
• Experience with clinical quality management activities, including chart review, peer review, clinical documentation audits, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Experience working with accreditation and regulatory standards applicable to ambulatory healthcare settings, including AAAHC standards.

Other Requirements

• N/A

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.