Hospice Physician (MD)Rochester, MN Only ($2,000 Sign On Bonus)

General Purpose:

Acts as the physician representative of the Interdisciplinary Group (IDG), providing the overall medical direction of the hospice, including the care provided in the home, general inpatient care, emergency services and respite care related to the terminal condition. Responsible for the hospice patient’s medical care and acts as the primary medical resource to the IDG, providing medical coverage and support during and after normal business hours, as well as making visits to patients for medical assessment and intervention whether in a facility or the home.

Essential Functions:

• Certifies in writing that each individual considered for admission to hospice or each patient considered for continuing hospice care is terminally ill in accordance with applicable law, regulation, hospice policies and procedures, contract provisions or the patient’s benefit requirements.
• Provides oversight of physician services to hospice patients by complementing attending physician care and ensuring continuity of hospice medical services including appropriate management of patient pain and symptoms related to the terminal condition.
• Documents an individual patient’s progression in end-stage disease in the patient/family record as appropriate.
• Maintains medical staff privileges in good standing at the facility(ies) providing short term inpatient care to hospice patients.
• Supervises all physician employees and any physicians under contract.
• Ensures qualified physician participation in the initial development and ongoing review of the IDG plan of care, and that the plan of care is developed prior to the delivery of hospice services.
• Actively participates in IDG meetings, including the update of each patient’s comprehensive assessment and plan of care as often as a patient’s condition requires and in accordance with applicable law and regulation.
• Participates in:
  • The development, implementation and review of clinical protocols;
  • Patient continuing care decisions;
  • The development of procedures and the related oversight of the provision, adequacy, appropriateness and coordination of short term inpatient care, emergency services and respite care;
  • The quality assessment and performance improvement program (QAPI);
  • The resolution of patient/family or hospice program clinical and ethical disputes or concerns; and
  • The continuing education of the IDG, volunteers, and affiliated physicians and employees of associated inpatient facilities.
• Acts as a patient’s physician to meet general medical needs, including pain and/or symptom management or other medical intervention should a patient’s attending physician not be available or chooses to relinquish responsibility for a patient’s care.
• Acts as the liaison to community physicians.
• Completes other assignments as requested and assigned.
• May have access to personal health information (“PHI”) necessary to fulfill the above duties and responsibilities. Access to use and ability to disclose PHI is further defined by each organization/department.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• A doctor of medicine or osteopathy.
• Current license in good standing in the state(s) in which the hospice provides care.
• Board certified in a related specialty, preferred.
• Hospice/palliative experience, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Knows the applicable law, regulation and contract provisions associated with terminal illness certification for hospice admission or for continuing hospice care.
• Ability to work as a member of the Interdisciplinary Group.
• Knowledge of and commitment to hospice philosophy of care and palliative intervention.
• Ability to effectively communicate with clinical and non-clinical staff, patients and family/caregivers as well as the medical community.
• Meets applicable health requirements to provide patient care.
• Meets the requirements of applicable federal, state and organizational background checks.

Working Conditions & Physical Effort:

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• Able to occasionally travel locally to make patient visits.
• Occasional exposure to communicable diseases, bloodborne pathogens and/or other potentially infectious or hazardous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment.
• Able to stretch, bend, stoop, twist, stand, sit, walk, and reach freely.
• Able to work on-call hours as needed.
• Able to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 pounds in order to carry out daily job functions and related activities that may be required.