Hospice Physician

Hospice Physician

Job Summary:

 The Hospice Physician is responsible for the medical direction of the care and treatment of patients served by Big Bend Hospice’s Care Team and consults and cooperates with the patient’s attending physician. The Hospice Physician provides physician direction and guidance to the Hospice program and staff to ensure the maintenance of quality care for patients and families.  

This flexible position is open to occasional Hybrid work for hospice and palliative care, offering a unique opportunity to balance professional responsibilities with personal needs. Preference is given to applicants in Tallahassee, Florida, or surrounding areas.  

The Hospice Physician serves as a liaison between the Hospice and community physicians, as well as with others engaged in health care services, to improve the quality of care provided to Hospice patients and to increase access for appropriate patients served by Hospice. The Hospice Physician also serves as an educator of hospice care and provides direct medical care as needed to patients in the home, inpatient units, and in multiple healthcare settings. 

Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Provide guidance and patient certification for the designated hospice care team. 

• Attending Hospice Care Team meetings as determined by the Hospice Medical Director. 

• Act as backup for the Medical Director and consult and cooperate with the patient’s attending physician to ensure the maintenance of quality care for patients and families. 

• Provide medical validation of the plan of care for each Hospice patient with the coordination of the patient’s attending physician and the Hospice’s medical staff. 

• Provide clinical expertise and participate in interdisciplinary team decisions regarding diagnosis and the medical management needs of Hospice patients/families. 

• Serve as a liaison between Hospice and other health care providers. 

• Be available during business hours for team nurses and interprofessional members to provide oversight to plan of care, level of care decisions, prescriptions, and recommendations for symptom management needs. 

• Verbally approve and provide Certification of Terminal Illness as needed for new admissions. 

• Complete needed administrative documentation including certification of terminal illness, plan of care, and recertification of terminal illness in the Hospice electronic medical record. 

• Participate in electronic prescribing for patients on their designated hospice care team. 

• Complete death certificates on patients as required promptly. 

• Provide direct patient care to IPU including staffing of new admissions, patient follow-up visits, and family meetings. 

• Complete documentation in the EMR and submit billing as appropriate. 

• Participate in decisions regarding the appropriateness of admissions when necessary. 

• Review the admission [medical and psychosocial] history of each patient with a member of the medical team. 

• Assist in the introduction of the Hospice program to practicing physicians, nursing homes, health maintenance organizations, hospitals, and other referral sources. 

• Conduct educational seminars and presentations for health care professionals and the public. 

• Call coverage duties include availability for inpatient unit staff for symptom management, level of care and admission decisions, and support management of patients in the home and facility setting. 

• Participate in On-Call rotations for home patients and make rounds in the Inpatient Units. 

• Consistently represent Big Bend Hospice to all internal and external customers with integrity and professionalism. 

• Carry out duties and responsibilities of the position in a manner that exemplifies excellent customer service. 

• Provide other duties as requested by the Medical Director or CEO. 

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. 

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 

• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate. 

• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality. 

• Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations. 

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software. 

Education and Experience: 

• MD or DO from an accredited medical school. 

• Licensed to practice medicine in the State of Florida. 

• Knowledge and experience in palliative medical practice and symptom management. 

• Residency graduate in Internal or Family Medicine. 

• Board certification in Hospice and Palliative medicine or Fellowship Trained/Board eligible or Hospice Medical Director Certified (HMD thru AA). 

• Experience in the care of terminally ill patients, knowledge and expertise in palliative care or shows initiative to develop knowledge and expertise quickly over time. 

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and EMR systems. 

Why Big Bend Hospice?

Our Perks: 
We are committed to taking care of our BBH team by providing competitive wages and a generous benefits package that includes the following:

• Paid Time Off 
• 9 paid holidays annually
• Medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, FSA, EAP, FSA, HSA, life insurance, and supplemental life insurance
• Up to 5% 403B match after one year of employment
• CME Allowance 
• PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) eligibility for most roles
• Professional growth and development opportunities 

Hospice work is not a job – it’s a calling.

Our Culture  

Our culture is cultivated using the following values:

• Integrity - We demonstrate integrity in everything we do
• Accountability - We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards
• Respect - We respect our patients and the families we serve, and we respect one another
• Stewards - We are good stewards of our resources
• Innovation - We strive for increased knowledge and explore innovative ways to fulfill our mission
• Excellence - We are committed to excellence and helping each employee reach their highest potential

Caring for patients and their families at the end of life requires exceptional people with the spirit and commitment to providing compassionate care.

Big Bend Hospice has been the “Hometown Hospice” in the Florida Big Bend area since 1983. Our non-profit's mission is to “inspire hope by positively impacting the way our community experiences serious illness or grief one family at a time.”

Big Bend Hospice strives to be the employer of choice and is committed to providing the education, tools, and work environment to allow employees to perform at their best. For more information about Big Bend Hospice, visit bigbendhospice.org or us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Join a Team that inspires hope!

Big Bend Hospice is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals. We celebrate diversity without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics.