Medical Director - Cerritos, CA

Job Description:

VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital - Medical Director

VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital AAHA-accredited, 24-hour general and emergency practice in Cerritos, California, is hiring an experienced Medical Director to lead our team! This is a wonderful opportunity to have a positive and lasting impact on colleagues and patient care.

We are looking for a veterinarian with well-developed leadership skills who is interested in working in a fast-paced ER/urgent care environment.

VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital is a well-established 16-doctor practice that has been a large presence in the community for over 71 years. Our team of approximately 120 team members are dedicated to VCA's mission "Where Your Pets Health is our Top Priority and Excellent Service is our Goal". We have a collaborative, team approach to medicine and a diverse client base.

Our 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is fully equipped with continuous EKG monitoring, ultrasound, endoscopy, laparoscopy, oxygen cages and digital radiography.

Cerritos is a wonderful, thriving community that is a great place to live, work and shop. Cerritos is within 30 minutes of the ocean, 2 hours to the mountains or to Palm Springs. There are plenty of activities year round to look forward to during your time off.

The Medical Director (MD), under the direction of the Regional Medical Director (RMD) and Regional Vice President (RVP), is responsible for establishing the medical quality and patient care practiced by all doctors in the hospital. The MD achieves this through strong leadership and by serving as a mentor and role model for the associate veterinarians and staff. The Medical Director should demonstrate a strong work ethic, integrity, and a consistent positive attitude. The MD is also an integral part of the hospital management team responsible for the overall financial performance of the hospital, and helps create and drive the overall direction for the hospital that will achieve positive results. The MD also fulfills all of the duties of a staff veterinarian in addition to the specific responsibilities of Medical Director.

A generous salary and benefits plan are offered!

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Well-developed interpersonal skills.
  
• Experience and proven leadership skills are a must for this position.
  
• Ability to take information obtained from clients, staff, and other sources, discern that which is credible, and assess the hospital and/or a situation objectively.
  
• Ability to multi-task and deal with high levels of stress in an environment of changing priorities.
  
• Is able to take charge, initiate actions, hold people accountable, and delegate responsibilities in such a way as to achieve positive results.
  
• Comfortably and confidently confronts difficult issues with co-workers and is a skilled communicator at multiple levels within VCA.
  
• Is capable of, and willing to work the hours necessary to accomplish the required responsibilities and ensure the smooth operation of the hospital.
  

Education and Experience

• Must have at least 5-years' experience in a leadership role. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent from an accredited university required.
  
• Stays up to date with changes in veterinary medicine, fulfills VCA requirements for attending local VCA hosted CE, and completes a minimum of 30 hours of accredited CE per calendar year.
  

Standards of Care

• Strives to meet or exceed the VCA and AAHA standards of care.
  
• Medical records are complete, detailed, and signed per VCA guidelines.
  
• Demonstrates commitment to professional integrity and pursuit of excellence.
  
• Practices ethical medicine at all times, and ensures the same from associate doctors.
  
• Ensures positive communication with clients and between doctors. This includes the proper transfer of patient care responsibility between doctors.
  
• Implements information from Chief Medical Officer , RMD, RVP or their representatives.
  
• VCA email and correspondence is processed and addressed on a daily basis.
  

Patient/Client Management

• Treats all patients & clients with care and compassion, remembering that the patient's well-being is the top priority.
  
• Oversees administration and case review of client medical complaints and resolves the problems when possible, while keeping the RMD and RVP informed of progress.
  

Staff Management: Professional Staff

• Implements and maintain consistent medical standards and guidelines within the hospital.
  
• Evaluate quality medical/compliance reports on a monthly basis and take steps to improve areas of poor performance.
  
• Organize systems for daily medical rounds and ensure they are consistently conducted.
  
• Review patient records for completeness and accuracy and use as a tool to promote medical excellence.
  
• Regularly discuss cases with doctors and/or staff to optimize patient care.
  
• Ensure that credit for procedures is accurately appropriated, and review the detailed orders to ensure that charges are captured and properly assigned.
  
• Ensure CE requirements are met by all doctors, and that CE attended is relevant to the service mix and needs of the hospital.
  
• Conduct regular doctor meetings.
  
• Coordinate doctor coverage to make sure the hospital is covered at all times.
  

• Actively manage all doctors to ensure that they meet expected performance.
  
• Administer yearly reviews and development plans for all associate doctors under the direction of the RMD or RVP.
  
• Appropriately manage controlled drugs (see VCA Controlled Substances Guidelines).
  

Responsibilities as part of the Hospital Leadership Team

• Works with the Hospital Manager and staff to deliver a consistent medical message and consistent client experience to each client.
  
• Represents the hospital to the professional community and the general public as requested.
  
• Evaluates the need for new medical equipment and works with the Hospital Manager to prepare and submit new equipment requests to the RMD/RVP
  
• Participates in meetings or conference calls as requested by field management staff.
  

Financial Responsibilities

• Review the P&L monthly with the Hospital Manager.
  
• Work with the HM to prepare and submit the yearly budget (budget forecast, operating plan, cap-ex expenditures) and participate in the evaluation process with field management.
  
• Support the implementation of VCA marketing programs.
  
• Review and approve requests for alternatives of additional drugs and medical supplies.
  

As a member of the VCA family, eligible full-time employees will be rewarded with a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

Health & Wellness

• Innovative associate health and wellbeing department (Headspace app subscriptions, Vault financial wellness tool, and access to additional mental health resources)
  
• 401k retirement savings plan with company match
  
• Health/dental/vision insurance, infertility benefits, gender affirmation services
  
• Paid parental, vacation and sick leave
  

Professional Development

• Continuing Education Allowance and paid Continuing Education Days
  
• WOOF University - offering abundant CE for Doctors and Staff
  
• VCA Academy's Mentorship Program - participate as a mentee or mentor in a GP or ER setting
  
• Opportunities to participate in a robust Clinical Studies program
  

Additional Benefits

• Up to 100% Pet Care Discount for your own pets
  
• 100% paid professional liability coverage
  
• 100% paid life insurance
  
• 100% paid short-term disability insurance
  

Access to a network of 5,000 doctors, including more than 600 specialists

At VCA we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and want to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, stay and do their best work.