What does a Medical Director do?

A medical director is a board-certified doctor who spearheads key aspects of a medical practice. Typical jobs for a person in this position entail the management and organization of doctors, implementing policies within the practice, maintaining appropriate levels of quality care, and establishing the practice's expectations of its doctors. Medical directors may work in any number of different medical fields, including hospitals, emergency services, teaching environments, and laboratories.

Proper organizational skills are a main component of any medical director job. A person in this role is responsible for instituting the chain of command within a medical practice. This ensures that all physicians working in the practice understand the hierarchy and the avenues of responsibility that oversee the organization. Another aspect of this duty is the assurance that all medical providers employed possess the necessary credentials, education, and experience to offer care to patients.

The implementation of policies and protocols is another vital element of the medical director job description. The director may or may not devise or develop the protocols, but he or she is commonly charged with making certain these policies are followed. For example, he or she might guarantee that defined procedures and standards of care are adhered to according to the established provisions of the practice.

Medical director duties also involve quality assurance. Every hospital, clinic, and medical setting possesses a benchmark of care that must be followed at all times. While someone in this position may have limited face-to-face interaction with patients, he or she commonly works with staff members to identify, enhance, and remedy customer care concerns that arise. If a certain clinical protocol is not working, for instance, the medical director will meet with doctors and nurses to refine and rework the system until a more patient-friendly outcome is reached.

Every physician working in a medical practice is expected to meet specific criteria outlined by the medical director. These standards make certain that the utmost levels of professionalism and treatment are met. A director meets with doctors and identifies those expectations laid out for them. These could include issues relating to behavioral conduct, administrative paperwork, length of patient visits, and response time frames to emergency situations.

A medical director is a physician who possesses all the required schooling and residency. He or she usually has additional experience in administration or management. He or she often works with other high-level administrative professionals to make sure the practice is meeting and surpassing patient, employee, and government expectations.