Division Director - General Academic Pediatrics

The Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Mercy (CM) seeks a creative and scholarly leader to serve as Division Director of General Academic Pediatrics (GAP) and Medical Director of GAP at CM. The Division Director will lead the clinical, educational, research and quality missions of a comprehensive academic General Academic Pediatrics program. The Division Director will be responsible for establishing collaborative ties with the whole of the pediatric enterprise to ensure the welfare and improve the health of children in the region. This is a clinical faculty position offering an academic appointment at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine, rank to be commensurate with experience. Children’s Mercy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff and fostering their success when hired. Members of underrepresented groups are welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. For additional information, please visit our website at www.cmh.edu.

The foremost quality necessary for this position is vision for the field of General Academic Pediatrics. Other desired characteristics include a track record of: 1) developing young clinicians into future leaders in pediatrics; 2) administrating section academic infrastructure and finances; 3) experience a high volume, diverse GAP service; 4) collaborating successfully as a leader with hospital and medical partners in managing GAP’s work flow while maintaining the highest value of care; and 5) developing a culture of high team accountability and professionalism. The individual selected for this position will be a strategic and highly communicative leader who is a MD/DO or MD/DO/PhD and who is board certified in pediatrics or holds dual certification in medicine and pediatrics if dually trained. As GAP Division Director, the individual reports to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics.

With over 40 faculty and 16 advanced practice nurses, GAP is one of the largest divisions at Children’s Mercy. GAP is dedicated to providing outstanding primary care for children throughout the greater Kansas City metro area. Faculty include both pediatric and medicine-pediatric trained physicians who work at several primary care locations in the region, including the Pediatric Care Clinic, Teen Primary Care, Down Syndrome Clinic and Beacon Clinic, a Children’s Mercy medical home for children with complex care needs. GAP also provides primary care at Operation Breakthrough, an off-site clinic located in a neighborhood Head Start. GAP serves 40,000 patients through its system-wide NCQA-certified Primary Care Medical Home with a Distinction for Behavioral Health Integration, the first primary care system in the country to receive this recognition. GAP faculty also provide clinical effort in the Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyle & Nutrition, providing a comprehensive array of weight management services. In collaboration with the Division of Neonatology, GAP faculty also provide pediatric inpatient and newborn nursery services at Children’s Mercy, Truman Medical Center (TMC) and AdventHealth Shawnee Mission. The Section on Med-Peds provides outpatient and inpatient services at multiple locations in the TMC system, and GAP faculty provide contracted care at the Federally Qualified Health Center CM Vibrant Cordell Meeks clinic in Kansas City, KS.

GAP faculty pursue a variety of academic interests and hold nationally recognized roles in Social Determinants of Health, Psychosocial Screening, as well as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. GAP faculty precept Children’s Mercy residents through Continuity Clinic, work with rotating residents from local facilities and teach medical students from University of Missouri-Kansas City and University of Kansas School of Medicine. Faculty also support variety of residency education tracks including Global Health and the Clínica Hispana de Cuidados de Salud (CHiCoS) which offers culture and language coaching for bilingual residents. The Division recently introduced its Academic General Pediatric Fellowship Program, accredited by the Academic Pediatric Association, and is currently recruiting its inaugural fellow.

About Children’s Mercy

Children’s Mercy is a nationally recognized, free-standing children’s hospital founded in 1897 to provide care for poor and ill children of Kansas City. The primary service area of CM encompasses 150 counties in Missouri and Kansas. CM offers a comprehensive suite of departments, centers, and clinics. This includes an autism center, cancer center, dental clinic, fetal health clinic, genetics clinic, heart center, sleep center, sports medicine center, and a transplant center. CM also provides emergency, intensive care, and urgent care services, social work service, developmental and behavioral health services, and hearing and speech services. In 2019, CM conducted almost 600,000 total visits, including over 4,000 telemedicine visits, almost 190,000 emergency and urgent care visits, and 20,000 surgical cases. CM is also one of only 10 centers in the nation verified as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons and the only pediatric Level I Trauma Center in the region. For the last six years, CM has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the top 50 of all 10 assessed pediatric subspecialties, one of only 14 pediatric hospitals to achieve this status. CM has over 750 doctors in more than 40 subspecialties who see children of all ages for everything from routine checkups to quaternary care. We enthusiastically complement our nationally ranked clinical care with robust community support programs that keep kids safe and healthy.

Education

Education is a core tenet of CM. CM provides education opportunities to nursing students, medical students, residents, and fellows, as well as offering internships. Certificate and master’s programs are also operated in conjunction with its academic partners, the University of Kansas (KU) and the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC). CM supports over 1,400 learners annually, including residents, fellows, and others who come to the system to learn from the faculty. CM provides elective rotations and sub-internships to students at any accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical school. It is also the site for pediatric clerkships for both UMKC and KU medical students. There are also opportunities for medical students to pursue research through CM. CM is highly active in Graduate Medical Education with accredited residencies in pediatrics, med/peds, child neurology, pediatric dentistry, pediatric optometry, and pharmacy. CM offers more than 40 fellowship programs across numerous areas, developing the next generation of subspecialists.

Research

Children’s Mercy is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children through engagement in world-class, collaborative translation research. A recent strategic planning initiative established The Children’s Mercy Research Institute (CMRI) to enhance our research infrastructure and grow our research portfolio. Through the generosity of two philanthropic gifts totaling $150 million (the largest donation to a children’s hospital to support research), CM constructed a nine story, 375,000 square foot facility providing scientists access to state-of-the-art technology and ample dry and wet lab space. The CMRI building officially opened in the fall of 2020. In addition, these generous gifts are supporting enhancement of scientific programs and targeted recruitment. Research conducted today includes basic, translation and clinical research across many pediatric subspecialties. Areas of research strength include Precision Therapeutics, Genomics Medicine, Population Health, and Innovations in Health Care Delivery. The CMRI provides core resources and support for CM faculty, from research topic development through grant management and trial coordination. CM recently renewed its T32 training grant in Clinical Pharmacology, having trained 24 post-doctoral fellows, most of whom have competed successfully for extramural funding for their research programs. Children’s Mercy has been the pediatric partner for the Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of Kansas since the CTSI’s inception. This regional CTSI program comprises four universities (including three medical schools) and three health systems on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas state line. Several CM faculty members have been recipients of KL2 and pilot grant funding, and others have assumed leadership roles within Frontiers. Furthermore, Frontiers is transitioning to a more inclusive administrative structure in which leadership of cores and functions is shared by investigators at two institutions, providing additional opportunities for faculty to become actively engaged in clinical and translational research.

About Kansas City:

Straddling both Missouri and Kansas, the Kansas City Metropolitan Area is an affordable and comfortable place to live and raise a family. The Metro’s anchor city, Kansas City, Missouri, is the largest city in Missouri and has many great museums, a busy downtown, multiple professional sports franchises, an exciting music scene, and many charming neighborhoods. Throughout the Metro area, you will find highly ranked public schools, great parks and other green spaces, and lots of amazing people. Kansas City is large enough to provide the amenities of a metropolitan area, while small enough to allow for easy commutes, accessible amenities, and a very high quality of life.

Ideal Qualifications and Experience

• An MD or equivalent and board certification in pediatrics or dual boards in pediatrics and internal medicine
• Current academic rank of Associate Professor or Professor
• A strong record of clinical and academic achievement
• Demonstrated success in advancing medical education, patient care and research
• A commitment to our true north pillars: quality and safety, people, patient experience, delivery, and stewardship
• Fosters and models our values: kindness, curiosity, inclusion, team, and integrity
• A history of success with integrating clinical and research missions
• A deep commitment to fostering and supporting programs that address equity, inclusion, and diversity
• A track record of partnership with academic medical centers
• Experience with or a desire to learn and utilize LEAN methodologies
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability and commitment to collaborate with leadership at partner institutions

 Nominations and Applications (cover letter and curriculum vitae) should be submitted by e-mail to:

physicianjobs@cmh.edu

All materials will be treated as confidential.

Children’s Mercy Kansas City is an independent, non-profit, 390-bed pediatric health system, providing over half a million patient encounters each year for children from across the country. Children’s Mercy is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in nine specialties. We have received Magnet® recognition five times for excellence in nursing services. In affiliation with the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the university of Kansas School of Medicine, our faculty of more than 800 pediatric specialists and researchers is actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research and educating the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists. 

The Children’s Mercy Research Institute (CMRI) integrates research and clinical care with nationally recognized expertise in genomic medicine, precision therapeutics, population health and health care innovation. In 2021 the CMRI moved into a nine story, 375,000 square foot space emphasizing a translational approach to research in which clinicians and researchers work together to accelerate the pace of discovery that enhances care. We invite you to visit Children’s Mercy Hospital virtually at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtlXT3xK-bI

Kansas City is a thriving cultural and economic city with more than 2 million residents. Our city’s long list of attractions includes world class museums, a vibrant arts scene, professional sports, superb shopping, great jazz clubs, and the best places to enjoy barbeque! The city offers low cost-of-living, excellent commute times, and a vibrant downtown, eight-block dining, entertainment and shopping district.  Kansas City offers excellent opportunities for both public and private school venues and is home to several colleges and universities. It’s a community with a heart – friendly, easy-going and forward-thinking – a great place to live and pursue a career. For more information about activities in Kansas City go to www.visitkc.com

 For more information about Children’s Mercy Kansas City and about Kansas City itself, visit childrensmercy.org/careers/take-your-place/

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