Associate Medical Director, Recovery Surgeon

Donor Network West; California; On-site; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Donor Network West is seeking a Recovery Surgeon, Associate Medical Director to lead organ recovery surgeries. This role involves surgical dissection, effective collaboration with hospital personnel, and assessment of donor suitability.

Qualified candidates must be a licensed physician with at least two years of surgical experience. The position offers a competitive salary of $250,000 with performance-based bonuses, alongside a commitment to excellence and equity in our mission.

Qualifications

• Licensed physician with unrestricted license to practice medicine in the U.S.
• Experience with Donation after Brain Death (DBD) and Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) recoveries.
• Must obtain California physician's license within 12 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Perform organ recovery procedures for both DBD and DCD donors.
• Collaborate with hospital staff throughout the recovery process.
• Participate in quality review of donors and research committee.

Skills

Organ recovery procedures

Collaboration with hospital staff

Surgical dissection and removal

Medical suitability assessment

Education

Graduate of an accredited medical school

Minimum two years' experience as a surgeon

Job description

Donor Network West’s mission is to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation and research.

At Donor Network West, we're looking for people who embody our core values: passion, excellence, equity and inclusion, and relationships. We welcome diverse perspectives and foster an environment of collaboration and service.

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (EVP COO), the Recovery Surgeon, Associate Medical Director (Recovery Surgeon) is a licensed physician with experience in organ donation, surgical organ recovery, and organ transplantation. The Recovery Surgeon has the primary responsibility of surgical dissection, removal, and preparation of abdominal organs recovered from deceased donors for transplantation and research, as well as the intraoperative assessment of medical suitability of the deceased donor. The Recovery Surgeon will adhere to all DN West surgical recovery standards and is expected to contribute to the mission of DNWest to increase the availability of organs suitable for transplantation by assisting in operational efficiencies and high-quality surgical recovery services.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The essential functions listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification. They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Employees may perform other duties as assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Clinical

• Responsible for organ recovery procedures, both Donation after Brain Death (DBD) donors and Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) donors, ensuring they meet national standards and DNWest policies and procedures for organ recovery and transplantation.
• Responsible for A-NRP cannulation and maintains competencies in OrganOx and other normothermic or hypothermic machine perfusion technologies employed by DNWest.
• Assists in managing the donor hospital recovery process by collaborating with hospital staff in a respectful and professional manner.
• Responsible for performing organ biopsies and facilitating the interpretation of organ biopsies by donor hospital or other pathologists to determine suitability when biopsy requested.
• Responsible for inspecting the abdominal cavity for abnormalities that necessitate pathological evaluation.
• Responsible for recovering liver, pancreas, and kidneys from deceased donors for transplantation or research.
• Provides and documents an accurate and verifiable description of organ anatomy to include assessment of quality, anatomical abnormalities, and surgical damage.
• Participates in verification of organ labeling to ensure accuracy and safety in accordance with DNWest policies.
• Recovers heart valves and organs for research as needed.
• Assists the Organ Preservation Coordinator (OPC) in perfusion and preservation

Quality, Performance Improvement and Regulatory

• Collaborates with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chief Operations Officer (COO), VP of External Affairs, and Quality Systems leadership in the analysis of relevant Transplant Centers’ statistics (surgical injury rates, kidney extraction times, discard rates, etc.).
• Identifies opportunities for improvement of intraoperative DNWest protocols and procedures.
• Assess surgical practice of non-physician organ procurement personnel in the evaluation of ongoing competencies and surgical practice.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Full‑time schedule requires a minimum of 20 on‑call days with 10 days off each month, including some weekends. Per Diem on‑call schedule will be based on the needs of the operation. An on‑call day shall be defined as a 24‑hour period.
• Extensive travel within DNWest service area to donor hospitals both by vehicle and aircraft.
• Participates in weekly quality review of donors and is a member of the DNWest Research Committee.
• Attends UNOS/OPTN Region 5 meetings including Regional Collaborative meetings.
• Attends staff meetings and other training programs as needed.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Graduate of an accredited medical school and residency program.
• Minimum two years' experience as a surgeon performing Donation after Brain Death (DBD) and Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) organ recoveries or transplant operations in the United States.
• Licensed physician with an unrestricted and unlimited license to practice medicine in the United States. Must obtain physician's license in California within 12 months of date of hire.
• Required to travel by personal vehicle and DNWest authorized vehicles to meet the duties and responsibilities of this position.
• Protect against exposure to blood or bodily fluids by following established procedures to identify the appropriate personal protective measures to be used when performing the essential functions of your position and by adhering to DNWest annual vaccination and testing requirements.

• Must have ability to travel within the DNWest’s service area by car. Must maintain a valid driver’s license and current vehicle insurance based on applicable state minimum insurance coverage standards.

$250,000 - $250,000 a year

Base salary of $250,000 plus additional performance‑based bonus associated with organ procurement and recovery services.

Donor Network West takes a market‑based approach to pay. All candidates' starting pay will be determined based on job‑related skills, experience, qualifications and interview performance.

Our job listings’ compensation ranges include location‑based differentials but may not be reflective of a candidate’s final base salary. Location differentials are determined by an employee’s home address, associated market data provided by government reporting and processed by Payroll.

If selected, Donor Network West’s Recruiting & Compensation Team will provide further detail!

Salary data provided by third party sites do not accurately reflect our pay structure.