What are the responsibilities and job description for the Physician position at Hospice of the Chesapeake?
Company Description Hospice of the Chesapeake is a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss. The organization provides comprehensive physical, psycho-social, and spiritual support to individuals living with advanced illness, delivering services wherever patients call home or at an inpatient care center when needed. Care is offered regardless of ability to pay, using a team-based model that includes physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains, and counselors to ensure high-quality, compassionate support. The Chesapeake Life Center extends grief counseling, support groups, and specialized programs, including camps for grieving children and teens, to anyone in the community, even beyond what is covered by the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This broad scope of services reflects a strong commitment to inclusive, trauma-informed support for diverse populations experiencing loss.
Role Description The Physician will provide medical care and leadership for patients receiving hospice and palliative services, using evidence-based practices to manage symptoms, optimize comfort, and support quality of life. Day-to-day responsibilities include conducting patient assessments, developing and updating care plans, prescribing and adjusting medications, and collaborating closely with interdisciplinary team members such as nurses, social workers, chaplains, and counselors. The Physician will communicate regularly with patients, families, and caregivers to explain care options, goals of care, and prognosis in a compassionate and clear manner, while documenting thoroughly in the medical record and ensuring regulatory and ethical compliance. Additional responsibilities may include participation in case conferences, on-call coverage, quality improvement initiatives, and education of clinical staff on hospice and palliative care best practices. This is a full-time, hybrid role based in Largo, MD, with a combination of on-site patient care and team meetings, and some work-from-home for documentation, telehealth visits (where appropriate), and collaborative planning.
Qualifications
- Clinical expertise in hospice and palliative medicine, including advanced skills in pain and symptom management, end-of-life care, and complex medical decision-making.
- Strong interdisciplinary collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively alongside nurses, social workers, chaplains, counselors, and other healthcare professionals.
- Excellent communication and counseling abilities to engage patients, families, and caregivers in discussions about goals of care, prognosis, and treatment options in a sensitive and culturally respectful manner.
- Demonstrated commitment to compassionate, patient- and family-centered care, including experience with diverse populations and trauma-informed approaches to grief and loss.
- High level of organizational and documentation skills, including proficiency with electronic health records and adherence to regulatory, ethical, and safety standards.
- Doctor of Medicine (MD or DO) from an accredited institution; completion of an accredited residency in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, or related field.
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