DSHS WSH Chief Medical Officer

State of Washington; Lakewood (WA); Sur place; USD 350 000 - 520 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

State of Washington seeks a Chief Medical Officer for the Gage Center for Forensic Services at Western State Hospital. The CMO leads medical services, ensures regulatory compliance, and guides strategic clinical initiatives across a 458-bed forensic hospital.

Reporting to the CEO and serving on the Executive Cabinet, the CMO will build teams, drive performance, manage budgets and prepare GCFS for the upcoming forensic hospital transition.

Qualifications

• MD license to practice in Washington state.
• Board certification in General Psychiatry by the relevant board.
• Proven medical leadership experience in complex systems.
• Experience integrating private-sector practices into public healthcare.

Responsabilités

• Lead multidisciplinary clinical teams and hospital-wide medical operations.
• Ensure compliance with CMS, RCW, WAC, HIPAA and related standards.
• Shape clinical strategy, drive workforce stability, and oversee transitions.
• Oversee recruitment, credentialing, privileging, and 24/7 coverage.
• Develop KPIs to improve efficiency, outcomes and staff satisfaction.
• Prepare GCFS for transition to a new forensic hospital and redesign processes.

Connaissances

Medical leadership

Strategic planning

Team building

Communication

Budget management

Contracting oversight

Formation

MD - license to practice Medicine and Surgery (Washington)

Board certification in General Psychiatry

Description du poste

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) - Gage Center for Forensic Services (GCFS), Western State Hospital

The Behavioral Health & Habilitation Administration (BHHA) provides high-quality inpatient forensic psychiatric care for individuals adjudicated Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), those requiring Competency Restoration, and individuals referred for inpatient forensic evaluation among other court orders. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) serves as the highest-level clinical executive for the Gage Center for Forensic Services (GCFS) at Western State Hospital (WSH). Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the CMO is a key member of the Executive Cabinet and Governing Body, responsible for strategic, clinical, and administrative leadership of all medical services across a 458-bed forensic psychiatric hospital.

In this role, you will lead multidisciplinary clinical teams, oversee hospital-wide medical operations, and ensure compliance with federal and state regulations including CMS Conditions of Participation, RCW, WAC, HIPAA, and professional standards of practice. You will shape the hospital’s clinical strategy, strengthen workforce stability, and guide GCFS through major organizational transitions, including preparation for the new forensic hospital.

This is an opportunity to lead transformational change in one of Washington’s most complex healthcare environments. The successful candidate will improve service delivery, build high-performing clinical teams, and leave a lasting impact on forensic psychiatric care statewide.

Pierce County employees are eligible to receive an Orca Card for transportation needs.

Some Of What You’ll Do

• Plan, organize, direct, and evaluate all psychiatric and medical services across GCFS, ensuring safe, high-quality, patient-centered care.
• Lead strategic planning and operational execution for medical services, ensuring alignment with GCFS mission, values, and certification requirements.
• Build, mentor, and supervise senior medical leaders including psychiatrists, physicians, ARNPs, psychologists, and clinical administrators.
• Oversee recruitment, retention, credentialing, and privileging of licensed medical staff to ensure 24/7 coverage and compliance with CMS standards.
• Monitor hospital performance across Medical Services, Clinical Laboratory, Radiology, Physical Therapy, and the Medical Clinic.
• Lead development of key performance indicators to improve operational efficiency, staff satisfaction, and patient outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with CMS Conditions of Participation, accrediting bodies, RCW, WAC, HIPAA, and DSHS/BHHA/GCFS policies.
• Oversee treatment planning processes, review complex clinical cases, and guide quality improvement initiatives. Coordinate admissions to ensure timelines established by law are met.
• Partner with nursing, rehabilitation, social work, and other disciplines to ensure integrated, person-centered care.
• Prepare GCFS for transition into the new forensic hospital, including operational readiness and clinical process redesign.
• Manage a large operating budget and influence additional financial drivers including staffing, and external medical contracts.
• Provide timely responses to assignments from DSHS, BHHA, and the CEO.

Required Qualifications

What we’re looking for:

• Valid license to practice Medicine and Surgery in Washington State.
• Certification in General Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
• Demonstrated medical leadership experience.
• Experience integrating private-sector management practices into public healthcare systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five years of medical leadership experience.
• Experience in forensic or carceral psychiatric settings.
• Ability to inspire teams and communicate effectively.
• Model humility, flexibility, and collaborative leadership.
• Strong data analytic skills and experience with budgets, policy development, and personnel