Medical Director Of Fame Hospital at Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME)

The Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME), a not-for-profit hospital in rural Tanzania, is seeking a Medical Director. FAME aims to advance high-quality, patient-centered care and is described as a learning organization and a model for patient-centered care in a limited resource environment. The medical staff is entirely African, resilient, and innovative. Western volunteers coach doctors and nurses to increase their skills and confidence, expanding available procedures in the rural Karatu area. All employees understand and are aligned with the hospital's mission and vision. FAME is described as a place of healing, with gardens and children visiting on "Well Baby Tuesday".

The Director of Operations manages the business aspects of FAME. The long-term goal for the Medical Director is to expand the capacity of the hospital's local medical team. This position offers a unique opportunity to balance evidence-based practices with local resources. The Medical Director reports to the Co-Executive Directors and will oversee a team of 108 medical professionals, including 16 doctors, 70 nurses, 14 lab personnel, 5 pharmacy staff, and two radiographers. Strong management skills are required for this position.

Job Description

Administrative

• Provides medical direction by developing, maintaining, and adapting clinical practice guidelines consistent with best practices.
• Serves as a member of the Executive Team and the Senior Management Team.
• Participates in the Strategic Planning Process.
• Collaborates with the Executive and Senior Management Teams to ensure a culture of patient-centered care and lifelong learning across all medical departments.
• Oversees medical issues of day-to-day operations.
• Provides clinical innovation and thought leadership in developing sustainable programs in a low-resource setting.
• Ensures FAME's practices and policies comply with those required by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health.
• Assists FAME's Head Doctor in preparing for interactions with local and regional government health authorities as appropriate.

Medical Staff

• Serves as a liaison between the medical staff and the Executive Team.
• Supervises and mentors medical department heads.
• Oversees the selection process for clinicians.
• Oversees medical care team meetings.
• Oversees efficiencies related to scheduling and patient coverage.
• Oversees efficiencies related to ward rounding and handoffs of clinical care between caregivers.
• Collaborates with the Head Doctor and Clinical Education Coordinator in assessing continuing medical education needs and coordinating on-site CME for the FAME Clinical Team.
• Works with the Volunteer Coordinator to reinforce FAME's model of "partnership" and capacity building with volunteers.
• Orients and oversees Medical Volunteers while at FAME.
• Pairs volunteers with FAME staff in a targeted way to maximize learning opportunities.

Patient Care

• Develops and reviews protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Ensures that the quality of patient care is in accordance with established protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Assists the facility staff in identifying and solving patient-care problems.
• Assists the Head Doctor in maintaining continuity of patient care through coordination of physicians and nursing staff.
• Serves as a point person and mentor for FAME clinical staff in the management of complicated cases.
• Liaises with existing volunteer specialists through email/Zoom on complicated cases as needed.
• Cultivates linkages with referral entities to improve continuity of care for patients whose needs go beyond FAME's scope of services.
• Liaises with existing global health partners, overseeing program implementation and addressing challenges on the ground.
• Evaluates potential global health partners for compatibility with FAME's strategic priorities, advising the Executive Team accordingly.
• Provides clinical care as appropriate, focusing on complicated ward patients requiring internal medicine expertise.
• Provides supervision and assistance to FAME clinical staff when patient referrals to other institutions are required for care beyond what FAME can provide.

Performance Appraisal and Continuous Quality Improvement

• Oversees and mentors the Head Doctor in the provision of clinical supervision, including regular performance appraisals and feedback.
• Oversees the development and implementation of a system for reviewing and auditing patient files, focusing on quality of care and adherence to clinical protocols.
• Works with the Head Doctor and Clinical Team Leaders to develop and consistently implement a comprehensive orientation program for newly hired clinicians.
• Works with the Head Doctor to investigate breaches of quality patient care or ethical conduct by medical staff members and ensures corrective action has been taken.
• Ensures that Department Heads are enforcing medical staff rules and regulations and facility policies and procedures.
• Participates in performance reviews of medical staff members up for contract renewals.

Financial Practices

• Promotes cost containment and efficient use of facility resources.
• Makes recommendations for potential cost-effective improvements.
• Assists in educating medical staff about cost-containment issues.

Qualities and Characteristics

• Passionate about advancing high-quality, patient-centered care in rural Africa.
• Committed to building local capacity in rural Africa.
• Enjoys teaching, mentoring, and empowering doctors and medical staff.
• Excellent listening skills and sensitivity to other points of view.
• Willing to learn from mistakes and ask for help when needed.
• Possesses innate social intelligence for relating to people from different backgrounds and cultures.
• Knowledge of local cultural norms as they apply to healthcare delivery.
• Ability to promote a favorable facility image with doctors, patients, donors, partners, and the general public.
• Ability to be decisive, fair, and capable of making tough decisions.
• Skilled in organizing and prioritizing workload and meeting deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work as an effective team member, function independently, exercise sound judgment, and demonstrate self-initiative.
• Models a strong work ethic, is dependable and punctual.
• Has a good sense of humor.

Requirements

• M.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited medical school.
• Masters in Medicine or a Specialty Residency (internal medicine preferred).
• Medical practitioner with an active license in the country of residence.
• At least 10 years of experience as a medical practitioner.
• Successful track record of working in the developing world.
• Ability to thrive living in a beautiful, but very rural and isolated setting.
• Experience in medical management.
• Strong ethical and moral character references.
• English fluency (oral and written); knowledge of Kiswahili is an added advantage.
• Computer literacy required; knowledge of electronic medical record systems would be an added advantage.

Location and Hours This is a full-time position located in Karatu, Tanzania.

Compensation

• Salary commensurate with experience and education.
• 20 days Paid Time Off (PTO) annually.

More About FAME FAME is an organization dedicated to advancing quality medical care in rural Tanzania. Its founders aimed to provide communities in the Northern Highlands of Tanzania with a unique healthcare experience characterized by patient-centered care and high-quality service. FAME strives to meet the medical needs of ordinary Tanzanian people, including underserved populations in the most rural parts of the region.

Initially a Mobile Clinic serving remote populations, FAME now provides comprehensive primary care in its Outpatient Clinic and Inpatient Hospital, along with services in Surgery, Maternal and Child Health, Diagnostics, and Health Education. FAME also offers an ambitious in-house continuing medical education program to build local capacity. With 187 Tanzanian staff and nearly 28,000 annual patient visits, FAME serves a catchment area of 2.9 million rural Tanzanians who would otherwise have extremely limited access to quality healthcare. FAME collaborates with over 50 international medical volunteers annually to mentor and learn from its Tanzanian doctors and nurses. All stakeholders are committed to building and strengthening FAME and its providers to meet the medical needs of future generations in the Karatu District and beyond. FAME is registered as an NGO in Tanzania and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States.