Associate Medical Director at Fora Health Inc – Portland, Oregon

Position Summary

The Associate Medical Director (AMD) plays a key role in delivering high-quality patient care across Fora Health’s medical programs, including withdrawal management, residential medical services, and outpatient treatment. The AMD collaborates closely with the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Operations Director to develop and implement evidence-based, best-practice medical programming tailored to Fora’s outpatient and residential services.

As an integral member of the Medical Leadership Team, the AMD works alongside the Director of Psychiatric Services and Nurse Manager to foster a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to care. This team partners with leadership across Fora’s continuum of care to support the organization's mission of providing compassionate, effective treatment for individuals with substance use disorders.

The AMD will actively contribute to a program culture grounded in excellent medical care, loving kindness, harm reduction principles, and trauma-informed care. The role’s time allocation is approximately 80% clinical duties and 20% administrative responsibilities focused on program development and continuous quality improvement.

Essential Job Duties

• Completing medical intakes on patients admitting to withdrawal management
• Formulating treatment plans for those patients and communicating with nurses and case managers as necessary regarding implementation of medical orders and ongoing assessment of patients
• Reviewing medical referrals to Medically Managed Residential Program and communicating with referents, including hospitals and outpatient settings.
• Reviewing medical intakes on MMR admitting patients and consulting with nurse case manager on treatment plans.
• Providing clinical education to nurses
• One week per month of overnight phone call coverage
• Supervising and mentoring medical learners throughout their rotations at Fora
• Providing education to patients about medications and treatment options.
• Collaborating with Chief Medical Officer & Medical Operations Director & Director of Psychiatric Services on development and implementation of new programs
• Supports developing, implementing, and overseeing clinical services, policies, and procedures
• Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to ensure quality of care
• Participating in quality improvement initiatives
• Staying up to date on medical research and advancements
• Other duties as assigned

Additional Job Duties

• Attend and participate in all staff meetings, including medical department and leadership meetings as assigned.
• Attend all supervision meetings as assigned.
• Maintain and strengthen good working relationships with members of other departments.
• Maintain cleanliness and safety of work environment.
• Perform related tasks as assigned.
• Complete documentation in a timely manner.
• Negotiate conflicting demands of patients, staff, available resources, and applicable policies & laws.
• Prioritize and manage the competing demands of their work effectively.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

• The Associate Medical Director reports to the Chief Medical Officer.
• The Associate Medical Director works interdependently as a member of a program clinical team and works collaboratively with other agency staff.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Productivity: The extent to which essential job tasks are met.

2. Quality of Work: The extent to which tasks are completed in a timely manner with few or no errors:

• Conducts medical history review and physical assessment when necessary in a timely manner which does not compromise client health.
• Communicates to Clinical Team any medical information that may impact client's participation in treatment.
• Provides ongoing status reports to Supervisor on responsibilities.

3. Initiative: The extent to which the Medical Provider knows when to ask for help, prioritizes and efficiently and effectively performs duties.

• Addresses crisis situations as they present themselves.
• Demonstrates time management and organizational skills.
• Furthers Department’s and Fora Health Mission and Values.
• Represents Department and Fora Health appropriately in the community.

4. Integrity: The extent to which the Medical Provider performs job in a professional manner, demonstrating ethical behaviors and adhering to federal/state laws and agency policies and procedures.

• Works all regularly scheduled hours.
• While at work, engages in work activities.
• Attends and participates in all meetings assigned by supervisor.
• Conducts clinical and administrative duties in an honest and respectful manner.
• Maintains professional behavior and all ethical standards.
• Informs Supervisor of unprofessional or unethical behavior by self or other staff members.

5. Reliability: The extent to which the Medical Nurse Practitioner accomplishes tasks with little or no follow up from the Supervisor.

• Represents Fora Health in a professional manner.
• Consistently practices kindness with patients and colleagues.
• Keeps the Supervisor informed of significant events that impact agency.
• Completes projects in a timely manner.
• Conducts clinical activities in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Ensures that all clinical services provided are within the Services Model Framework.
• Consistently employs Harm Reduction principles, Trauma-Informed care, and Motivational Enhancement techniques.
• Completes all administrative and paperwork responsibilities in a timely and reliable manner.
• Informs the Supervisor of any difficulties in performing regular duties

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Must be a licensed MD or DO
• Must be board certified in Addiction Medicine; Fellowship training strongly preferred
• Experience in prescribing buprenorphine required
• Experience in primary care, hospital medicine or urgent care required
• Experience in withdrawal management strongly preferred
• Supervising experience is a plus

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• For employees with a history of substance use disorder, Fora Health’s policy requires certification of a minimum of two years of sobriety for this position.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment or for cause drug tests.
• Position will require some amount of regular connection to work via cell phone to answer questions and respond to internal and external contacts.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position generally works in an indoor office environment with periodic travel between sites or special events.
• Possible exposure to communicable diseases which can encompass a variety of illnesses and infections, including tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, B, and C, and HIV.
• Possible exposure to upset, angry, severely traumatized or emotionally disturbed adults, adolescents, and families.
• Position might require overtime, but not consistently. Adjustment of work schedule may be required.
• Shift work may include day, swing and graveyard hours. Shifts may also be scheduled on weekends and holidays.
• Exposure to potentially hazardous cleaning chemicals, body fluids, sharps equipment and medication; personal protective equipment provided.