Chief Medical Officer

Job Title: Chief Medical Officer (CMO)  

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Location: Columbus, Ohio (FQHC – Multiple Clinic Sites) 

About Lower Lights Christian Health Center 

Lower Lights Christian Health Center (LLCHC) is a mission-driven, faith-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides whole-person, high-quality, and accessible healthcare to underserved communities in Central Ohio. We are passionate about removing barriers to care and transforming lives through compassionate, patient-centered service. Join us in delivering hope and healing to our patients and their families. 

 
Position Summary 

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) serves as the senior clinical executive responsible for overall clinical leadership, quality of care, clinical strategy, and provider performance across the organization. As a key member of the Executive Team, the CMO ensures delivery of high-quality, patient-centered, culturally competent care aligned with FQHC regulatory requirements, value-based care priorities, and the health center’s mission to serve underserved and vulnerable populations. 

The CMO partners closely with the CEO, CAO, CFO, and Board of Directors to drive clinical excellence, operational performance, population health outcomes, risk management, and community impact. 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Clinical Leadership & Strategy 

• Provide strategic direction and executive leadership for interdisciplinary clinical services in collaboration with Medical, Dental, Behavioral Health, and other specialty Directors. 

• Lead clinical integration and care transformation initiatives aligned with LLCHC’s mission and whole-person care model. 

• Ensure consistent implementation of clinical policies, protocols, and standards of care across all LLCHC sites in collaboration with clinical and operational site leadership.  

• Work closely with clinic Medical Directors, setting expectations, providing leadership coaching, and ensuring unified clinical governance across locations. 

1. Quality, Compliance & UDS Performance 

• Accountable for clinical quality outcomes, patient safety, provider accountability, and clinical compliance. 

• Provides executive oversight for clinical governance, including provider standards, clinical policy approval, peer review, credentialing oversight, and the organization's clinical quality priorities.  

• Serves as the executive clinical voice in organizational decision-making and is accountable for clinical strategy, provider leadership, medical governance, and quality performance as it pertains to clinician involvement.  

• Partners closely with operations, quality, finance, human resources, informatics, and information technology to ensure organizational decisions support high-quality patient care, ensuring that LLCHC meets or exceeds all UDS benchmarks. 

• Review and analyze quality dashboards, trend reports, and performance data to drive improvement at the provider, clinic, and organizational levels. 

• Accountable for clinical regulatory compliance and provider adherence to HRSA, FTCA, NCQA, PCMH and standards while partnering with other organizational leaders responsible for broader compliance and regulatory functions. 

1. Medical Director Leadership & Clinical Governance 

• Provide direct administrative leadership, performance management, leadership development, and organizational accountability of LLCHC’s clinic Medical Directors and any clinical site leads. 

• Facilitate regular Medical Director meetings to drive clinical alignment, communication, and leadership consistency across sites. 

• Lead or oversee processes for peer review, credentialing, privileging, and provider performance improvement. 

1. Provider Leadership & Workforce Development 

• Mentor and support LLCHC medical, behavioral health, and dental providers, providing executive oversight through Medical Directors and service line leaders; foster a culture of excellence, accountability, and teamwork. 

• Ensure effective provider recruitment, onboarding, supervision, and retention through collaboration with appropriate departments across the organization (including defining what makes a great provider, interviewing clinical candidates, setting onboarding expectations, and the retention strategy) 

• Provide guidance to Medical Directors on managing provider performance, including quality outcomes, documentation, and productivity. 

• Support clinical education, student/resident rotations, and workforce development initiatives. 

1. Clinical Operations Partnership 

• Partner with the CAO, Nursing leadership, and Practice Management to ensure efficient and mission-aligned operations at all LLCHC sites. 

• Collaborate across the organization to improve clinical workflows to support quality, access, and UDS performance. 

• Collaborate with IT/HER teams (Epic/OCHIN) to optimize documentation, provider workflows, quality dashboards, and decision support tools. 

• Advance integrated care models, including behavioral health integration, care management, MAT/SUD programming, and chronic disease initiatives. 

1. Community & External Relations 

• Represent LLCHC in clinical matters with hospital systems, public health partners, academic institutions, and community organizations. 

• Support advocacy related to FQHC priorities, equitable care, and access to care. 

1. Financial & Operational Stewardship 

• Collaborate with the CEO, CAO, CFO, and operational leaders to ensure clinical programs are efficient and financially sustainable. 

• Participate in budget planning for clinical staffing, equipment, and service expansion. 

Qualifications

Skills and Qualifications 

Required 

• MD, DO, or graduate-level nursing degree from an accredited institution, with eligibility for licensure as a physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner. 

• Current, unrestricted Ohio professional license appropriate to the candidate’s clinical discipline, with current board certification in an applicable physician specialty or as a Family Nurse Practitioner; DEA registration required when applicable to the candidate’s scope of practice and job responsibilities. 

• Minimum of 5+ years of clinical practice and 3+ years of medical leadership experience. 

• Demonstrated experience improving clinical quality metrics, preferably including UDS measures. 

• Familiarity with FQHC operations and underserved populations. 

Preferred 

• Experience supervising or developing medical directors or site leads.  

• Prior work with Epic (especially within OCHIN). 

• Knowledge of HRSA compliance, FTCA, and NCQA/PCMH 

• Additional leadership or public health training (MBA, MHA, MPH, or fellowship). 

Core Competencies 

• Mission-driven leadership 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills 

• Ability to lead through influence and accountability 

• Clinical systems thinking and problem solving 

• Data-driven decision making 

• Commitment to equity, trauma-informed care, and whole-person health 

Work Environment 

• CMO will work in corporate office, clinical facilities, or remotely, with occasional travel.  

Living our Values 

You are mission-oriented and passionate about living out your purpose. You play an active role in responding to the needs of the community and the organization. You work well with others and use your time and resources effectively. You challenge yourself to grow personally and professionally. You embrace diversity and enjoy providing compassionate, excellent care to others. 

This job description is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job.  It is not to be considered an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements.