Chief Of Vision Therapy

Position Overview

The Chief of Service is responsible for the student education and standard of patient care provided in the assigned Area of The Eye Center (TEC). This position is an administrative appointment made annually by the Chief of Internal Clinics and Vice President for Clinical Programs. The incumbent assists the Chief of Internal Clinics and Director of Clinic Operations in all appropriate matters related to the orderly operations of The Eye Center at SCO. In addition, the incumbent oversees care to patients in need of diagnostic, management, and therapeutic refractive and eye health care, as well as operational aspects of the service area.

Essential Functions

• Assists the Chief of Internal Clinics, Vice President of Clinical Programs, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs in faculty recruitment, and makes recommendations regarding staffing needs.

• Supervises faculty, staff, students/interns assigned to the service area.

• Apprises Chief of Internal Clinics and clinic administrators of special problems in the service area, recommending appropriate solutions.

• Conducts meetings of faculty and staff assigned to the service area to provide opportunities for bidirectional communication on issues affecting service performance, progress towards implementation of strategic objectives, and in-service training opportunities.

• Participates in TEC Clinic Affairs Council on behalf of the service area and assists the Chief of Internal Clinics in creating operational goals for the clinical facility as a whole.

• Provides written annual performance evaluation of faculty and staff assigned to the service area, either as primary, secondary, or tertiary contributor based on the faculty member's assignment in the service area or as requested by the Chief of Internal Clinics.

• Submits formal reports, including data, analyses, projections, etc. to the Chief of Internal Clinics regarding the service area's activities.

• Processes and approves matters related to scheduling, and leaves of absence requests, and coordinates with other Service Chiefs to ensure appropriate coverage in the clinic.

• Serves as the instructor of record of clinical courses taught in the service area.

• Defines educational content with course objectives, specific student requirements, assessment methods, grading rubrics, and course policies. Publishes course syllabi communicating this information to students/interns and faculty.

• Monitors individual students' performance and informs interns of progress either verbally or in writing. Coordinates remediation opportunities for additional patient care assignments and skill reinforcement. Submits final course grades to the Office of Records and Admissions.

• Recommends educational program changes within the service area to the Vice President for Clinical Programs. Surveys clinical education programs offered at other optometric institutions and/or healthcare institutions to ensure that the programs within the service area are state-of-the-art and provide the most clinically advanced training.

• Coordinates with the Director of Clinical Care Coordination / Preventative Health and Chief of Internal Clinics to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to fraud, abuse, billing guidelines, OSHA guidelines, and emergency procedures.

• Provides a minimum of 10 hours of direct patient care on a weekly basis unless the Chief of Internal Clinics approves other duties, such as teaching or research.

• Reviews the scope and standards of patient care to ensure the clinical education program is current and progressive in relation to advances within the profession. Ensures the expected standards of patient care are adhered to by staff doctors, faculty, and students/interns assigned to the service area and makes recommended changes as needed to the Chief of Internal Clinics.

• Plans and conducts programs regarding new techniques, procedures, instrumentation, referral sources, etc. used in providing state-of-the-art patient care.

• Reviews patient records to ensure completeness and accuracy as a component of the ongoing quality assurance protocols.

• Creates faculty assignments, oversees student/intern staffing, and monitors service area schedules to ensure appropriate patient care access.

• Ensures procedures are utilized that ensure continuity of care, including providing information and coordinating patient care with other service areas.

• Assists faculty in reinforcing practice management skills in coding/billing, patient satisfaction, continuity of care, and internal marketing to students/interns.

• Provides recommendations to the Vice President for Clinical Programs, Chief of Internal Clinics, and Director of Clinic Operations regarding planning, implementing, and evaluating professional marketing strategies to increase the number of patients.

• Submits repair/service orders to Ophthalmic Equipment Specialists to maintain equipment in good operating order.

• Assist the Chief of Internal Clinics in budget development. Monitors service area financial indicators to make recommendations to the Chief of Internal Clinics, Vice President for Clinical Programs, and Director of Clinic Operations regarding program and revenue enhancement.

• Other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications

Education: OD degree from an accredited school or college of optometry.

Experience: Residency training and a minimum of 5 years of clinical experience required or a minimum of seven years of experience in optometric practice is required. A minimum of three years of experience in a clinical teaching environment is also required. Managerial experience is strongly preferred. Must hold full licensure to practice optometry in TN, including therapeutic and injectable certification or be eligible for licensure in Tennessee.

Special Skills/Certifications: Clinical experience and skill in the service area, sufficient to warrant identification as a leader in the field.