Physician / Medical Director - Correctional Healthcare

Position: Physician / Medical Director

Employer/Recruiter: Corporate Hiring Solutions Inc. (CoHires)
Location: Tompkins County, New York
Employment Type: Contract / Part-Time Medical Director
On-Site Commitment: Minimum 6 hours per week across at least 2 days
On-Call Requirement: 24/7/365 emergency clinical consultation
Industry: Correctional Healthcare / Public Health / Healthcare Services

Corporate Hiring Solutions Inc. (CoHires) is seeking a highly qualified Physician / Medical Director to provide comprehensive clinical leadership and medical oversight for a correctional healthcare program serving incarcerated individuals in a county correctional facility in Tompkins County, New York.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Medical Director, Correctional Medicine Physician, Jail Physician, Family Medicine Physician, Internal Medicine Physician, Emergency Medicine Physician, or Addiction Medicine Physician with demonstrated experience working in a correctional or secure healthcare environment.

The successful candidate will provide hands-on clinical care, medical direction, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, medication management, nursing supervision, and emergency consultation while ensuring healthcare services meet applicable New York State Commission of Correction (NYS SCOC) Minimum Standards, 7 NYCRR Part 7010, and applicable federal and New York State requirements.

Position Overview

The Physician/Medical Director will serve as the senior clinical authority for the correctional healthcare program. The physician will provide direct patient care while overseeing clinical operations, nursing staff, medication management, chronic disease care, emergency response, specialty referrals, medical documentation, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable working within a secure correctional environment and balancing clinical decision-making with facility security, custody operations, patient rights, and public-sector requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Care & Medical Oversight

• Provide regularly scheduled on-site sick calls, physical examinations, chronic care clinics, and urgent clinical evaluations.
• Conduct and oversee medical evaluations of incarcerated individuals.
• Review and sign off on medical intake screenings and required health appraisals.
• Manage acute and chronic medical conditions using evidence-based clinical practices.
• Provide ongoing care for conditions including, but not limited to, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, HIV, Hepatitis C, and other chronic illnesses.
• Evaluate medical emergencies and determine when EMS activation, emergency department evaluation, hospitalization, or off-site medical care is required.
• Coordinate specialty referrals, diagnostic services, hospitalizations, and discharge planning.
• Promote continuity of care between correctional healthcare services and community healthcare providers.

Correctional Medicine & Jail Healthcare

• Serve as the designated Medical Director for correctional healthcare operations.
• Apply knowledge of jail medicine, correctional healthcare delivery, incarcerated patient populations, and secure healthcare environments.
• Ensure clinical practices and medical documentation comply with NYS SCOC Minimum Standards, 7 NYCRR Part 7010.
• Develop and maintain medical protocols, standing orders, clinical pathways, and emergency procedures.
• Work collaboratively with custody staff, jail administration, nursing, mental health, dental services, and external healthcare providers.
• Maintain a professional approach to situations where clinical needs and correctional security considerations intersect.

Medication Management & MAT/MOUD

• Provide clinical leadership for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) / Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).
• Prescribe, monitor, and adjust appropriate medications for patients with opioid use disorder.
• Support evidence-based treatment involving medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone/Vivitrol, as applicable.
• Maintain appropriate DEA registration and comply with applicable prescription monitoring requirements.
• Establish and oversee an effective facility medication formulary.
• Review medication utilization and promote cost-effective pharmaceutical practices without compromising patient safety or quality of care.
• Coordinate pharmacy services and safe medication administration.

Nursing Leadership & Clinical Supervision

• Provide medical supervision and clinical direction to RNs and LPNs.
• Develop, review, approve, and maintain standing medical orders and clinical protocols.
• Establish and review applicable collaborative practice arrangements.
• Provide clinical guidance to nursing personnel regarding patient assessment, treatment, medication administration, and emergency response.
• Promote consistent, evidence-based nursing and medical practices.

Mental Health & Integrated Care

• Collaborate with mental health professionals regarding patients with behavioral health needs.
• Support suicide prevention, crisis intervention, psychiatric medication coordination, and integrated behavioral healthcare.
• Coordinate medical and behavioral health treatment plans when appropriate.
• Support communication between medical, mental health, nursing, and correctional personnel.

Quality Assurance, CQI & Regulatory Compliance

• Lead or participate in the facility's Quality Assurance (QA) / Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) program.
• Conduct clinical audits, chart reviews, peer reviews, and quality improvement activities.
• Participate in NYS Commission of Correction inspections, audits, Medical Review Board inquiries, and facility reviews.
• Participate in mortality reviews, sentinel event analyses, and corrective action planning.
• Review medical policies, procedures, emergency protocols, and clinical practices on an ongoing basis.
• Identify clinical risks and implement corrective and preventive measures.

Medical Records & Documentation

• Maintain accurate, complete, timely, and clinically appropriate medical records.
• Document patient encounters, prescriptions, clinical decisions, and treatment plans in the facility's Electronic Health Record (EHR).
• Complete required clinical documentation within established timeframes.
• Maintain HIPAA compliance and applicable New York State confidentiality requirements.
• Establish appropriate procedures for informed consent, treatment refusals, and clinical documentation.

Public Health & Infection Control

• Support infection prevention and control initiatives within the correctional facility.
• Ensure compliance with applicable New York State communicable disease reporting requirements.
• Address infectious disease risks involving conditions such as tuberculosis, HIV, Hepatitis C, and emerging outbreaks.
• Coordinate appropriate public health interventions and continuity of care.

Administrative & Legal Support

• Meet with the Jail Administrator, Sheriff, and designated County representatives regarding healthcare operations and performance.
• Provide clinical consultation related to medical operations, utilization, quality, and patient care.
• Participate in required mortality reviews and regulatory inquiries.
• Provide appropriate expert clinical consultation, depositions, and court testimony related to medical malpractice or civil rights litigation involving the healthcare program, when required.
• Prepare or contribute to periodic reports concerning clinic activity, chronic care, off-site utilization, incidents, quality metrics, and grievances.

Required Qualifications

Education & Licensure

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
• Active, unrestricted New York State medical license in good standing.
• Current DEA registration.
• Ability to satisfy all required County background and security clearances.
• Ability to maintain required professional credentials throughout the contract period.

Board Certification

Board certification in one of the following areas is strongly preferred/required according to the solicitation:

• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Addiction Medicine
• Correctional Health

Board-eligible physicians may be considered where applicable, with commitment to obtain certification within the required timeframe.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional correctional healthcare experience.
• Significant experience providing medical services in a jail, prison, detention center, or other correctional setting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of correctional healthcare operations and standards of care for incarcerated populations.
• Experience with NYS SCOC requirements and correctional healthcare compliance is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience supervising or directing nursing and clinical staff.
• Experience with MAT/MOUD and opioid use disorder treatment.
• Experience with chronic disease management, emergency medicine, utilization management, and specialty referrals.
• Experience with healthcare quality assurance, clinical audits, and continuous quality improvement.

Availability Requirements

The selected physician must be able to:

• Provide at least 6 hours of on-site medical services per week.
• Distribute on-site hours across at least two separate days each week.
• Provide clinical care, chart review, administrative oversight, and medical direction during designated on-site hours.
• Provide 24-hour/day, 7-day/week, 365-day/year emergency clinical consultation by telephone, secure messaging, or video consultation.
• Maintain an appropriate backup coverage arrangement with a qualified, NYS-licensed physician for scheduled or unexpected absences.
• Ensure backup coverage meets applicable background and security clearance requirements.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are particularly interested in physicians who demonstrate:

• Strong correctional medicine / jail medicine experience.
• Previous experience serving as a Medical Director or clinical leader in a correctional facility.
• Strong knowledge of NYS SCOC Part 7010 requirements.
• Experience working directly with Sheriffs, Jail Administrators, County Health Departments, correctional officers, and public-sector healthcare administrators.
• Strong MAT/MOUD and addiction medicine knowledge.
• Experience supervising RNs/LPNs and establishing standing orders.
• Strong clinical judgment in emergency and high-risk situations.
• Experience with utilization management and cost-conscious healthcare decisions.
• Strong documentation and EHR skills.
• Excellent communication, professionalism, and leadership skills.
• Ability to maintain clinical independence while operating effectively within a highly regulated, secure environment.

Compliance & Professional Standards

Candidates must be able to satisfy all applicable professional, regulatory, insurance, background, and security requirements associated with the assignment.

Why Join This Opportunity?

This position offers an experienced physician the opportunity to provide meaningful medical leadership in correctional healthcare, improve healthcare outcomes for an underserved population, support a multidisciplinary clinical team, and contribute to a high-quality, compliant healthcare program.

The role is particularly well suited to physicians seeking a part-time Medical Director, Correctional Medicine Physician, Jail Physician, Physician Advisor, Clinical Medical Director, or Correctional Healthcare leadership opportunity.

Apply Now

Corporate Hiring Solutions Inc. (CoHires) is seeking qualified physicians with demonstrated correctional healthcare experience for this opportunity.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a current resume/CV highlighting:

• New York State medical licensure
• Board certification
• Correctional/jail healthcare experience
• Medical Director experience
• MAT/MOUD experience
• DEA registration
• Nursing/clinical supervision experience
• NYS SCOC or correctional healthcare compliance experience
• Availability for on-site and 24/7 on-call coverage
• Professional references