Medical Director

Position Summary

The Medical Director provides physician leadership and clinical expertise to advance the mission of Wilderness Health. This part-time contracted position serves as the senior clinical advisor, collaborating with the Executive Director, Clinical Program Director-Care Coordination, leadership team, member organizations, and community partners to support strategic initiatives, evidence-based programs, quality improvement efforts, and health equity initiatives.

The Medical Director provides clinical guidance to strengthen care delivery and foster collaboration among member organizations, public health agencies, and community-based organizations serving rural communities. This position does not provide direct patient care and serves in a clinical advisory and leadership role.

The Medical Director serves as a clinical advisor for the Patient Integrated Navigation Experience Program (PINE), in collaboration with the Clinical Program Director providing leadership to support program development, outcome evaluation, and the advancement of best practices in coordinated care. Working with an interdisciplinary team of Community Health Workers (CHWs), Care Coordinators, healthcare providers, and community partners, this role helps to expand and strengthen care coordination services for individuals with chronic conditions, improve patient outcomes and experiences, and support the Shared Care Coordination program’s continued growth across Northeast Minnesota.

Essential Functions

• Provide physician leadership and clinical expertise to support Wilderness Health mission, core values, and strategic priorities.
• Serve as the primary clinical advisor to the Executive Director and leadership team; participate in organizational planning, priority-setting, and decision-making on clinical and programmatic matters.
• Develop, review, and maintain clinical protocols, care guidelines, and quality standards; ensure alignment with current evidence-based practice and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure understanding of all applicable federal and state privacy, security, and confidentiality requirements, including HIPAA and protected health information (PHI) standards.
• Collaborate with clinical staff, physicians, advanced practice providers, and interdisciplinary teams as appropriate to provide clinical consultation, strengthen partnerships, and support coordinated, patient-centered care.
• Co-chair clinical quality improvement efforts with the Data Governance and Quality Director, including reviewing health outcome data, identifying gaps, and recommending program adjustments to improve outcomes for individuals with chronic conditions and other priority populations.
• Support grant development, pilot projects, program evaluations, and quality reporting.
• Participate in PINE program meetings, interdisciplinary workgroups, and quality improvement activities to provide clinical consultation and support program implementation and evaluation.
• Partners with member organizations, public health agencies, community-based organizations, patients, and other stakeholders to inform program development, implementation, and evaluation through community engagement activities, listening sessions, and co-design processes.
• Represent the organization in partnerships with health systems, public health agencies, payers, and community stakeholders.
• Contribute to workforce development by providing mentorship and consultation to staff and promoting a culture of clinical excellence and continuous learning.
• Advise on health equity strategy, including analysis of health disparities data and recommendations for culturally responsive, trauma-informed service delivery.
• May support by providing clinical expertise feedback for policy engagement, public comment, and community education initiatives as requested.
• Perform other duties as assigned in alignment with the part-time scope of this position.
• Maintain reliable and timely participation in scheduled meetings, consultations, and assigned responsibilities.

Availability and Deliverables

Expected participation in Leadership Team meetings, Data Governance/Quality meetings, PINE program meetings, member organization meetings (as needed), Board presentations (as requested), and grant-related meetings.

Expected response time is within 2-4 business days. Urgent consultation requests are addressed within 24 hours when able.

Deliverables include annual review of clinical protocols, quarterly quality and outcome reviews, clinical review of grant submissions as needed, written recommendations regarding care coordination strategy, and participation in program evaluation activities.

Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of public, non-profit, and population health principles, social determinants of health, and evidence-based approaches to reducing health disparities in rural communities.
• Knowledge of evidence-based approaches to chronic disease prevention, management, and care coordination that improve patient outcomes, enhance patient experience, and address social drivers of health in rural communities.
• Ability to translate clinical and epidemiological evidence into actionable program strategy and organizational policy.
• Familiarity with quality improvement methodologies and experience using health outcomes data to drive program improvement.
• Strong understanding of health equity frameworks and experience designing or overseeing culturally responsive, trauma-informed services.
• Ability to build effective partnerships with health systems, government agencies, payers, and community-based organizations.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills; ability to inspire trust and provide effective guidance across clinical and non-clinical teams.
• Familiarity with grant funded environments and the ability to contribute meaningfully to clinical sections of grant proposals and reports.
• Ability to evaluate peer-reviewed literature, public health reports, clinical guidelines, and policy documents at an advanced level.
• Ability to produce clear clinical protocols, policy briefs, grant narratives, and professional correspondence.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences including patients, community members, clinical staff, organizational leadership, and external partners and policymakers.
• Ability to apply advanced clinical and public health judgment to complex, ambiguous, and rapidly evolving situations; synthesizes evidence, organizational context, and community perspective to inform decisions.

Physical Demands

This position works at a computer for long periods of time and involves standing, sitting, bending and lifting of at least five pounds

Work Environment

Work is performed in a combination of office and remote settings; flexible scheduling is available within the scope of the position. Occasional travel in Northeast Minnesota to partner sites, community locations, and conferences.

Occasional attendance at board meetings, partner meetings, or community engagement activities may be requested in support of organizational priorities.

Requirements of All Staff

• Work collaboratively to enhance our mission and values.
• Exhibit professionalism, integrity, and respect to build and foster positive co-worker and stakeholder relationships.
• Exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive patient, client, and organizational information and ensure compliance with HIPAA and PHI requirements.
• Other duties may be assigned to this position as required by organizational need.

To Apply: Please complete the online application here and send a current resume/CV to careers@wildernesshealthmn.org. Application review will begin on November 9, 2026. The position is open until filled.