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Medical Director Responsibilities

Medical Director Responsibilities

  • Lead Interdisciplinary team (IDT) (Bimonthly meeting to develop a patient and family-centered plan of care)
  • Document clinical disease progression to initiate, maintain, or recommend discontinuing hospice services 
  • Timely documentation (IDT notes, F2F, CTI, order signatures & timesheets)
  • Determining Medication Necessity
    • All medications are reviewed at admission by the admitting RN with the hospice physician
    • Determination is based on the physician
    • Medications are considered regarding relatedness and covered and in each case are based on the unique circumstances of the patient.
      • Entresto: related but not covered -have a therapeutic interchange
      • Cardiac meds in cancer – depends on whether the cardiac condition is impacting prognosis.  If stable cardiac wise unrelated; if symptomatic, oxygen dependent, etc. -related.
      • There are four classes of medications that are always provided:
        • Analgesics
        • Anxiolytics
        • Antiemetics
        • Laxatives/stool softeners
  • Activate & utilize Compassus email/Microsoft Teams
    • Promptly respond to messages and calls (urgent requests within the hour)
  • Timely face-to-face completion
  • Participate in quarterly medical director meeting
  • Notify DCS when taking time off and coordinate coverage
  • Death certificate completion
  • Establish and maintain accreditation Hospice Medical Director Certification
  • Medical Directors Roles and Responsibilities
  • Participate in QAPI (Quality assessment Performance Improvement)   

Interdisciplinary Team Meeting (IDT)