Physician Advisor Opportunity

St. Peter's Health Partners is seeking a full-time Physician Advisor to join Ellis Hospital located in Schenectady, New York.

The Physician Advisor is a key member of Ellis Medicine leadership team and is in charge of meeting organization’s goals and objectives for assuring the effective, efficient utilization of health care services. To perform, under the responsibility and supervision of the Chief Medical Officer & COO, ultimately serving the hospital through teaching, consulting, and advising the care management and utilization review departments and the hospital leadership. Work with medical staff leadership to develop expertise on matters regarding physician practice patterns, over & under-utilization of resources, medical necessity, levels of care, appropriate physician coding and documentation requirements.

The Physician Advisor works closely with the Medical Staff leadership, Medical Staff (including residents), all areas of resources management, case management, social workers, discharge planners, and utilizations management to develop and implement methods to optimize use of our services for all patients while ensuring that quality of care is provided always. This role includes working with other leadership staff in developing care management protocols with physicians and others to optimize length of stay (LOS) and efficient management of resources, ensuring patients are in the appropriate level of care, supporting documentation, coding improvements and compliance, and monitoring the appropriate use of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.

Essential Job Duties and Accountabilities:

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Able to effectively present information, both formal and informal
• Strong analytics.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills with all levels of internal and external customers.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to set priorities and multi-task, demonstrates flexibility, teamwork, and is accustomed to change in the healthcare environment.
• Demonstrates ability to drive results and produce outcomes.

Leadership Expectation:

• Demonstrates behavior that supports Ellis Medicine Mission, Vision and Values. Participates in required orientation and training related to the Physician Advisor role.
• Attend all meeting as requested by Ellis administrative leadership team and include participation in assigned committees, meetings, and other activities such as hospital quality performance team, medical audit and utilization review committees.
• Upon request, actively participate in committees to develop protocols related to evidence-based medicine and support optimal standards of care.

Acute Inpatient/Case Management Functions:

• Review health information record of patients identified by case managers or as requested by the interdisciplinary team (IDT) in order to perform quality and utilization oversight.
• Perform medical necessity reviews including initial level of care, secondary reviews, and continued stay reviews.
• Review and make suggestions related to resource and service management.

Clinical Documentation Improvement Support:

• Meets production standards within established time requirements.  Work product and performance meets quality standards.
• Demonstrates respect and uses positive interpersonal skills with patients, families, voluntary Physicians, leadership, and staff at all times.
• Collaborates with Medical Staff Leadership to implement specialized project, initiative a new service, develop new practice standards.

Communication/Collaboration:

• Develop a strong system of communication for/with staff for respective departments and services.
• Contacts physicians in a timely manner to resolve delays and achieve positive outcomes.
• Effectively communicate physician teaching points for immediate and future clinical care studies.

Clinical Effectiveness: 

• Demonstrates commitment to meeting/exceeding strategic initiatives of Ellis Medicine.
• Maintains accountability for achieving case management outcomes and fulfills the obligations and responsibilities of the role to support the medical staff in the clinical progression of patient care.
• Reviews issues identified by case managers to ensure appropriate follow-up, recommend improvement initiatives as needed, and make referrals to the appropriate department chair as necessary.

Medical Informatics Support:

• Collaborates with IT leadership team to ensure the system appropriately supports the physician’s ability to provide best practice medicine by creating logical processes and providing the necessary order sets and practice guidelines
• Participates in physician education and outreach efforts related to the EHR
• Work in collaboration with IT team to be certain that all necessary physicians are trained, and training is appropriate for all physicians.

Functional Performance Standards and Related Measurement Criteria:

• Submit monthly record of performance metrics or data as requested to the CMO/COO
• Maintains documentation of the number of interventions and resulting outcomes or decisions.
• Documents education sessions for medical staff on trends, practice patterns, or relevant information
• Tracks and report appeal and denial results where physician advisor intervention was required.

Requirements for this opportunity include:

• Hold and maintain an unrestricted medical license in the state of New York
• Possess a solid foundation, knowledge, and/or experience in the areas of utilization management, quality improvement, and patient safety.
• Possess a working knowledge (or develop a working knowledge) of Ellis Medicine organization and case management operations and administrative standards and policies
• Strong computer skills and working knowledge of the EHR (or to learn the new EHR if not already familiar)
• Familiarity with MCG/Interqual placement status criteria is preferred
• Physician Advisor Sub-specialty certification by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, Inc.- preferred or willingness to pursue
• Board certification by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, Inc. (ABQAURP) preferred – preferred or willingness to pursue
• Ability to build rapport with medical staff and hospital leadership to obtain the buy-in and collaboration necessary to achieve desired outcomes.

RECRUITMENT PACKAGE

St. Peter’s Health Partners offers a comprehensive salary and compensation package that includes:

• Competitive base salary
• Excellent benefits; including health/vision/dental insurances
• Paid malpractice, including post-SPHP employment tail coverage
• CME time & expense allowance
• Paid time away from the practice
• Two-part retirement savings program with employer matching program
• Relocation assistance is available

St. Peter’s Health Partners, the region’s largest private-sector employer, with more than 12,500 employees, has more than 125 locations across seven counties. The system has an annual budget of nearly $1.1 billion. St. Peter’s Health Partners was created on October 1, 2011 by the merger of Northeast Health, St. Peter’s Health Care Services, and Seton Health. The merger created the region’s largest and most comprehensive not-for-profit network of high-quality and advanced medical care, primary care, rehabilitation, and senior services.

These state-of-the-art services and programs are provided through Albany Memorial and St. Peter’s Hospitals in Albany, NY; Samaritan and St. Mary’s Hospitals in Troy, NY; Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady, NY; and The Eddy system of continuing care and The Community Hospice.

Ellis Hospital provides emergency, inpatient medical/surgical and psychiatric care for Albany, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties in upstate New York. Specialty services include a nationally recognized Heart Center, a New York State designated Stroke Center, and advanced surgery programs such as cardiothoracic, orthopedic, neurological, and vascular, among others. The facility features state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, a modern 36-bed Intensive Care Unit and one of the most advanced health information technology systems in Northeastern New York.

Capital District, New York – includes  the cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy and the surrounding areas, including Clifton Park and Saratoga Springs.

The Capital Region has excellent year-round outdoor recreation available, including excellent golf, water-sports of all kinds, camping, hiking, and great downhill skiing and snowboarding. It offers a wealth of cultural offerings and activities, including several renowned museums and theaters, fine dining, and a year-round events calendar full of music and sporting events.

Excellent public and private schools are available, as are affordable homes and reasonable taxes. This region is a part of New York's Tech Valley and is abound with Higher education opportunities.  The Capital District is a short drive to the scenic Adirondack, Berkshire, and Catskill Mountains.

Centrally located, Albany is less than three hours from New York City and Boston.  Come find out why Forbes Magazine lists Albany as one of “America’s Most Innovative Cities”, and one of “America’s Best Places to Raise a Family” and why Brookings has described Albany as one of its “Strongest Performing Metro Areas” and Portfolio.com calls Albany one of its “Best Markets for Young Adults.”

To learn more about the Capital Region visit www.albany.org, www.albany.com, www.techvalley.com, www.renscochamber.com, www.visittroyny.com.

Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. We serve people and communities in 22 states from coast to coast with more than 90 hospitals and 100 continuing care facilities – including home care, hospice, PACE and senior living facilities and programs that provide nearly two and a half million visits annually. Trinity Health employs more than 133,000 colleagues, including 7,800 employed physicians and clinicians.

Our mission: We, Trinity Health, serve together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within our communities. We support this mission by living our core values of Reverence, Commitment to Those Who are Poor, Justice, Stewardship, and Integrity. Committed to recruiting talented physicians, we are looking for physicians who share our values and want to help us fulfill the health care needs of the communities we serve.

At Trinity Health, we value the physician relationship and focus on partnering with our physicians. Whether you are a practicing physician looking to relocate or a medical resident, we offer opportunities with the flexibility to fit your individual needs. If you would like to be part of Trinity Health, we encourage you to explore this opportunity at www.trinity-health.org.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to submit your CV, please email docopps@trinity-health.org or call Trinity Health Physician Recruitment at (734) 343-2300.