Clinical Director - Project CARA, Ob/Gyn

MAHEC's Project CARA is a nationally recognized program dedicated to improving outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals affected by substance use disorders through compassionate, evidence-based care, community collaboration, and innovative treatment models. We are seeking a skilled clinician with experience in obstetric prenatal care and a passion for substance use disorder treatment to help lead this transformative work.

As Project CARA's Clinical Director, you'll leverage your clinical expertise, leadership, and commitment to serving underserved populations to advance integrated perinatal substance use services, improve outcomes for patients and families, and expand access to care across Western North Carolina. This full-time leadership opportunity offers competitive compensation, MAHEC's comprehensive Total Rewards package, and a primarily clinic-based work environment with opportunities to engage with community partners, regional stakeholders, and interdisciplinary teams throughout the region. The role also provides flexibility for certain administrative responsibilities to be completed remotely. This is a unique opportunity to influence clinical practice, strengthen regional systems of care, and make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of families facing some of the most complex healthcare challenges

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JOB SUMMARY:

• The Clinical Director provides clinical guidance and recommendations for Project CARA. This role supports evidence-based, patient-centered care within clinical programs by aligning clinical expertise and direct patient care delivery in partnership with operational leadership to integrate program goals with MAHEC strategic goals of excellence in clinical care to improve the health of patients in our region. The Director will participate in multidisciplinary teams, contribute to performance improvement of the program, and may represent the clinical program team in regional and statewide collaborations.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serves as the clinical expert for MAHEC’s Project CARA, in partnership with practice leaders in operations and care delivery.
• Provides clinical guidance and recommendations related to care delivery, workflows, transitions of care, and high‑risk patient interventions within the designated clinical program.
• Develops, maintains, and updates clinical process guidelines relevant to the clinical program.
• Acts as a clinical resource for care managers and program teams across population health, OSP, community health, and clinical departments, supporting physicians, APPs, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, and community health workers.
• Collaborates with operational teams to sustain and scale innovative care models developed within the program, ensuring integration into ongoing care delivery structures and departmental operations. Innovations may include system‑level approaches to chronic disease management, behavioral health, value‑based care, and community health improvement.
• Provides didactic and clinical education and preceptorship to learners of all levels, including medical students, residents, and fellows, to ensure training in evidence-based best practices in PSUDS care.  Collaborates with research teams at UNC Health Sciences and MAHEC to integrate education and research activities into clinical programs.
• Partners with the MAHEC Quality Improvement team to provide clinical expertise in monitoring outcomes, improving service utilization, advancing equity in care delivery, and supporting continuous program improvement.
• Collaborates with population health leadership to provide clinical recommendations in support of NCDHHS standards, Medicaid tailored care management, and value‑based care contracts.
• Contributes clinical summaries and insights for program performance reporting to executive leadership and external stakeholders.
• Identify, develop, and maintain community collaboration with key partners and external stakeholders through referrals and ongoing relationships.
• Contributes to MAHEC’s participation in statewide initiatives aligned with program goals and objectives.

SPECIFIC PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for the overall oversight of the clinical access, scheduling, and performance. This position leads the integrated care team in providing direct care for perinatal substance use services.
• Expand and sustain a regional network of community-based Spoke sites throughout western NC that provide integrated perinatal SUD care.
• Lead and participate in the creation, evaluation, and execution of organizational, community, and regional PSUDS educational content. This includes committee participation for the annual perinatal substance exposure summit, monthly meetings for the NC Statewide PSUDS network learning collaborative, quarterly newsletters, the annual Perinatal Substance Exposure Summit, and additional PSUDS training as well as other collaborative projects.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

Communication Skills

Effectively and respectably communicate with other individuals, whether it be a colleague, patient, or patient’s family member and appropriately enumerate information in a manner easily understood by all parties. We do this to foster a culture of understanding between all parties, especially in complex and difficult situations, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients and their families.

Decision Making

Ability to make the most appropriate decision in a given situation and then taking the next steps to ensure appropriate and timely completion. This requires conflict resolution skills, critical thinking skills, confidence in your ability to make the right decision in most situations. This also includes ability to prioritize your workday appropriately to ensure the most important tasks are completed on time.

HealthCare Knowledge

Having the drive to keep yourself abreast and up to date on the new breakthroughs in your area of expertise and communicating them to the rest of the team, as appropriate.  This also includes keeping up with your licensure and yearly training requirements within your area expertise along with MAHEC’s organizational training. Finally, the ability to apply the depth of knowledge maintained and gained through this process in real life scenarios as appropriate.

Interpersonal Skills

Showing the ability to meet difficult situations with grace, professionalism, and understanding. Within your area of expertise, showing respect and showing empathy where appropriate with your colleagues, patients, and their family at all times, even when it’s most difficult to do so. This is done, in part, by effective listening, being your authentic self, showing responsibility and dependability, and being patient with others.

Organizational Values

Adherence to MAHEC’s founding principles and incorporating them every day. This includes, among others, having integrity and accountability, reverence for other cultures and equitable practices, ability to manage change, and displaying a clear understanding of organizational dynamics. Doing these things creates a culture where people want to do the best for each other and gives personal ownership towards the goal of helping people in their time of need.

Problem Solving

Having an analytical mind and ability to work autonomously to solve complex problems that may arise. The wherewithal to think logically through a difficult problem and come to an appropriate resolution for a given issue. This helps to drive continuous improvement by thinking through where we can improve in a novel way. Measures success by understanding where we are currently and where we want to go and then applying those new ideas to affect positive change.

SPECIFIED SKILLS

• COMPUTER
  • Excellent skills in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and database applications required.

• FOREIGN LANGUAGE
  • Spanish speaking skills preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Not applicable.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Minimum 3 years of clinical experience in obstetrics, primary care, family medicine, internal medicine, or integrated behavioral health. Demonstrated leadership in program development, quality improvement, and team-based care. Strong understanding of population health, chronic disease management, and social drivers of health.
• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Experience in academic medicine. Familiarity with Medicaid transformation, value-based care, and care management standards. Advanced training in public health, health administration, or quality improvement (MPH, MHA, or equivalent).

REQUIRED LICENSES

• MD/DO, CNM, NP/PA or PharmD with active North Carolina license (or eligibility).

SCHEDULE:

• Regular attendance on-site is an essential function of this position. Typical business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (or flexed to best meet the needs of the clients and/or the Division); 40 hours per workweek; weekend, holiday, or evening coverage is occasionally required. Work hours will need to be flexible in order to respond to special work assignments, or evening activities, as requested by the team leader.

At MAHEC, we strive to equip all team members with Total Rewards (pay + benefits) to honor their service, support their health, manage their financial security, build their career, and thrive.

All MAHEC employees and learners will be required to receive the Flu vaccine or have an approved exemption.

MAHEC Talent Management is located at 121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Equal Opportunity Employer.

MAHEC is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Employees who meet federal requirements may be eligible to have remaining student loan balances forgiven after 10 years of qualifying payments while working full-time at MAHEC.

If you are interested in this role, and you have related experience and qualifications, we encourage you to apply or reach out to [email protected] for support in your job search process. You could be the talent we are seeking for this or other opportunities.