CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER-GENERAL SURGERY (CMO) at Forrest General Hospital – Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for General Surgery is a senior clinical executive responsible for the strategic direction, clinical oversight, and quality improvement of general surgical services across the health system. The CMO will serve as a key liaison between surgical staff, hospital administration, and executive leadership, ensuring that clinical services are aligned with institutional goals, regulatory requirements, and best practices in patient care.

Performance Expectations:

Leadership and Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership for the Department of General Surgery.
• Develop and implement clinical policies, procedures, and pathways that ensure high-quality, evidence-based surgical care.
• Collaborate with the executive team on system-wide initiatives related to surgical performance, capacity planning, service line development and cost efficiencies.
• Lead physician engagement, recruitment, and retention efforts within general surgery.

Clinical Governance and Quality

• Oversee clinical quality, patient safety, and performance improvement programs specific to general surgery.
• Monitor surgical outcomes, complications, infection rates, and readmission data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with Joint Commission, CMS, and other regulatory standards.
• Facilitate morbidity and mortality conferences and root cause analyses when appropriate.

Operational Oversight

• Work closely with perioperative services, nursing, and anesthesia leadership to optimize surgical throughput, scheduling, and resource utilization.
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of departmental budgets, capital investments, and operational efficiency metrics.
• Participate in the development of clinical decision support tools, electronic health record (EHR) optimization, and care coordination initiatives.

Medical Staff Affairs

• Serve as a leader and mentor to attending surgeons, residents, and advanced practice providers.
• Chair or participate in surgical and medical staff committees, including credentialing, peer review, and medical executive committee meetings.
• Collaborate with department chairs and division chiefs to ensure effective and equitable clinical coverage.

Qualifications:

• Medical degree (MD or DO) from an accredited institution.
• Board certification in General Surgery.
• Active, unrestricted medical license in Mississippi.
• Minimum of 10 years of clinical surgical experience with at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership or medical executive role.
• Demonstrated success in leading quality improvement and patient safety initiatives.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Master's degree in healthcare administration, public health, or business (MHA, MPH, MBA) preferred.

• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive performance improvement.
• Deep understanding of hospital operations, perioperative services, and value-based care.
• Commitment to academic, research, or teaching missions (if applicable).
• Familiarity with EMR systems, data analytics, and healthcare informatics.