Chief Medical Officer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a Chief Medical Officer. Feel free to use our Chief Medical Officer job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a Chief Medical Officer.
Who is a Chief Medical Officer?
A Chief Medical Officer, or Chief Medical Director, is the person who is always in charge of hospitals and medical centers’ daily operations. They are responsible for keeping hospital expenses within budget, hiring and training all healthcare physicians, and maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for all patients and visitors. They are healthcare administrators who are responsible for the efficient operation of medical facilities. They are in charge of clinical operations, liaising between the administration and medical staff, and ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
According to the American Association of Physician Leadership (AAPL), the chief medical officer role was a minor, part-time position typically filled by a senior physician whose primary responsibility was to engage medical staff and motivate them to perform at a high level and adhere to administrative policies.
As health care delivery has become more complex, the role of the CMO has expanded as well. Serving as a liaison between medical staff and administration remains an essential function of the job. Today’s CMOs, on the other hand, have expanded strategic and operational responsibilities and generally bring a more business-oriented perspective to the role. These executives are responsible for not only improving the quality of care, but also for cost containment and resource optimization, identifying and coaching future leaders, and assisting in the development and implementation of organizational strategy and policy.
Beyond health care, businesses in other sectors are increasing their hiring of CMOs as they recognize the importance of protecting the health and welfare of employees, customers, and communities.
Ultimately, chief medical officers play a significant role in ensuring an organization’s success due to the numerous hats they wear.
The demands of running a hospital or health system are complex for a CMO. It takes a wealth of medical and business expertise to strike a balance between the health and welfare of patients and staff and the financial considerations inherent in business management.
Due to the numerous responsibilities associated with the chief medical officer position, it is typically a full-time position, whether at a hospital, health system, or corporation. A typical day may include walking the hospital’s floor to interact with staff, observing patient interactions, and meeting with the hospital’s board of directors to discuss finances and policy.
Chief Medical Officer Job Description
Below are the Chief Medical Officer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a Chief Medical Officer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a Chief Medical Officer include the following:
- Supervising patient care within the department.
- Acting as a point of contact for physicians and hospital administration.
- Developing strategies to improve the department’s efficiency and effectiveness.
- Attending meetings of the hospital’s board of directors.
- Ascertaining that all team members’ objectives and priorities align with the corporate strategy and foster accountability throughout the team and the company. Ascertain that effective and efficient policies and procedures are in place for assigned areas of responsibility and that all regulatory requirements are met.
- Managing the hospital department’s budget.
- Contracting for the purchase of new hospital equipment, machinery, and supplies.
- Responding to hospital staff concerns and requests.
- Assigning duties to physicians, nurses, and hospital personnel for review as needed.
- Training and advising newly hired physicians.
- Consulting with and treating patients.
- Assuring that all departmental practices adhere to hospital standards and the hospital’s code of medical ethics.
- Coordinating the work schedules of employees.
- Attending conferences to stay informed about the latest advances in hospital technology.
- Assembling and communicating the therapeutic benefits and safety of the Company’s products with the clinical development team and those responsible for medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and drug safety.
- Recruiting, training, and developing high-performance talent. Represent the Company and its programs to external audiences, including the investment, medical, and regulatory communities, as well as the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, collaborators, and partners. Select and manage an elite portfolio of contract research, medical education, regulatory affairs, and drug safety service providers.
- Balancing the physician’s and administrator’s responsibilities.
- Assuring patients receive the highest quality medical care possible.
- Being accountable for the performance of physicians who report to you.
- Assuring compliance with all applicable healthcare regulations and safety standards.
- Educating employees about new healthcare regulations.
- Identifying opportunities to enhance clinical services.
- Providing medical and subject matter expertise in immunology, including a thorough understanding of the relevant scientific and clinical literature and regulatory environment. Identify and cultivate proactive and collaborative relationships with physicians and patient advocacy groups.
- Coordinating administrative and medical personnel.
Other important tasks include the following:
- Staff Liason
A chief medical officer’s primary responsibility is to mediate the relationship between the hospital or health system administration and the medical staff. CMOs are responsible for aligning both parties with organizational goals and strategies, with the overarching goal of providing high-quality health care at an affordable price.
- Acting as an intermediary
By acting as an intermediary, CMOs infuse the organization’s overall vision and strategy with a clinical perspective, while also communicating administrative direction to medical staff. CMOs spearhead any necessary cultural changes within an organization, ensuring that physicians and other hospital staff understand and support any new policies or practices.
- Development of leadership
Effective CMOs should be able to provide strong support to medical leadership, including the chief physician and chief nursing officer, as well as identify and nurture future leaders through coaching and mentoring. They must also demonstrate to administrators the critical importance of investing in leadership development to the organization’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality health care.
- Provision of health care
CMOs are accountable for overseeing health care delivery and ensuring that it meets the highest standards of quality and safety. This is a function of their role as staff liaisons. They accomplish this through employee engagement and the identification and implementation of performance improvement metrics. CMOs identify areas for improvement using data from a variety of sources, including electronic health records (EHRs), and collaborate with physicians and other medical staff to reduce variation in care and improve the patient experience.
- Strategic Planning
In addition to managing a health system’s day-to-day operations, CMOs are heavily involved in organizational strategy and planning. They bring a clinical perspective to planning meetings and keep other executives informed about emerging issues and industry trends. Additionally, CMOs play a significant role in budgetary discussions.
Qualifications
Education
This position requires a combination of medical and administrative studies. A chief medical officer will earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution before beginning their medical career.
Following undergraduate studies, an aspirant chief medical officer must earn a medical degree. Traditionally, a medical school program will include two additional years of classroom instruction and two years of supervised clinical experience, followed by a residency training program.
Some chief medical officers earn a Master of Health Administration or a Master of Business Administration in addition to their medical degrees. This combination of degrees in the medical field and administration equips you with the skills necessary to handle the position’s numerous responsibilities.
Training
In addition to their formal education, a chief medical officer will need significant hospital experience. Time spent as a practicing physician provides invaluable preparation for the chief medical officer role at a hospital, as anyone in this position will draw on this experience to make sound decisions that affect the entire organization.
Working in a managerial capacity in a hospital can also serve as critical training for a chief medical officer. This enables an individual to gain experience managing personnel issues within a facility, thereby developing the administrative skills necessary to succeed as a chief medical officer.
Certifications
Candidates for this position must hold a doctoral degree in addition to a master’s degree in business or administration. Additionally, the candidate should be board certified in one or more specialties. While additional medical and business certifications are not typically required, they can help a candidate stand out from other applicants.
Essential Skills
- Communication Skills
A substantial portion of this role entails acting as a liaison between the facility’s administrators and staff. A chief medical officer should communicate the viewpoints of one group to the other for the hospital to operate efficiently.
- Leadership and Management Skills
A chief medical officer must possess strong leadership abilities to manage their staff effectively. Management abilities enable an individual to effectively delegate tasks to the appropriate individuals, thereby assisting in the smooth operation of the hospital.
- Problem-solving skills
A chief medical officer should prioritize and allocate resources in such a way that the hospital achieves the best possible outcome. Strong problem-solving abilities will assist an executive in developing more innovative solutions to organizational concerns while remaining within budget.
- Delegation
Due to the large number of responsibilities that fall under the domain of the chief medical officer, they will need to delegate effectively. Delegation is a critical skill for leaders who need to identify staff members who are best equipped to complete specific tasks quickly and accurately.
- Persuasiveness
One of the most critical roles of the chief medical officer is to interact with the facility’s medical board. Strong persuasive abilities are advantageous for board meetings, as they enable a chief medical officer to advocate for the resources necessary to ensure their staff can provide proper patient care.
- Budgets and financial management
Along with ensuring the health and welfare of patients and staff, CMOs must address fiscal concerns. As CMO, you’ll be responsible for developing innovative, cost-effective solutions to organizational problems and leveraging your clinical expertise to guide technology and equipment purchases, as well as other acquisitions and investments.
- Technological skills
A CMO should have a strong understanding of metrics and medical analytics, as these are frequently critical components of developing and implementing an organization’s vision and strategy. Additionally, familiarity with digital health devices and health information technology is advantageous.
- Legal acumen
Hospitals and health systems are governed by a plethora of federal and state regulations, which a CMO must be familiar with to ensure compliance and safeguard the organization. You’ll need to be familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA), as well as numerous other statutes, to assist the organization in avoiding potential legal issues.
How to Become a Chief Medical Officer
To become a chief medical officer, you must meet several important requirements that prepare you to work in a leadership role in healthcare. The following are the steps to becoming a chief medical officer:
- Complete a bachelor’s degree program
To be eligible to apply to medical school, prospective chief medical officers must complete a four-year undergraduate program. Although a student’s major does not determine his or her eligibility for admission to medical school, he or she may benefit from a degree in business administration, biology, biochemistry, or pre-medicine.
- Attend a medical school
Students typically complete medical school in two years. During this time, students acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career as a physician in a classroom setting and an actual medical setting.
- Complete a residency program
Following graduation from medical school, graduates complete a residency program at a healthcare facility. They assist physicians and other skilled healthcare professionals with procedures and patient monitoring.
- Practice as a physician
Candidates who complete a residency assume the official roles and responsibilities of a physician within a healthcare facility such as a primary care clinic or hospital. They make house calls, diagnose patients’ conditions, and prescribe treatment methods to cure or alleviate injuries and illnesses.
- Pursue a career in healthcare administration
Healthcare administration positions include those of healthcare department manager, medical practice manager, and healthcare administrator. Professionals demonstrate their ability to take on a more administrative role within a healthcare facility by applying for and obtaining these management positions.
Submit your application for CMO positions. After a few years in a healthcare management role, a candidate can leverage their breadth of experience to apply for chief medical officer positions.
Where to Work as a Chief Medical Officer
Typically, a chief medical officer works in an office, either on a non-patient floor of a hospital or in a separate location. Daily, they interact with board members, the chief nursing officer, and other facility leaders. Additionally, they spend time on patient floors reviewing daily operations and ensuring that patients receive treatment in a safe, clean environment. As a result, a chief medical officer spends his or her days in both an office and a hospital setting.
Chief Medical Officer Salary Scale
The average salary a Chief Medical Officer earns in the United States is $217,587 per year.