City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

Chief Medical Officer

Under the supervision of the assigned Deputy/Assistant City Manager, this position is responsible for administering medical-related policies and procedures for the City of Austin-Travis County on behalf of the City of Austin. 

1. Serves as the department director for the Office of the Chief Medical Officer.
2. Participates as a member of Executive Committees on health-related issues.
3. Provides supervision of all clinical activities and cross-departmental strategic alignment.
4. Provides clinical oversight of pre-hospital treatment rendered by Austin-Travis County EMS System personnel and affiliated agencies, including delegation of medical practice to non-physician personnel practicing under the physician license of the Chief Medical Officer.
5. Provides oversight of City-wide clinical services, including establishment of cross-departmental strategic planning, equity assessment of clinical services, and development and maintenance of key performance indicators for clinical services.
6. Manages medical oversight by delegating authority for all aspects of patient care to ensure maintenance of accepted standards of EMS medicine practice that includes credentialing of certified and licensed EMS personnel, nurses, and advanced practice providers in the following areas: City of Austin employees, corporate response teams, and system volunteers. Maintains the responsibility and authority to modify, suspend, or revoke the credentials of any EMS personnel practicing under their license and/or to report the incident to the Texas Department of Health
7. Develops, implements, and modifies clinical operating guidelines , the practice of EMS medicine, communication standards, and clinical quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. Oversees implementation, evaluation, and testing of all systems providers practice according to clinical operating guidelines.
8. Develops, implements, and revises policies and procedures of pre-hospital care, patient triage, transport, transfer, dispatch, extrication, rescue, communications, and education development, and training by system credentialing process.
9. Conducts system audits and clinical quality and patient safety programs. Develops, implements, and monitors management of patient care incidents of complaints and deviations from established guidelines and standards.
10. Develops guidelines for review of any incident, which potentially has an adverse or negative impact on the patient or system.
11. Serves as the primary liaison with Local, Regional, State, and National medical communities regarding City of Austin clinical services, including the emergency medical services system.
12. Defines scope of practice for physician and non-physician clinical staff through the development and maintenance of policies, procedures, and clinical operating guidelines.
13. Develops and implements standards for transport or non-transport of patients. Establishment of criteria for selection of patient destinations.
14. Analyzes employee and business needs and develops short- and long-range strategies, goals, and action plans and budget requirements to meet those needs.

Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and credentialing. 

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public health and pre-hospital care.
• Knowledge of City of Austin, Travis County, Local, State, and Federal laws pertaining to public health and prehospital care.
• Knowledge of City of Austin/Travis County interlocal agreement.
• Knowledge of City of Austin/Travis County EMS Clinical Practice System Standards of Care and System Credentialing process.
• Knowledge of the practices and principals of leadership, management, and supervision.
• Knowledge of Incident Command practices and principals.
• Knowledge of radio and personal communications equipment use and application.
• Knowledge of computer-aided dispatch systems, their use, and application.
• Skill in emergency vehicle driving.
• Skill in providing direction for employees to ensure efficient customer service.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with support agencies.
• Skill in the application of training, supervisory, and management practices.
• Skill in technical writing and budget preparation.
• Skill in operations forecasting and grand strategy design and implementation.
• Skill in communicating effectively with various customers including patients, EMS personnel, City of Austin/Travis County boards and commissions, executives, managers, personnel, and the public.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with patients, EMS personnel, City of Austin/Travis County boards and commissions, executives, managers, personnel, and the public.
• Ability to handle conflicts and provide resolutions.

• Graduation with a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine recognized by the Texas Medical Board for licensure in the State of Texas from a college or university accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
• Graduation with a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Public Health or Healthcare Administration or five (5) years of experience in healthcare and/or public health administration.

• Board Certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties in Emergency Medicine.
• Subspecialty Board Certification by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in Emergency Medical Services.
• License to practice medicine in the State of Texas.
• Class C driver license.

• Unimpaired Mobility: Must be able to quickly respond to ambulance, to access patients in difficult terrain, to climb stairs, to work in close and dangerous environments such as damaged vehicles, to (with partner) carry equipment and patients weighing up to 180 pounds.
• Physical Abilities: Must be able to perform strenuous physical requirements such as CPR and lifting and moving of equipment and patients in a variety of environmental conditions. Must be able to swim at the basic survival level.
• Fine Motor Skills: Must be able to perform required medical skills and techniques such as bandaging, splinting, establishing an IV, performing endotracheal intubation and other advanced airway techniques, manual defibrillation, pleural decompression.
• Vision: Must have correctable vision acceptable for day and night operation of emergency vehicles, have color acuity adequate for determination of skin and blood color, be able to read medication dosages on drug labels and syringes.
• Hearing: Must be able to hear and understand information provided by patients, family, or bystanders; to hear breath sounds and accurately determine auscultated blood pressures; to differentiate separate conversations in active, distracting environments; to hear and understand radio traffic when responding with lights and sirens.
• Speech: Must be able to speak and enunciate clearly and at a level audible to others in loud conditions; to speak clearly in stressful situations; to verbally communicate with patients, families and other emergency personnel.