What are the responsibilities and job description for the Medical Director, Hospice & Palliative Care Services position at Southwest General Health Center?
Southwest General Health Center is a 352-bed community hospital located in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. One of the last standing community hospitals in Northeast Ohio, we partner with University Hospitals and other local community organizations to provide a full range of services to all who need us. We are certified as a Level III Trauma Center and a Primary Stroke Center, and have been serving our community for over 100 years!
At Southwest General, we believe in the power of teamwork, creating a family-like environment, ensuring a work-life balance, and providing meaningful work to make a real difference in people’s lives.
We value our employees as much as our patients, offering a supportive work culture that encourages growth, development and collaboration. We’re committed to building a team that works together, supports each other, and ultimately, saves lives every day.
At Southwest, you are family.
See why working at Southwest General can be a choice you’ll love!
POSITION SUMMARY:
There are times when the needs of the hospice patient exceed the care that can be provided by family and friends. The Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential Hospice of Southwest General offers a comfortable setting and is staffed with professional hospice personnel who can provide for inpatient care in a home-like environment. We are currently seeking a Physician to serve as the Medical Director of our Hospice Services.
The Medical Director of Hospice Services provides clinical leadership and strategic guidance for the hospice and palliative care programs. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, compassionate, and compliant care to patients and families across inpatient, outpatient, residential, and home-based settings. The Medical Director serves as a key collaborator with interdisciplinary teams, organizational leadership, community partners, and attending physicians to support optimal patient outcomes and regulatory excellence.
The Medical Director leads the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), oversees clinical decision-making, and provides expertise in the management of complex symptoms for patients with advanced and terminal illness. Responsibilities include performing hospice face-to-face encounters, reviewing and signing certificates of terminal illness and death certificates, completing palliative and hospice consultations, and functioning as attending physician when needed. The physician also provides 24/7 call coverage for clinical and administrative issues and maintains timely, complete documentation in accordance with organizational standards.
In addition to clinical duties, the Medical Director assists in program development and quality initiatives, including participation in policy creation, regulatory readiness, and accreditation processes for DNV, CMS, and other governing bodies. This leader contributes to strategic planning, development of new hospice initiatives, and engagement with key community stakeholders. The physician collaborates closely with advanced practice nurses and serves as their collaborating physician, ensuring cohesive and integrated service delivery across care settings.
The Medical Director upholds all organizational compliance, reporting, documentation, and performance standards, contributing to program growth, patient experience goals, and the effective use of the electronic health record. This position is essential in advancing the mission of high-quality hospice and palliative care and represents the program to internal and external partners with professionalism, clinical excellence, and a commitment to patient-centered care.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Education: Doctor of medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy degree from an accredited medical school required.
- Required length and type of experience: One-year of experience with hospice and palliative care preferred.
- Required licensure, certification or registry: Valid state medical license with prescriptive authority for the state of Ohio, without restrictions, required.Tips: Provide a summary of the role, what success in the position looks like, and how this role fits into the organization overall.