Medical Director Emergency Department

Job Description

Centra Health seeks an accomplished physician leader to serve as the Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, providing strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for emergency services across the health system. The role oversees emergency departments at three acute care hospitals (Lynchburg General Hospital, Bedford Memorial Hospital and Southside Community Hospital) and one freestanding emergency department (Gretna Medical Center) and partners with the Associate Medical Director of Emergency Medicine. The Medical Director plays a crucial role in advancing high-quality, patient-centered emergency care aligned with Centra Health’s mission, operational priorities, and long-term strategic goals.

The Medical Director serves as the senior physician leader for Emergency Medicine and partners closely with the Associate Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, Chief Medical Officer, hospital presidents, nursing leadership, and operational executives to ensure reliable, efficient, and coordinated emergency care delivery across the continuum.

This role extends beyond departmental oversight and requires system-level leadership to address patient flow, access to care, interdisciplinary coordination, and operational constraints that impact emergency department performance and community experience.

About Centra Health

Centra Health is an integrated, nonprofit healthcare system serving communities across Central Virginia and committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care through clinical excellence, innovation, and strong physician leadership.

Responsibilities

Strategic and System Leadership

• Provide enterprise physician leadership for emergency services across all Centra Health facilities.
• Develop and execute strategic initiatives that improve access, quality, patient safety, and operational performance.
• Align Emergency Medicine strategy with system priorities including High Reliability Organization, Patient Experience, and sustainable operational performance.
• Serve as the principal physician advisor to executive leadership regarding emergency care delivery, access challenges, and system throughput.
• Align workflows and best practices within Acute Care Services, and other service lines.

Patient Flow and Throughput Optimization

• Lead system-wide efforts to improve emergency department throughput by addressing constraints across the care continuum, including inpatient capacity, diagnostic turnaround times, transport processes, and discharge efficiency.
• Partner with radiology, hospital medicine, nursing, and operational leaders to reduce delays impacting emergency care delivery.
• Promote standardized workflows that support timely clinical decision-making and reduce unnecessary variation across sites.
• Advance solutions that improve access to emergency care while reducing Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) and Left Before Treatment Complete (LBTC) rates.

Quality, Safety, and Clinical Reliability

• Establish a culture of high reliability and accountability within Emergency Medicine.
• Drive adoption of evidence-based clinical pathways and standardized care practices.
• Ensure readiness for regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Utilize real-time performance data to identify gaps and implement sustainable improvements in care delivery.

Physician Leadership and Engagement

• Lead, mentor, and develop Emergency Medicine physicians and advanced practice professionals.
• Foster a professional culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Support recruitment, retention, and leadership development within Emergency Medicine.
• Provide stability and engagement during periods of organizational change through transparent communication and physician partnership.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Strengthen collaboration between Emergency Medicine and inpatient, procedural, diagnostic, and ancillary services.
• Work with Centra Medical Group, Service Line and Operational leaders to ensure shared ownership of patient flow and access outcomes.
• Partner with community physicians and outpatient providers to improve care transitions and follow-up after emergency department encounters.

Operational and Financial Stewardship

• Support development of staffing models and operational structures that balance patient access, provider sustainability, and financial performance.
• Participate in resource planning and operational prioritization aligned with system goals.
• Promote efficient utilization of clinical resources while maintaining high standards of care.

Performance Accountabilities

Performance expectations for the Executive Medical Director focus on advancing system reliability and access to emergency care, rather than isolated departmental metrics. Success will be evaluated across the following domains:

Access and Throughput

• Improvement in emergency department access and patient flow across all sites
• Reduction in LWBS and LBTC through operational and system redesign
• Optimization of door-to-provider times and total length of stay
• Effective collaboration with inpatient services to reduce boarding and care delays

Operational Integration

• Measurable improvement in diagnostic turnaround times, including imaging workflows
• Implementation of cross-department solutions addressing system constraints impacting ED performance
• Advancement of scalable, standardized workflows across facilities

Quality and Clinical Outcomes

• Performance improvement in time-sensitive clinical measures (e.g., sepsis care, critical care transitions)
• Adoption and adherence to evidence-based protocols
• Advancement toward top-quartile or benchmark performance nationally

Patient And Provider Experience

• Improvement in patient experience through reliable care delivery and reduced delays
• Strengthened physician and staff engagement within Emergency Medicine
• Development of a collaborative culture emphasizing shared accountability

Leadership and Sustainability

• Successful recruitment and retention of Emergency Medicine providers
• Development of future physician leaders and succession planning
• Alignment of clinical operations with organizational financial stewardship

Qualifications

Education and Certification

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from an accredited institution
• Board Certification in Emergency Medicine required

Licensure

• Eligible for unrestricted medical licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Eligible for medical staff appointment at Centra Health facilities

Experience

• Progressive leadership experience in Emergency Medicine, preferably within a multi-site or integrated health system
• Demonstrated success improving throughput, operational performance, and clinical quality outcomes
• Experience leading multidisciplinary improvement initiatives across organizational boundaries
• Proven ability to utilize data analytics to drive measurable improvement

Leadership Competencies

• Systems thinking and enterprise leadership capability
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills
• Change management and performance improvement expertise
• Ability to align physicians, operations, and executive leadership around shared goals

Reporting Structure

Reports to: Enterprise Chief Medical Officer

Collaborates with: Associate Medical Director Emergency Medicine, Hospital Presidents, Nursing Leadership, Operational Executives, and Medical Staff Leadership