North by Northeast Community Health Center is the only medical clinic in Oregon devoted to African American/Black health. We exist to improve health outcomes and advance health equity by offering primary care services and health education and promotion focused on the African American/Black community. North by Northeast Community Health Center was opened as a free clinic in 2006 by a physician and a pastor to address the unmet health care needs of Black Portlanders. Over the past eighteen years, North by Northeast has grown tremendously in response to ongoing community need.
North by Northeast is a community treasure and a model of how culturally specific care can eliminate health disparities. To get a flavor of what it feels like to be part of North by Northeast, check out this music video.
Black Health Matters: A Model of Care
A cornerstone of North by Northeast's work is an unwavering commitment to anti-racism in healthcare delivery. North by Northeast works hard to convey to Black Portlanders who walk through its doors that North by Northeast is for them. Some of the ways they do this are through the artwork hung throughout their space, longer appointment times, hiring from the community whenever possible, and partnering with organizations with a similar focus.
North by Northeast places a high value on the lived experience of their patients and community members, and continuously seeks and responds to community input. Its Patient Wellness Council, a group of 15 current and former patients, serves as the "eyes and ears" in the community and regularly provides feedback as requested by North by Northeast staff and Board on upcoming decisions.
In addition, over the years North by Northeast has solicited community and patient input through focus groups, surveys, interviews, and a bi-annual patient satisfaction survey. When North by Northeast requests input from its patients and community members, the organization demonstrates that they value their lived experience as expertise by compensating them financially for their time.
Programs, Services & Population Served
Approximately 95% of North by Northeast's patients are covered by the Oregon Health Plan and the remainder are uninsured. North by Northeast offers adult primary care services and is well known for its innovative community programs. For example, in 2015 North by Northeast started their Cuts & ChecksTM barbershop hypertension program, through which the clinic partners with five neighborhood barber shops to offer blood pressure screenings and training for barbers in heart health. More recently, the clinic accessed federal and local resources to provide cash and food distribution to community members impacted by the economic/employment crisis brought on by the pandemic.
Racial Equity Policy
North by Northeast is located in inner NE Portland, the historical heart of the African American/Black community. As an organization committed to culturally-specific care focused on African American health, North by Northeast has worked diligently since its founding to ensure the clinic is an affirming, safe, and welcoming space for African American community members. Over these years, North by Northeast has established specific policies, procedures, and approaches that speak to its deep valuing of racial equity. Its Racial Equity Policy, drafted by North by Northeast staff and approved by its board on December 6, 2019, gathers those principles and approaches in one document, institutionalizes its commitment to racial equity, calls North by Northeast to a more racially equitable vision for the organization, and establishes a plan for accountability to its racial equity vision. Review the Racial Equity Policy here.
Commitment to Excellent Patient Care & Quality Improvement
In line with its mission, model of care, and Racial Equity Policy, North by Northeast is seeking its next Medical Director - a physician leader who will deliver quality patient care with a heart for the community and a commitment to anti- racism and clinical excellence.
North by Northeast currently employs a staff of 10, which includes a clinical team made up of the Medical Director (open role), Psychiatric/Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Clinic Manager, Medical Assistant, and Receptionist/Patient Services Coordinator, and an administrative/community team made up of the Executive Director, Community Care Director, Development & Communications Director, Operations Manager, and Enrollment & Assistance Coordinator. Quality improvement activities at North by Northeast are guided by evidence-based care recommendations, patient input and research on intervention efficacy. Recent quality improvement activities have included addressing hypertension control through group classes and incentives, and increasing lung and colon cancer screening rates through coaching and incentives.
North by Northeast has an annual budget of $1.8 million and uses Epic as its Electronic Health Record.
Learn more about North by Northeast Community Health Center at nxneclinic.org.
The Opportunity
North by Northeast is seeking an authentic and dedicated Medical Director who will passionately deliver excellent patient care while connecting North by Northeast to the needs of the surrounding community.
This is an ideal opportunity for a compassionate physician interested in being a part of the North by Northeast family, and who understands that in order to improve the health of the patient population, trust comes first, and lasting change follows.
The Medical Director will report to the Executive Director and have frequent engagement with the Board of Directors as the top clinical leader in the organization. In partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors, they will be responsible for ensuring the furthering of North by Northeast's mission through its clinical programs and activities. The Medical Director will embody and represent North by Northeast's values internally and publicly in the community at all times.
In partnership with the Board, Executive Director and staff, the Medical Director will craft, articulate and lead an equity-centered vision for North by Northeast's clinical work. The Medical Director will have 50% clinical, 25% administrative and 25% community programming responsibility. In addition, this leader will manage a panel of approximately 1,200 assigned patients with autonomy to set their appointment schedule based on patient need and complexity. Currently, patient appointment times are at least 30 minutes.
A key to success in the role will be monitoring and evaluating clinical outcomes and implementing quality improvement initiatives that promote a culture of patient safety.
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Services And Operations
Evaluate and manage adult patients in a clinical office setting.
Oversee documentation of patient encounters by clinical and non-clinical staff; provide training where needed.
?Manage limited after-hours urgent calls. (There is no in-person on-call responsibility - on average the Medical Director may field 2-3 calls per month
Maintain professional relationships with local health care organizations and professionals to ensure access to necessary referral and consultative services.
Quality Improvement
Identify practices within the clinic that can be improved to facilitate high quality patient care including, but not limited to, direct services, chart maintenance, referral processes and community outreach as it relates to population health.
Review all significant patient complaints about care along with adverse outcomes related to patient care and recommend remediation strategies, if appropriate, to avoid recurrent or related issues. Planning
Participate in the development and implementation of short- and long-term planning for clinical services particularly relating to quality improvement, staffing needs, program development, growth and expansion in response to African American/Black community needs.
Staff Management & Training
Supervise all clinical employees, including physician and non-physician practitioners and other clinical staff.
Participate in recruitment/retention activities for medical staff as necessary.
Ensure that guidelines and resources are in place for staff to provide high quality care to the patients served. Ensure staff are educated and trained on all policies, procedures, practice guidelines and care standards as appropriate.
Collaboration & Communication
Serve as spokesperson for the clinical and community health aspects of the organization with funders or potential funders, community partners and the media.
Ensure all clinical staff are up to date on all information shared by the Executive Director.
Collaborate with and provide updates on a regular basis and as needed to the Executive Director, staff and Board of Directors.
Qualifications, Knowledge & Skills
Physician with the ability to obtain an unrestricted license to practice in the state of Oregon. [Required]
Must possess a M.D. or D.O.
Board certified in a primary care focused specialty with a training emphasis on the care of adult patients in the ambulatory setting, preferred.
Minimum 5 years' experience in outpatient management of common medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and depression/anxiety as well as preventive medicine.
Experience in community, public and/or population health.
Experience in health information technology, data collection, quality management, clinic operations and community program development focused on health outcomes and population management.
Commitment to anti-racism personally and professionally.
Candidate Profile
The Medical Director of North by Northeast Community Health Center will possess the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:
Collaborative, Quality-Focused and Visionary Clinical Leader
The Medical Director will bring a keen focus on prioritizing the clinical needs of North by Northeast by evaluating opportunities to expand, promote innovation and grow the vision. They will be highly motivated by continuous quality improvement and preventive care to attain maximal health outcomes for patients with complex health and social needs through leveraging available resources.They will also be a proven leader in integrated approaches to person-centered patient care and chronic disease management. This leader will naturally foster collaboration to reach success in clinical initiatives and will monitor qualitative and quantitative metrics to ensure the organization is meeting its health outcome and care delivery goals. They will be successful at planning and implementation to ensure that programs, initiatives, partnerships, and operations are aligned while also being nimble in response to urgent needs.
Passionate Advocate for the North by Northeast Mission and Community
The Medical Director will be inspired by a genuine passion for addressing the inequities and systemic barriers to sustained health for the African American/Black community in Portland. This physician leader will fully embrace and actively advance the mission of North by Northeast as both a safety net for the underserved and a model for delivering culturally appropriate and high-quality care.The Medical Director's highest priority will be providing ongoing culturally specific care to help North by Northeast's patients manage their acute and chronic health issues. They will bring enthusiasm and a strong personal motivation to guide staff in cementing North by Northeast as a clear leader in population health among non-profit organizations addressing health disparities.
Effective Relationship Builder and Communicator
With outstanding interpersonal skills and confidence, this physician leader will bring a high degree of professionalism, discretion, and good judgment. They will also be a culturally sensitive leader with a track record of responsiveness to a wide range of systemic challenges facing the African Americans/Black population. This leader will exude comfort when listening to and caring for the needs of patients. They will be transparent in their communication style, ensuring that ideas flourish within an environment that embraces both inclusive participation and accountability.This leader will demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence while effectively interacting with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and sexual orientations and treat each individual with respect and dignity. Most importantly, the Medical Director will effectively partner with the Executive Director and cultivate and maintain trust-based relationships with staff, patients, community partners, funders, and the Board of Directors.
Humble Leader of Teams and Culture
The Medical Director will bring solid operational and team management experience and will have previously thrived on empowering and nurturing a collegial environment of talented individuals. This leader will have a strong orientation toward patient focused care and satisfaction, quality improvement, clinical interoperability and team building. A natural team player, they will promote a culture where everyone feels valued, fostering a sense of belonging across the organization. This leader will have a proven ability to leverage individual strengths and teamwork in addition to identifying professional development opportunities that continually enhance knowledge, depth of expertise and awareness of relevant community issues and concerns. This leader will exemplify an "open door" policy and invite and explore multiple viewpoints in order to achieve impact by recognizing and respecting the expertise of others.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a full-time on-site work environment. The successful candidate must be based in the Portland region. A relocation bonus of up to $25,000 will be provided if the successful candidate lives outside of Portland.
The annual salary for this role will be based on a starting salary range of $220,000 – $250,000 and will be commensurate with the successful candidate's skills and experience. North by Northeast also offers a generous benefits package including medical and dental insurance, long- and short-term disability, life insurance, Simple IRA employer match, eleven paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, and an employee assistance plan. In addition, medical student loan repayment is available to eligible physicians.
As a senior leader of the organization, the flexibility to adapt schedules to meet business needs onsite throughout the week and in community after work hours is necessary. _____ North by Northeast Community Health Center is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ leaders.
About Portland
Portland is the largest city in Oregon, with a population of 2.4 million in the metropolitan area. Situated between the Columbia and Willamette rivers, at the foot of Mt. Hood and an hour from the Pacific Ocean, Portland is a wonderland for outdoor activities, from kayaking to hiking to exploring the parks that break up our urban landscape. Portland is known for its breweries, wineries in the Willamette Valley and coffeeshops on every corner, as well as vibrant art, theater and music scenes. Getting around Portland is easy with its commuter rail, streetcar and buses as well as bike lanes that crisscross the city.
Contact
Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Kim Dukes, Andy Tarsy, and Tiara Muse. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at nxnemd@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group
Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation's premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of "America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms" and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.