Chief Medical Officer

Job Details: Job Location: Health Center

• Columbus, OH, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Job Title: Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Reports to: Chief Executive Officer FLSA Status: Exempt Location: Columbus, Ohio (FQHC – Multiple Clinic Sites) About Lower Lights Christian Health Center Lower Lights Christian Health Center (LLCHC) is a mission-driven, faith-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides whole-person, high-quality, and accessible healthcare to underserved communities in Central Ohio. We are passionate about removing barriers to care and transforming lives through compassionate, patient-centered service. Join us in delivering hope and healing to our patients and their families.

Position Summary

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) serves as the senior clinical executive responsible for overall medical leadership and quality of care – as well as clinical governance, strategy, standards, oversight, and accountability across the organization. The CMO establishes the enterprise clinical direction while delegated leaders execute and oversee within their areas.

As a key member of the Executive Team, the CMO ensures delivery of high-quality, patient-centered, culturally competent care aligned with FQHC regulatory requirements, value-based care priorities, and the health center’s mission to serve underserved and vulnerable populations. The CMO partners closely with the CEO, CAO, CFO, and Board of Directors to drive clinical excellence, operational performance, population health outcomes, risk management, and community impact.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Strategy Provide enterprise clinical direction, governance, and oversight across medical and clinical service lines, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy, regulatory requirements, and standards of care. Oversee enterprise clinical leadership provided by appropriate service-line and Medical Directors, ensuring organizational accountability for clinical quality, safety, standards, and performance, with physician-specific medical oversight maintained where required by law, regulation, scope of practice, or program requirements.

Lead clinical integration and care transformation initiatives aligned with LLCHC’s mission and whole-person care model. Establish and oversee systems to support consistent implementation of clinical policies, protocols, and standards of care across LLCHC sites. Work closely with Medical Directors to establish expectations, delegate appropriate clinical authority, provide leadership coaching, and ensure consistent clinical governance, accountability, and escalation pathways across locations.

Quality, Compliance & UDS Performance Serve as executive sponsor for LLCHC’s Quality Improvement (QI) and Patient Safety programs. Provide strategic leadership and direct accountability for LLCHC’s performance on Primary Care UDS Quality Metrics, including chronic disease management, screenings, and preventative health.

Collaborate with Medical Directors and providers to design workflows and monitoring systems that ensure LLCHC meets or exceeds all UDS benchmarks. Review and analyze quality dashboards, trend reports, and performance data to drive improvement at the provider, clinic, and organizational levels. Ensure compliance with HRSA Health Center Program Requirements, FTCA deeming, NCQA/PCMH standards, and all regulatory frameworks.

Medical Director Leadership & Clinical Governance Provide direct leadership, supervision, and development of LLCHC’s clinic Medical Directors. Establish Medical Director responsibilities, performance goals, and accountability structures tied to quality metrics, productivity, patient experience, clinical leadership, provider accountability, clinical governance, and implementation of organizational clinical standards.

Facilitate regular Medical Director meetings to drive clinical alignment, communication, and leadership consistency across sites. Lead or oversee organizational processes for peer review, credentialing, privileging, and provider performance improvement, ensuring appropriate discipline-specific and physician participation where required.

Provider Leadership & Workforce Development Mentor and support LLCHC medical, behavioral health, and dental providers; foster a culture of excellence, accountability, and teamwork. Oversee provider recruitment, onboarding, supervision, and retention. Provide guidance to Medical Directors on managing provider performance, including quality outcomes, documentation, and productivity.

Support clinical education, student/resident rotations, and workforce development initiatives. Clinical Operations Partnership Partner with the CAO, nursing leadership, and practice management in areas of clinical direction and identifying clinical workflow priorities to help ensure efficient and mission-aligned operations at all LLCHC sites.

Provide clinical leadership to improve performance on UDS quality measures through clinical standards, provider accountability, and targeted improvement initiatives. Collaborate with IT/HER teams (Epic/OCHIN) to optimize documentation, provider workflows, quality dashboards, and decision support tools. Advance integrated care models, including behavioral health integration, care management, MAT/SUD programming, and chronic disease initiatives.

Community & External Relations Represent LLCHC in clinical matters with hospital systems, public health partners, academic institutions, and community organizations. Provide active support and advocacy related to FQHC priorities, health equity, access to care, and the specific needs of the populations served by LLCHC.

Financial & Operational Stewardship Collaborate with the CEO, CAO, CFO, and operational leaders to ensure clinical programs are efficient and financially sustainable. Lead provider-level accountability for documentation quality, panel management, and clinical revenue cycle performance. Participate in budget planning for clinical staffing, equipment, and service expansion.

Ensure quality performance (UDS and payer-based) is integrated into value-based care strategy and financial planning.

Qualifications

Skills and Qualifications Required Licensed physician (MD/DO) or Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP/APRN) with an active, unrestricted Ohio license and appropriate clinical certification. Minimum 5 years of clinical practice in family medicine or internal medicine. Minimum 3–5 years of progressive clinical leadership. Demonstrated success in quality improvement, provider leadership, and healthcare operations preferably including UDS measures.

Familiarity with FQHC operations and underserved populations. Preferred Experience supervising or developing medical directors or site leads. Prior work with Epic (especially within OCHIN). Knowledge of HRSA compliance, FTCA, and NCQA/PCMH Additional leadership or public health training (MBA, MHA, MPH, or fellowship).

Core Competencies Mission-driven leadership Strong communication and interpersonal skills Ability to lead through influence and accountability Clinical systems thinking and problem solving Data-driven decision making Commitment to equity, trauma-informed care, and whole-person health Work Environment CMO will work in corporate office, clinical facilities, or remotely, with occasional travel.

Living our Values You are mission-oriented and passionate about living out your purpose. You play an active role in responding to the needs of the community and the organization. You work well with others and use your time and resources effectively. You challenge yourself to grow personally and professionally. You embrace diversity and enjoy providing compassionate, excellent care to others.

This job description is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be considered an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements.