Description

About the role

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is a key Executive Leadership team member and strategic leader responsible for ensuring clinical excellence, advancing quality initiatives, and fostering strong relationships with physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and staff. The CMO will partner closely with the CEO, the Executive Leadership team, the Board, and key committees to drive innovation, strengthen physician engagement, and align clinical practice with organizational strategy.

The CMO will also maintain a limited patient care practice each week to remain connected to physician workflows and support credibility among peers.

Key Responsibilities:

Physician Engagement & Accountability

• Build and maintain strong rapport with physicians and APPs, creating a foundation of trust that makes accountability conversations constructive and effective.
• Serve as mentor, coach, and advocate for providers while setting clear expectations for performance, professionalism, and leadership.
• Hold physicians and APPs accountable for performance, including having direct, candid conversations around quality, leadership, and behavior when expectations are not

Clinical Practice & Oversight

• Maintain a limited clinical practice (minimum of a half-day to one full day weekly) to stay connected to patient care and physician workflows.
• Serve as the supervising physician for the APP float pool (12–15 providers), providing oversight, mentorship, and clinical support.
• Serve as the provider of record on Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) nursing protocols (or designate interim coverage as appropriate).

Quality & Compliance

• Serve as Executive Leadership Sponsor of the Quality Committee and lead clinical quality initiatives across the organization.
• Understand NCQA HEDIS requirements as they relate to contracted quality metrics and provider Monitor performance against these measures and take corrective action with providers who consistently fall below expected thresholds.
• Ensure provider compensation changes tied to quality measures are reviewed and acted on through the Quality Committee.
• Serve as peer reviewer for Compliance and Risk Adjustment, particularly around coding and documentation issues.

Technology & Innovation

• Champion the use of technology to improve workflows, reduce administrative burden, and enhance the physician experience.
• Serve as a clinical voice in evaluating and adopting new tools, systems, and
• Partner with operations and IT to implement solutions that support quality care delivery and improve provider workflows.

Strategic & External Leadership

• Collaborate with the Executive Leadership team, Board, and other committees on strategic planning, growth initiatives, and quality goals.
• Participate in payor meetings and represent Summit on external advisory councils, such as the VHAN Advisory Council, to advance organizational interests.

Culture & Communication

• Coordinate and lead Grand Rounds, while curating relevant Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities for providers.
• Model collaboration, transparency, and professionalism at all levels of the
• Serve as a visible, accessible leader across multiple

Requirements

Experience & Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years’ clinical practice
• At least 5 years of progressive leadership responsibility in a medical group, health system, or comparable setting.
• Proven ability to integrate clinical leadership with administrative
• Demonstrated ability to hold physicians accountable through direct, constructive, and sometimes difficult conversations.
• Strong background in quality improvement, patient safety, and value-based care
• Experience supervising physicians and/or advanced practice
• Experience in physician education (e.g., Grand Rounds, CME coordination).
• Tech-savvy, with demonstrated success leveraging technology and electronic health records to streamline workflows, improve care delivery, and support providers.
• Experience with Athena strongly
• Knowledge of NCQA HEDIS requirements and their impact on provider performance and compensation models.
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and relationship-building

Education:

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)
• Current board certification in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Pediatrics
• Active Tennessee medical license (or ability to obtain).

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Agility: Aligns clinical practice with organizational strategy while anticipating
• Execution & Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for achieving measurable
• Collaboration & Influence: Builds trust across departments, specialties, the Executive Leadership team, and the Board.
• Innovation & Technology Orientation: Comfortable with technology, proactive in identifying new systems or tools that can improve the physician and patient experience, and skilled at helping providers adapt to change.
• People Leadership: Mentors, develops, and supports providers and staff while addressing underperformance with clarity and fairness.
• Communication Excellence: Communicates clearly, empathetically, and with transparency, even in difficult conversations.

Management Scope:

The Chief Medical Officer will have one direct report, an Executive Leadership Assistant, and will provide indirect oversight of the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) float pool as the supervising physician. In this capacity, the CMO will ensure clinical quality, compliance, and mentorship for approximately 12–15 APPs, while also leading the Quality Committee and serving as a key partner to the Chief Value-Based Care Officer and the Executive Leadership team

Work Environment:

This role operates within a multi-site medical group environment that includes both clinic and office-based settings. The CMO will spend time in patient care, leadership meetings, and provider-facing activities across East Tennessee. The position requires regular travel between clinical locations, active participation in Executive Leadership discussions, and frequent interaction with physicians, APPs, clinical staff, Executive Leaderships, and board members in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Physical Requirements:

The position requires sufficient mobility to move between clinical and office environments, conduct clinic rounds, and provide direct patient care during scheduled practice time. The role also requires the ability to sit for extended periods, use computer systems and electronic health records effectively, and occasionally lift or carry materials or equipment up to 20 pounds.