Chair, Department of Emergency & Hospital Medicine - Lehigh Valley Region - Jefferson Health

Jefferson Health · Palmerton

Apply on the company website

Job Details

Job Description

Join a team that delivers excellence.

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), part of Jefferson Health, is a nationally recognized, forward-thinking health system committed to delivering exceptional care to the communities it serves.

LVHN invites applications and nominations for the role of Chair, Department of Emergency & Hospital Medicine for the Lehigh Valley Region. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an accomplished Emergency Medicine physician executive to lead a large, multidisciplinary department with a significant clinical, academic, and operational footprint.

The Department of Emergency & Hospital Medicine (DOEHM) is one of the largest and most comprehensive clinical departments within LVHN, providing emergency and hospital-based care across a rapidly expanding healthcare system. The department brings together Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Medical Toxicology, Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), and Hospital Medicine, creating an integrated platform for clinical excellence, education, research, and innovation. The DOEHM supports the Emergency Medicine Residency (64 residents), Toxicology Fellowship (2 Fellows), EMS Fellowship (2 Fellows) and POCUS Ultrasound Fellowship (1-2 Fellows).

Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine currently provide services across 13 hospitals each, with both expected to expand in the future. Services are delivered through LVPG-employed providers, contracted services, and LVHN/Community Health Partners joint ventures, and the DOEHM includes oversight of approximately ~400 clinicians.

The ideal candidate will be a forward-thinking, collaborative leader with a passion for clinical excellence, physician engagement, academic advancement, innovation, and strategic growth. The Chair will help shape the next chapter of emergency and hospital medicine across the Jefferson–Lehigh region and play a critical role in advancing high-quality acute and inpatient care throughout the health system.

Job Summary

• Provides strategic, clinical, academic, and operational leadership for the Department of Emergency & Hospital Medicine.
• Provides leadership and management oversight in the areas of quality improvement, care management, clinical program development, business development, medical staff relationships and policies, education, research, and physician workforce development.
• Serves as a senior physician leader and advisor to network and health system leadership on emergency and hospital medicine matters.
• Provides clinical guidance and leadership across Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine, including the department's specialized divisions and programs.
• Collaborates with hospital and network operations leadership to drive continuous clinical and operational performance improvement.
• Leads the continued growth and integration of Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine services across the network.
• Provides vision and support for the department's education and research missions.
• Oversees physician leaders and supports the development of clinical and academic leadership throughout the department.
• Recruits, develops, mentors, and retains physicians and advanced practice clinicians in alignment with the department's workforce needs.
• Develops and implements quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across the department.
• Collaborates on policy development, management oversight, and advice to senior leadership.
• Ensures that medical staff, network, regulatory, and clinical policies are carried out within the department.
• Works with research and academic partners to ensure that departmental research meets rigorous standards of human subject safety and academic excellence.
• Serves on appropriate medical staff, health system, and governance committees and boards.
• Maintains strong relationships with academic institutions, educational partners, and other organizations affiliated with the health system.

Comprehensive Job Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Provides vision and strategic direction for the Department of Emergency & Hospital Medicine, aligning departmental priorities with the broader mission and objectives of LVHN and Jefferson Health.
• Serves as a senior physician leader within the Jefferson–Lehigh region and contributes to system-wide decisions related to emergency and hospital medicine.
• Leads a large, geographically distributed clinical enterprise spanning multiple hospitals and practice models.
• Partners with senior management, hospital leadership, and network representatives on strategic initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Represents the department on appropriate boards, committees, and medical staff governance bodies.
• Builds strong relationships with physician, nursing, administrative, and operational leaders throughout the organization.

Clinical Program Development

• Oversees the development, implementation, and growth of innovative clinical programs across Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine.
• Ensures clinical services are aligned with the evolving needs of the patients and communities served by the network.
• Promotes evidence-based, patient-centered care across emergency and hospital-based services.
• Supports integration and collaboration between Emergency Medicine, Hospital Medicine, and other clinical departments.
• Identifies opportunities to improve patient access, care coordination, patient flow, clinical outcomes, and the overall patient experience.
• Provides leadership for specialized clinical programs within DOEHM, including Pediatric Emergency Medicine, EMS, Medical Toxicology, POCUS, transitions of care, behavioral health, post-operative coverage, and observation services.

Quality & Performance Improvement

• Develops, implements, and monitors quality improvement programs for Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine.
• Establishes appropriate metrics and accountability for clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient experience, and operational performance.
• Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and clinical excellence.
• Partners with clinical and operational leaders to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, care delivery, and patient outcomes.
• Supports the adoption of evidence-based practices and innovative approaches to acute and inpatient care.

Physician Leadership & Workforce Development

• Provides leadership, mentorship, and professional development for physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and physician leaders across the department.
• Advises on physician recruitment, hiring, retention, workforce planning, clinical leadership, and physician compensation.
• Supports the development of a strong and sustainable physician and APC workforce in response to the department's continued growth.
• Conducts regular performance evaluations and provides ongoing feedback to promote professional growth and development.
• Fosters a culture of engagement, collaboration, accountability, belonging, and continuous learning.
• Appoints, supervises, and supports physician leaders, program directors, and other clinical leaders within the department.
• Oversees counseling and disciplinary activities for the department, as appropriate.

Education & Academic Advancement

• Provides vision and leadership for DOEHM's education mission.
• Maintains and advances the Emergency Medicine Residency Program and department fellowship programs.
• Supports faculty development, mentorship, teaching, scholarly activity, and academic achievement.
• Promotes collaboration with LVHN graduate medical education programs and external academic partners.
• Supports undergraduate medical education and the education of residents, fellows, APCs, and other health professional trainees.
• Fosters an environment that attracts, develops, and retains the next generation of emergency and hospital medicine leaders.

Research & Innovation

• Provides vision and support for research across Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine.
• Promotes scholarly activity and academic excellence throughout the department.
• Collaborates with the Network Office of Research and Innovation, Institutional Review Board, GME programs, and academic partners to support high-quality research.
• Ensures that research produced by department members meets rigorous standards for human subject safety and academic excellence.
• Encourages collaboration across LVHN and the broader Jefferson Health enterprise.
• Promotes the translation of research, innovation, and evidence-based practices into improved patient care.

Medical Staff & Policy Management

• Ensures that medical staff policies, network policies, regulatory requirements, and clinical standards are appropriately implemented within the department.
• Collaborates on medical staff policy development and provides management oversight and advice to senior leadership.
• Provides guidance on physician performance, professional conduct, credentialing, and other medical staff matters.
• Serves as an advocate for high standards of clinical practice and professionalism.

Community & Institutional Relationships

• Serves as an ambassador for DOEHM within LVHN, Jefferson Health, and the broader community.
• Develops and maintains relationships with academic institutions, universities, colleges, and other educational affiliates.
• Builds effective partnerships with clinical departments and community organizations to support the health needs of the populations served.
• Promotes collaboration across the health system to strengthen emergency and hospital-based care.

Financial & Operational Management

• Provides oversight of departmental operations, resource allocation, and financial performance in partnership with administrative leadership.
• Supports sustainable growth and effective utilization of departmental resources.
• Advises on business development opportunities and clinical program expansion.
• Oversees and takes responsibility for clinical operations across a complex, multi-site environment.
• Partners with operational leadership to ensure that physician and APC resources appropriately support clinical demand and strategic growth.
• Supports effective integration across employed, contracted, and joint-venture clinical service models.

Qualifications Required

• M.D. or D.O. degree
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in medical leadership.
• Pennsylvania Medical License.
• Completion of residency training in Emergency Medicine
• Board certification in Emergency Medicine
• Demonstrated leadership experience in a complex clinical environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead physicians and multidisciplinary clinical teams.
• Strong understanding of clinical operations, quality improvement, physician workforce development, and strategic planning.

Qualifications Preferred

• Experience as a Department Chair, Vice Chair, Medical Director, Division Chief, or comparable physician leadership role.
• Experience leading a large, multi-site clinical enterprise.
• Experience with graduate medical education and academic medicine.
• Experience with clinical program development, research, quality improvement, and physician recruitment.
• Experience working within a large integrated health system.

Compensation & Benefits

We acknowledge the dedication of our colleagues and offer a benefits package designed to support a rewarding career within the Jefferson–Lehigh region.

Our compensation and rewards package is highly competitive and benchmark driven, including significant opportunity for a performance-based incentive. We also offer a robust, comprehensive benefits package including health, vision, dental, short/long-term disability, CME, retirement benefits, and educational and professional development opportunities through Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University.

About the Lehigh Valley Area

The Lehigh Valley is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, located in the heart of eastern Pennsylvania, approximately 60 miles from Philadelphia and 80 miles from New York City. The region offers outstanding public and private schools, numerous colleges and universities, and an abundance of cultural, recreational, and year-round outdoor activities.

Residents enjoy a welcoming, close-knit community while having convenient access to the cultural, professional, and recreational opportunities of Philadelphia and New York City.

Lehigh Valley Health Network is an equal opportunity employer

Work Shift

Worker Sub Type

Employee Entity

Primary Location Address

Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospitals campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.    

Jefferson is committed to providing equal educa­tional and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, handicap or disability or any other protected group or status. 

Benefits

Jefferson offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time colleagues, including medical (including prescription), supplemental insurance, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, tuition assistance, as well as voluntary benefits, which provide colleagues with access to group rates on insurance and discounts. Colleagues have access to tuition discounts at Thomas Jefferson University after one year of full time service or two years of part time service. All colleagues, including those who work less than part-time (including per diem colleagues, adjunct faculty, and Jeff Temps), have access to medical (including prescription) insurance.

For more benefits information, please click here

More jobs at Jefferson Health · Other jobs in Lehigh County