Chief of Cardiology

Overview

Position Title: Chief of Cardiology

 

Position Summary: Essen Health Care is seeking an experienced, board-certified cardiologist to serve as Chief of Cardiology. This physician leader will oversee the clinical quality, operational performance, provider development, and strategic growth of cardiology services while maintaining an active clinical practice.

 

The Chief of Cardiology will guide the delivery of accessible, coordinated, evidence-based cardiovascular care across Essen’s applicable clinical settings. The role requires close collaboration with primary care, other specialties, clinical operations, and executive leadership to improve access, strengthen referral coordination, and support continuity of care for patients with complex medical and social needs. The ideal candidate combines strong clinical judgment with practical leadership experience and a commitment to serving diverse and underserved communities in the Bronx.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical Leadership and Patient Care

• Provide overall clinical direction for cardiology services, establishing consistent standards for evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and documentation.
• Maintain an active clinical practice, providing comprehensive cardiovascular consultations and ongoing management of acute and chronic cardiac conditions.
• Oversee care for patients with conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, arrhythmias, valvular disease, and lipid disorders.
• Promote cardiovascular prevention, early identification of disease, and evidence-based management of cardiovascular risk factors.
• Establish clinical pathways that support appropriate testing, timely treatment, and clear communication of findings and care plans.
• Ensure critical findings and urgent clinical concerns are communicated promptly, with appropriate escalation and documented follow-up.
• Support shared decision-making, patient education, and treatment plans that account for language, health literacy, access, and other barriers to care.
• Define the appropriate scope of services for each cardiology location in partnership with leadership and based on staffing, equipment, credentialing, and patient needs.

Department Strategy and Service Development

• Develop and implement a cardiology service plan aligned with Essen’s clinical priorities, patient population, and organizational goals.
• Assess patient demand, referral patterns, appointment availability, provider capacity, and service gaps to recommend department priorities.
• Partner with executive and operational leadership to evaluate opportunities for new locations, expanded services, and additional diagnostic capabilities.
• Develop clinical and operational recommendations for proposed programs, including staffing needs, equipment requirements, workflows, and quality measures.
• Establish annual department goals and monitor progress through defined performance measures.
• Support sustainable growth while maintaining quality, appropriate utilization, and timely access to care.

Provider Leadership and Development

• Lead, mentor, and evaluate cardiologists and other assigned clinical team members.
• Establish clear expectations for clinical performance, patient experience, professional conduct, documentation, and collaboration.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and leadership to identify staffing needs, evaluate candidates, and support recruitment and retention.
• Participate in physician interviews and provide recommendations on clinical qualifications and department fit.
• Support structured onboarding, clinical orientation, and ongoing development for new providers.
• Conduct regular department meetings, case discussions, and individual performance reviews.
• Address performance concerns promptly and collaborate with appropriate leaders on coaching and corrective action.
• Promote a respectful, accountable team culture that encourages communication and continuous improvement.

Cardiac Diagnostic Services

• Provide clinical oversight of cardiology diagnostic services offered by Essen, within the department’s approved scope.
• Establish standards for test ordering, patient preparation, study quality, interpretation, reporting, and communication of results.
• Oversee applicable services, which may include electrocardiography, ambulatory rhythm monitoring, echocardiography, vascular studies, and stress testing.
• Support oversight of advanced imaging services, such as nuclear cardiology, cardiac PET, and coronary CT angiography, where offered and appropriately staffed.
• Ensure interpreting physicians hold the necessary credentials and privileges for the services they perform.
• Monitor report turnaround times, incomplete studies, repeat testing, and follow-up of abnormal results.
• Collaborate with technical and operational leaders on staff competency, equipment needs, maintenance, and applicable accreditation requirements.
• Establish processes for quality review and resolution of discrepancies in diagnostic interpretations.

Care Coordination and Clinical Integration

• Strengthen collaboration between cardiology, primary care, and other specialties to support coordinated patient care.
• Establish referral criteria and triage processes that distinguish routine, expedited, and urgent cardiology needs.
• Improve communication with referring providers through timely consultation notes, diagnostic reports, and treatment recommendations.
• Partner with care coordination teams to support appointment completion, medication adherence, diagnostic follow-up, and continuity of care.
• Support appropriate transitions following emergency department visits and hospital discharges, particularly for patients at elevated cardiovascular risk.
• Collaborate with external hospitals and specialists when patients require services beyond Essen’s scope.
• Help close referral and testing loops so recommended care is completed and results are addressed.

Quality, Patient Safety, and Compliance

• Lead cardiology quality improvement initiatives and monitor adherence to evidence-based clinical guidelines.
• Establish and review measures related to clinical outcomes, access, diagnostic quality, patient experience, and safety.
• Participate in peer review, chart audits, clinical case reviews, and investigation of patient safety events.
• Identify patterns in clinical variation, delayed follow-up, and adverse outcomes, and implement corrective improvements.
• Ensure department practices follow applicable regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and professional standards.
• Partner with Credentialing to support verification of provider qualifications and appropriate clinical privileges.
• Promote accurate, timely documentation that supports medical necessity, continuity of care, and compliant billing.
• Collaborate with compliance and revenue cycle teams to address documentation and coding concerns.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and reinforce appropriate handling of protected health information.

Operational and Financial Performance

• Partner with operations to optimize provider schedules, appointment templates, staffing, room utilization, and diagnostic capacity.
• Monitor appointment wait times, referral backlogs, cancellations, no-shows, and opportunities to improve patient access.
• Establish reasonable productivity expectations that reflect visit complexity, clinical responsibilities, and quality standards.
• Participate in department budgeting, staffing plans, and review of proposed capital investments.
• Review department performance with finance and operations, including service utilization, expenses, and revenue cycle trends.
• Support appropriate resource use and identify opportunities to reduce avoidable delays, duplication, and inefficiencies.
• Recommend improvements to workflows and technology that support clinical care and department performance.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from an accredited institution.
• Completion of an accredited residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease.
• Current board certification in Cardiovascular Disease through the appropriate recognized certifying board.
• Active, unrestricted New York State medical license, or eligibility to obtain one before the start date.
• Current DEA registration, as required for assigned clinical responsibilities.
• Eligibility for credentialing, payer enrollment, and applicable clinical privileges.
• Significant experience practicing cardiology, with demonstrated success in a physician leadership, medical director, division chief, or comparable role.
• Experience leading clinical teams, developing care standards, and implementing quality improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of outpatient cardiology operations, diagnostic services, and multidisciplinary care coordination.
• Ability to interpret clinical and operational data and translate findings into practical improvements.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to equitable, culturally responsive care for diverse patient populations.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading cardiology services across multiple outpatient locations.
• Experience caring for underserved populations and patients with complex chronic conditions.
• Additional training or certification in echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT, or other relevant areas.
• Experience developing cardiovascular prevention, heart failure, or other disease-management programs.
• Familiarity with population health, value-based care, and strategies to improve care transitions.
• Experience recruiting, mentoring, and retaining physicians and advanced practice providers.
• Spanish language proficiency or experience working effectively with interpreter services.

Leadership Competencies

• Clinical judgment: Applies sound, evidence-based decision-making to patient care and department standards.
• Accountability: Sets clear expectations, follows through on commitments, and addresses concerns directly.
• Collaboration: Builds effective relationships across clinical, operational, and administrative teams.
• Strategic planning: Connects department priorities with patient needs and organizational goals.
• Team development: Coaches providers and staff while maintaining consistent performance expectations.
• Operational effectiveness: Improves access, workflows, and resource use through practical solutions.
• Patient-centered leadership: Incorporates patient experience, equity, and safety into department decisions.

Measures of Success

Performance will be assessed against agreed-upon department goals, which may include:

• Timely access to cardiology consultations and diagnostic services.
• Completion of referrals, testing, and follow-up of abnormal results.
• Clinical quality and patient safety outcomes.
• Diagnostic report quality and turnaround times.
• Patient experience and referring-provider satisfaction.
• Provider recruitment, retention, engagement, and development.
• Documentation timeliness and completeness.
• Appropriate productivity, resource utilization, and budget performance.
• Progress on approved service development and quality improvement initiatives.

Work Environment and Schedule

This position combines direct patient care with dedicated administrative leadership responsibilities. Travel between Essen locations may be required based on department needs. The clinical schedule, administrative allocation, and any call responsibilities will be established before hire.