Leadership role
Medical Director / CMO
The senior physician leader, accountable for the quality and oversight of clinical care.
Reporting and scope
Reports to the Executive Director / CEO, and in hospitals often to the board through the medical staff. Authority covers medical practice across the organization or a clinical program.
Core responsibilities
- Oversees physicians and other licensed clinicians, including credentialing and peer review
- Sets clinical policies, protocols and standards of care
- Leads quality, patient safety and clinical risk review
- Serves as physician of record for licensing, Medicare and accreditation requirements
- Advises on clinical services, partnerships and grant-funded programs
- Often keeps a part-time clinical practice
How it differs
The VP of Medical Affairs manages medical staff relations in large hospitals and may report to the CMO. The Chief Quality Officer owns quality systems, which may or may not be led by a physician. Physician / Clinical Practitioner covers physicians without an executive role.
By organization size
In a community health center or hospice the Medical Director may be part-time. In large hospital systems the CMO is a full-time executive with physician leaders reporting to them.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Medical Director; Chief Medical Officer; CMO; Chief Clinical Officer; Dental Director; Associate Medical Director