Medical Director Services
Since we started our practice in 1983, General Medicine has always believed that the medical director of a facility has an important leadership role in actively helping these facilities provide quality care to their residents.
In 2001, The Institute of Medicine issued a report titled “Improving the Quality of Long Term Care”. In it's report it urged facilities to give medical directors greater authority for medical services and care. That report stated, “nursing homes should develop structures and processes that enable and require a more focused and dedicated medical staff responsible for patient care”.
Finally, in November of 2005, CMS implemented their revised regulations (F501), which require each facility to have a medical director who is responsible for the implementation of resident care policies and the coordination of medical care. These two roles provide the basis for the functions and tasks required of a medical director. The medical director's roles and functions require the physician serving in that capacity to be knowledgeable about current standards of practice in caring for post-acute and long-term care residents, and about how to coordinate and oversee related practitioners.
It is a generally recognized fact that the medical director plays a pivotal role in providing clinical leadership regarding application of current standards of practice for resident care and new or proposed treatments, practices, and approaches to care. Also, it is understood that the medical director's input promotes the attainment of optimal resident outcomes, which may also be influenced by many other factors, such as resident characteristics and preferences, individual attending physician actions, and facility support.
To make a difference in the lives of the post-acute and long-term care residents of the facilities we work with, our experienced doctors provide the following when we serve as the Medical Director:
Physician Leadership
- Help the facility ensure that patients have appropriate physician coverage and ensure the provision of physician and health care practitioner services.
- Help the facility develop a process for reviewing physician and health care practitioner credentials.
- Provide specific guidance for physician performance expectations.
- Help the facility ensure that a system is in place for monitoring the performance of health care practitioners.
- Facilitate feedback to physicians and other health care practitioners on performance and practices.
- Ability to provide multiple levels of Medical direction (Local, Regional and Senior Medical Directorship).
Patient Care – Clinical Leadership
- Participate as often as needed in administrative decision-making and the development of policies and procedures related to patient care.
- Help develop, approve, and implement specific clinical practices for the facility to incorporate into its care-related policies and procedures, including areas required by laws and regulations.
- Review, respond to and participate in federal, state, local and other external surveys and inspections.
- Assist in IDDR processes, when necessary.
- Help review policies and procedures regarding the adequate protection of patients' rights, advance care planning, and other ethical issues.
Quality of Care
- Help the facility establish systems and methods for reviewing the quality and appropriateness of clinical care and other health-related services and provide appropriate feedback.
- Participate in the facility's quality improvement process.
- Advise on infection control issues and approve specific infection control policies to be incorporated into facility policies and procedures.
- Help the facility provide a safe and caring environment.
- Help promote employee health and safety.
- Assist in the development and implementation of employee health policies and programs.
Education, Information, and Communication
- Promote a learning culture within the facility by educating, informing, and communicating.
- Assist the facility in developing medical information and communication systems with staff, patients, and families and others.
- Represent the facility to the professional and lay community on medical and patient care issues.
- Maintain knowledge of the changing social, regulatory, political, and economic factors, which affect medical and health services of post-acute and long-term care patient.
- Help with OBRA guideline compliance.
- Sharing best practices with your facility and providing you with effective solutions to managing the needs of your residents, their families and your staff.
Business Development and Marketing Assistance
- Promote the facility to the professional and lay community.
- Help the facility establish appropriate relationships with other providers, health care organizations and payors.
- Develop key referral sources for the selected nursing homes and post-acute facilities where we serve as their Medical Director.
- Develop and maintain affiliations with Primary Care Providers and Hospitalists (the inpatient acute care attending physicians) to collaborate with them on the care of their patients who become residents of the facility.
