Ask the expert: What is the role of paid medical management?

Surprisingly, the role of paid medical management, such as the chief medical officer, vice president of medical affairs, or medical director, is not to manage the performance of physicians on the medical staff. That responsibility lies in the hands of the organized medical staff. Paid medical management are responsible for managing physicians who are employed or who work under contract with the hospital, but only as their performance applies to their employment agreement or contract-they do not deal with aspects of performance that are not addressed in these documents.

Paid medical management are typically hired by and report to the CEO of the hospital and hold the following responsibilities:

• Overseeing quality programs, physician contracting, or, in some cases,  overseeing the operation of hospital departments such as the lab or radiology
• Serving as a resource to medical staff leaders, helping them fulfill their responsibilities by offering advice, mentoring, providing expertise in healthcare law or regulatory requirements, or arranging for medical staff leadership training     

Of course, a fine line exists between providing resources and stepping in to do the work of the medical staff, and confusion regarding this boundary has led to heated conflicts between some hospitals and their medical staffs, so keeping these lines clear is critically important.

To learn more about the role of paid medical staff, please see The Medical Executive Committee Handbook, Third Edition, by Mary J. Hoppa, MD, MBA; Albert L. Fritz, MHA; and Richard A. Sheff, MD.