Salary: $387,180.00 Annually
Location : Spokane County - Medical Lake, WA
Job Type: Exempt
Job Number:Department: Dept. of Social and Health Services
Division: BHHA
Opening Date: 05/26/2026
Closing Date: 6/9/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
DescriptionChief Medical Officer - Eastern State Hospital We are in search of a self-motivated, forward-thinking physician to fill a vital leadership role in which their passion for partnering with people who need access to care, and support is displayed every day.
At (ESH), our Chief Medical Officer will thrive in a collaborative, inclusive, and psychologically safe environment. Here, high-quality, patient-focused care is our mission.
ESH is a 375-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital accredited by The(TJC) and certified by the federal (CMS). The hospital opened in 1891 in picturesque Medical Lake, Washington.
ESH provides long-term psychiatric care to adult civil, forensic, geriatric and habilitative mental health patients.
The CMO plans, organizes, controls and evaluates all clinical administrative components to assure a supportive environment toward the delivery of the highest quality of services. They will be required to supervise a senior medical leadership team and provide clinical and administrative directions to all medical and clinical medical services staff.
Opportunities performed on-site at this work location at least three days a week may be eligible for an additional 5% premium pay in addition to the advertised salary.
Located 15 miles west of downtown - Washington's second largest city - it and a host of other suburban communities offer ideal places to live, play, and work. Outdoor activities are especially plentiful given the area's natural beauty and its four seasons.
Primary Responsibilities:- Innovative Leader: Responsible and accountable for the administration and coordination of psychiatric and medical services and provide consultation on clinical matters related to nursing, rehabilitation, and other professional services. Direct and coordinate the administration of all psychiatric and medical services by conducting supervisory meetings and unit rounds, reviewing reports to ensure appropriate use of resources, and designating staff assignments to meet the goals of ESH.
- Strategic Partner: Collaborate with executive and senior leadership teams to meet organizational goals and to optimize processes and services delivered. Perform leadership and executive duties in planning, developing, coordinating, implementing, and directing and evaluating clinical and professional services.
- Participate in the development and implementation of the strategic direction for ESH. Ensure the strategic direction is articulated to medical staff and effectively delegates key activities to ensure timely execution of the strategic goals and objectives. Direct program development and implementation of all medical and psychiatric initiatives.
- Talent Developer: Lead the transformation of clinical leadership into collaborative, high-performing teams. Supervise all clinical and professional services activities through subordinate physicians and provide leadership and guidance in matters related to medical and clinical management for patients.
- Data-Driven Visionary: Utilize technology and data to build strong relationships and foster continuous performance improvement in support of the state's mental health service delivery system by working collaboratively with key leaders and administrators from the BHOs.
- Align hospital clinical practices in accordance with all applicable policies for internal consistency of data reporting systems.
- Collaborative Physician Executive: Assures that specific medical department goals, objectives, standards, policies, and procedures are congruent with the standards and requirements of certification bodies relative to the best possible safe, quality patient care.
- Ensure the Medical Department's compliance with regulations, laws, procedures, and policies including relevant Department of Health regulations, Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Washington Administrative Code (WAC), professional standards of practice, and DSHS/BHHA/ESH policies.
Occasional travel between facilities and headquarters.
Office-based but also required to circulate throughout the facility for activities such as rounding, case conferences, supervision of care delivery and communication of executive leadership policies and information. These activities require visiting patient units where there is potential for assaults and violence.
Who should apply:Professionals with a valid license to practice medicine and surgery in the state of Washington including Certification in General Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and demonstrated medical executive leadership experience.
Want to know more about Eastern State Hospital? Click on the videos below to meet staff, take a tour, and explore your career.
Interested? Please list three professional references and contact information on your application and include your current CV for this leadership role.
Questions? Email:Jourdan Kovacs at
[email protected], reference 00130. To learn more about DSHS, go to
www.dshs.wa.gov.
