Arkansas Health Group/Baptist Health Hospitalist Medical Director

Baptist Health in Arkansas is the largest health system in the state with 14 hospitals. Arkansas Health Group currently employs a team of approximately 60 hospitalists who staff 8 of these hospitals. We seek a seasoned hospitalist with experience in a system that promotes geographic provision of care within the hospital, including bedside nursing and other team members in team rounding, and utilization of evidence-based medical care.

About the Role

We seek to employ a Medical Director to practice as a hospitalist and oversee the hospitalist teams to establish consistent provision of care. The role balances administrative leadership (40-50% protected administrative time) with clinical practice (50-60% of the time) across our largest hospitals in Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Conway.

Responsibilities

• Leadership: Provide leadership for the hospitalist teams while balancing administrative duties with clinical care to achieve operational efficiency, staff engagement, and high-quality team-oriented patient care. Serve as a member of the AHG Physician Leadership Team.
• Clinical: Work as a practicing hospitalist, leading by example with excellent, evidence-based clinical care.
• Strategy: Develop and implement the strategic vision for the System hospitalist program and each hospital, aligning with System and Hospital Strategy. Promote an organized geographic patient assignment and rounding structure to support team-oriented care.
• Operational Management: Oversee daily operations and staffing with team leaders at each hospital to ensure high-quality care and efficient patient throughput. Develop team schedules tailored to each hospital for 24/7 care.
• Quality and Safety: Promote diagnosis-specific, evidence-based standardized care through order sets and care models. Lead quality improvement initiatives and safety protocols. Participate in developing the annual hospitalist quality improvement plan and goals.
• Compliance: Ensure compliant documentation and billing practices by hospitalists. Serve as the team representative for interactions with Compliance, Utilization, and Risk Management Teams.
• Physician Mentorship: Evaluate and mentor individual hospitalist team members. Serve as the first line of interaction for corrective communication and counseling.
• Collaboration: Work with Hospital CMOs, CNOs, Quality and Safety teams, and Administration to promote multidisciplinary, team-focused patient care. Oversee cross-coverage by hospitalists at each hospital as needed.
• Recruitment: Make recommendations for team staffing. Participate in interviews and recruitment of potential additions to the team(s).
• Clinical Liaison: Partner with Command Center, Emergency Department, and Nursing Leadership to improve patient acceptance, transfer processes, and care transitions.

Requirements

• Education:
  • MD or DO degree.
  • Completion of residency in Internal Medicine.
  • Board Certification in Internal Medicine.
  • Enhanced consideration for candidates with a fellowship in Hospital Medicine or a Master’s in Hospital Administration or Health Science.
• Experience:
  • 5-10 years as a practicing hospitalist in a large tertiary hospital or system.
  • Leadership training; hospitalist leadership experience preferred.
• Skills:
  • Excellent clinician with a focus on evidence-based care.
  • Strong communication and conflict resolution skills.
  • Ability to foster collaboration and multidisciplinary team care.