Vice Chair of Quality for the Department of Medicine

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, NH

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC invites applications for the position of Vice Chair of Quality for the Department of Medicine. The Vice Chair of Quality will play a pivotal role in advancing the department’s mission to improve the safety, timeliness, efficacy, efficiency, equity, and patient-centeredness of healthcare. We seek a dynamic, visionary physician and leader who will establish and embody an authentic and visible culture of safety and reliability, contribute to the creation and implementation of departmental educational programs in quality improvement, and partner with other system quality leaders across Dartmouth Health to assure coordinated and consistent quality standards and initiatives across the healthcare system.

As the Vice Chair of Quality, you will be a key leader in a distinguished academic health system, aligning departmental quality priorities, strategies and initiatives with Dartmouth Health’s quality goals.  Dartmouth Health has a strong culture of patient safety and quality improvement, with established institutional resources and collaborations including

• The Value Institute (VI) Operational Excellence team utilizes the Lean Six Sigma model, to design and lead quality improvement initiatives

• The VI Promise Partnership Co-production Learning Health System, a collaboration with The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI) utilizes a co-production improvement model that draws on the expertise of clinical teams, researchers, educators, administrators, patients, families and communities to improve health outcomes

• VI vice chair program

• A state-of-the-art Patient Safety Training Center for simulation-based education and research

• The Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency, a unique program for residents and fellows at Dartmouth Health to develop skills in quality improvement, leadership and population health while earning a Masters in Public Health from TDI.

Position Highlights:

• Establish and lead a departmental Quality Council, engaging departmental clinical, nursing, and administrative leaders, Value Institute staff and trainees
• Implement system-wide structures to facilitate quality improvement work within the Department of Medicine at all member sites, both inpatient and ambulatory
• Collaborate with other vice chairs of quality and VI personnel
• Lead multi-disciplinary, collaborative review of event reports and patient harm occurrences to identify key trends and execute improvement work
• In partnership with the Office of Care Experience, implement and monitor necessary improvements in patient and healthcare team experiences
• Design innovative programs to address the educational needs of residents and fellows with respect to patient safety and quality improvement, including through engagement with the Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency
• Foster the department’s commitment to quality and implementation science as scholarly pursuits, including presentation and publication in quality science, and participation in regional, national and international collaboratives
• Provide or identify mentorship and opportunities for faculty and trainees who wish to develop quality improvement expertise

The ideal candidate will be a board-certified internist or internal medicine subspecialist with significant leadership experience in quality improvement and safety in an academic setting, a demonstrated ability to lead quality improvement initiatives and promote a culture of safety, and a passion for teaching and mentorship. This position offers a blend of clinical, administrative, and academic responsibilities, with the flexibility to tailor the role to the successful candidate’s strengths and aspirations.

Diversity and Inclusion:
Dartmouth Health is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We value diversity in all its forms and encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply, including but not limited to racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those from underrepresented socioeconomic backgrounds. We invite candidates to highlight how their experiences and expertise will help further our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The position reports to the Chair of Medicine and the Chief Quality and Value Officer, Dartmouth Health.

Physician (MD or DO) eligible for the rank of Associate or Full Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Board-certified in Internal Medicine or an Internal Medicine subspecialty by the ABIM or AOBIM.
Eligible for licensure in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Proven track record of accomplishment as a leader of quality improvement efforts.
Formal training in quality improvement.