Medical Director

Equal Opportunity Employer

The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote health equity for marginalized communities by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, and comprehensive health and human services.  Health equity is at the heart of all our work. We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status.  This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.

JOB SUMMARY

This position is responsible for providing medical leadership in the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR) at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. The Division manages and analyzes data on local drug use and its consequences, uses data to inform policy development and implementation, and operates programs aimed at reducing individual and collective drug-related harms, including Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Surveillance and Outreach, Overdose Death Review (OD Stat), Bereavement Support, Communications, Environmental Services, Harm Reduction and Community Engagement.

The Medical Director supports the Director in overseeing the overall day-to-day operations and personnel of the Division and leads the Division’s efforts on prescriber training and education and access to evidence-based treatment. The Medical Director is additionally responsible for ensuring drug-related Health Alerts and other SUPHR reports, programming and communication are accurate based on current clinical knowledge and standards. This individual serves as the liaison from PDPH to the opioid task forces in each of Philadelphia’s health systems and identifying opportunities to promote collaboration and sharing of best practices and chairs a citywide workgroup of expert clinicians to address evolving challenges related to local substance use.

The Medical Director works closely with other Health Department Divisions, the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Department of Prisons, the Health Federation of Philadelphia, and other city and non-city agencies involved in addressing substance use in Philadelphia.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Responsibilities/Duties

  • Ensure all programming in, and reports and communications from, the Division are medically accurate and based on current clinical standards of care.
  • Serve as the liaison to health systems and health practitioners related to drug-related issues and opportunities.
  • Chair a citywide workgroup of expert clinicians that addresses evolving challenges related to the in-hospital treatment of people who use drugs; share findings with larger medical community in Philadelphia when possible and appropriate.
  • Collaborate with the Medical Directors of other PDPH Divisions to develop initiatives to reduce the harms of the substance use, HIV and HCV syndemic.
  • Participate in and offer medical guidance to workgroups/discussions/meetings with other City agencies, including the Opioid Response Unit in the Managing Director’s Office.
  • Support the Division Director in directing the development, implementation and evaluation of grant-funded programs and activities relating to substance use prevention and surveillance
  • Identify and follow-up on substance use-related funding opportunities.
  • Initiate and manage special projects aimed at better understanding the drug crises in Philadelphia.
  • Develop collaborative relationships with City and non-City partners and stakeholders.
  • Serve as a representative for grantee teleconferences/meetings.

Qualifications

Education and Licensure

  • Medical Degree from an accredited US medical school, AND
  • An active, unrestricted Pennsylvania medical license, AND
  • An active DEA certificate (including DATA-waivered), AND
  • Two or more years of public health or health care leadership experience.

Skills/Experience

  • Understanding of the clinical and public health issues related to drug use, ideally familiar with Philadelphia’s drug landscape
  • Ability to convene and lead meetings of City and non-City stakeholders
  • Ability to interpret analytic findings and write project proposals and technical reports.
  • Ability to analyze and think critically to apply reasonable judgment and problem-solving skills.
  • Experience working and conducting research with health and prevention service agencies.
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills.
  • Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize and handle multiple tasks, and to work independently in a high-pressure environment.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with persons contacted in the course of work.
  • Sensitivity to and experience working with ethnically, culturally and sexually diverse individuals, communities, agencies and organizations.

Work Environment:

Standard office setting with extended periods at workstation and periodic use of office equipment.

Position Type and Work Schedule:

Full time position, typical hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Flex office schedule options available with supervisor approval.

Travel:

Local travel to multiple sites and community meetings weekly (pending pandemic-related restrictions).

Physical Demands:

This job may require moderate physical effort including lifting materials and equipment of less than 50 pounds.

Other Requirements:
Must submit proof of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Salary and Benefits:

Salary - $135,000

Our employees are our most valuable resource, so we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which can include:

  • Medical with vision benefits
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Life, AD&D and long term care insurance
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance
  • 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
  • Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
  • Employee Assistance Program

Eligibility and participation are handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy. 

DISCLAIMER

The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or

otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.