Physician

ATTENDING PHYSICIAN-SNF JOB DESCRIPTION

Department: Clinical

Reports to: Director of Physician Services

Reporting to this position: None unless assigned

Job Classification: Exempt/ RVU

Position Purpose: Provides comprehensive resident-centered medical care to assigned SNF and long-term care residents in accordance with law CMS requirements payer rules facility policy and accepted practice. Care includes geriatric palliative and hospice services when clinically appropriate. This role does not include Medical Director duties unless separately appointed in writing.

Required Qualifications
MD or DO degree from an accredited university
Current unrestricted medical license in each state served.
Current DEA registration and controlled-substance authority as applicable.
Eligible for Medicare Medicaid and other payer enrollment; not excluded from any federal or state healthcare program.
Meets facility and organizational credentialing privileging screening and professional liability requirements.
Knowledge of federal and state requirements governing physician services in skilled nursing facilities.
Competent in caring for frail medically complex post-acute and long-term care residents.
Geriatrics internal medicine family medicine post-acute hospice palliative or long term care experience preferred.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
Serves as the primary physician for assigned residents and provides medical care consistent with resident choice facility policy applicable law and professional standards.
Evaluates new admissions reviews transfer records confirms orders identifies immediate needs develops treatment plans manages acute and chronic conditions orders and interprets diagnostic tests prescribes treatment and provides follow-up care.
Completes required visits within federal and state timeframes personally performs physician-only duties and delegates only as permitted by law and regulation.
Reviews the residents overall plan of care at each visit including diagnoses medications tests function cognition nutrition skin integrity pain behavior rehabilitation risks goals and response to treatment.
Completes documentation orders certifications and recertifications in a timely accurate signed and dated manner.
Promptly addresses changes in condition abnormal results medication concerns nursing requests consultant recommendations and urgent clinical issues. Remains available or arranges qualified physician coverage for urgent and emergency resident needs.
Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team including the Medical Director other physicians nurse practitioners physician assistants nursing staff pharmacists therapists social workers dietitians behavioral health clinicians hospice and palliative care teams consultants and other healthcare professionals.
Applies evidence-based geriatric principles and considers frailty cognition function falls polypharmacy nutrition skin integrity pain behavioral symptoms prognosis quality of life treatment burden advance directives and resident goals.
Incorporates palliative care principles manages distressing symptoms supports advance care planning and goals-of-care discussions and documents and communicates decisions to the care team.
Supports timely hospice evaluation and informed resident choice when appropriate and coordinates with the hospice Medical Director hospice team facility staff resident representative and caregivers.
Prescribes and monitors medications responds to pharmacist recommendations and supports the safe use of antibiotics psychotropics opioids anticoagulants insulin and other high-risk medications.
Participates in resident care planning care conferences quality improvement and transitions of care including transfers emergency evaluations referrals medication reconciliation diagnostic follow-up and discharge planning.
Supports and promotes the Rocky Mountain Care continuum by collaborating across service lines to ensure seamless transitions and timely access to the most appropriate level of post-acute long-term home-based palliative hospice and supportive care based on each residents clinical needs and goals.
Protects resident rights clearly communicates diagnoses and treatment options honors valid healthcare decisions and supports resident-centered care.
Maintains complete timely and accurate medical records and documents and bills professional services in accordance with Medicare Medicaid payer coding fraud-and abuse and SNF consolidated billing requirements.

Additional Assigned Tasks
Treats all residents with dignity and respect and protects resident rights preferences privacy and autonomy.
Establishes a culture of compliance by adhering to all facility policies and procedures. Complies with standards of business conduct and state/federal regulations and guidelines.
Follows appropriate safety and hygiene measures at all times to protect residents and themselves.
Follows facility policy standards of conduct and applicable state and federal requirements.
Maintains confidentiality of protected health information in verbal written and electronic communications.
Reports noncompliance privacy concerns abuse neglect exploitation misappropriation mistreatment and unsafe practices as required.
Cooperates with investigations surveys audits peer review quality improvement emergency preparedness and risk-management activities.
Follows infection prevention occupational safety emergency preparedness and exposure-control requirements.
Completes required education training health screening and competencies.
Maintains licensure DEA registration credentials payer enrollment CME and professional liability coverage.
Performs other duties consistent with the physician agreement scope of practice and law.

Personal Skills and Traits Desired/Physical Requirements/Working Conditions
Strong clinical judgment and knowledge of geriatric and post-acute medicine.
Effective verbal written and interpersonal communication.
Ability to collaborate with physicians nurse practitioners physician assistants facility employees residents representatives and other professionals.
Ability to respond promptly to changes in condition and urgent needs.
Commitment to resident-centered evidence-based ethical and compassionate care.
Ability to exercise independent judgment within an interdisciplinary team.
Strong organization documentation time-management and follow-through skills.
Proficiency with electronic medical record and required clinical systems.
Ability to remain professional and composed in stressful or complex situations.
Ability to move through resident-care areas communicate review records and perform examinations and related duties.
May be exposed to infectious disease bodily fluids hazardous substances and emotionally difficult situations.
Meets applicable health safety and infection-control requirements with reasonable accommodation as required.

Compliance as a Condition of Employment and Performance Appraisal

Agreement to abide by all standards professional standards payer requirements and policies and procedures of the facility including the facilitys compliance and ethics program is a condition of employment and/or engagement. Compliance is considered in performance evaluations. Violations including failure to report known violations will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. This job description is intended to convey the general scope of the major duties and responsibilities inherent in this position. Other tasks not listed here may be assigned by the a supervisor or governing body. Periodic revision may be necessary to reflect changes in expectations place on long term care by various governmental agencies. The job description will be reviewed and/or revised annually and as needed.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

Consistent with the ADA and applicable state law it is the policy of Rocky Mountain Care to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests or reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed please contact the Human Resources department at or by email

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin veteran or disability status.