Chief of Family and Internal Medicine (San Francisco, CA)

Sutter Health•San Francisco, CA

20h

About The Position

The Chief of Family and Internal Medicine provides clinical and operational leadership for the department, ensuring excellence in patient care, operational efficiency, and financial performance. Reporting to the Chair of Primary Care, the Chief partners with the administrative dyad to ensure safe, efficient, and patient-centered care while aligning performance with departmental and organizational goals. This role partners with administrative operational leadership to manage the practice, drive performance, and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

MD or DO with board certification in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine.
Minimum of 5 years of clinical experience and 3 years in a leadership role.
Demonstrated success in managing clinical operations and driving performance metrics.
Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with physician recruitment, onboarding, and team development strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the department in alignment with organizational goals and strategic priorities.
Partner with the Administrative Director to oversee staffing, budgeting, and resource allocation.
Develop and implement initiatives to improve patient access, provider engagement, and operational efficiency.
Ensure appropriate clinician staffing to meet current and future demand.
Participate regular onsite rounding to ensure visibility, support frontline teams, and identify operational opportunities
Ensure adherence to evidence-based practices and quality standards.
Champion patient safety and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
Serve as a clinical resource and mentor for providers.
Lead physician and provider recruitment strategy for Family and Internal Medicine in partnership with Physician Recruitment, HR, and operational leadership.
Participate in candidate evaluation, interviewing, selection, and offer alignment to ensure high-quality clinical and cultural fit.
Oversee onboarding and integration of new providers, ensuring a consistent, supportive, and high-performing transition into practice.
Collaborate with Medical Directors to establish standardized onboarding, mentoring, and early-career support processes.
Support succession planning and leadership development within the department.
Deliver clear, timely performance feedback through the annual evaluation process that supports accountability, team development, clinical excellence, continuous improvement and high-quality patient care
Promote provider retention through engagement, performance feedback, and career development pathways.
Monitor and achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) for quality, patient satisfaction, and financial sustainability.
Drive productivity and optimize workflows to meet RVU and access targets.
Partner with administrative and revenue cycle leaders to improve documentation, coding, and cost management.
Address performance gaps through data-driven improvement plans and coaching.
Support integration of technology and population health initiatives.
Foster a culture of innovation and adaptability.
Maintain strong relationships with specialty departments and organizational leadership.
Communicate goals, expectations, and performance updates clearly and consistently.