Description

The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) is the second largest state agency in Washington located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the Department operates 10 correctional facilities, 9 re-entry centers, and 84 field offices, serving approximately 13,966 incarcerated individuals and supervising more than 14,000 individuals in the community.

The Department employs approximately 8,800 staff statewide.  The impact of our work affects every community in our state as we work together for safer communities through progressive and human-centered practices, with a focus on successful reentry, the reduction of recifivism, and the individual transformation of those in our care and custody.

Our agency is comprised of dedicated public servants, committed to an equitable and inclusive workplace culture that inspires excellence, promotes innovation, and prioritize safety, leading to better outcomes for our incarcerated population, our staff, and our local communities.

The Department of Corrections is seeking a licensed, board-certified physician to serve as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Reporting to and serving on the Secretary’s executive leadership team, the CMO provides enterprise-level medical leadership and strategic direction for a comprehensive correctional health system. The CMO reports to the Assistant Secretary of Health Services to ensure the delivery of high-quality, legally compliant, and clinically sound health services across the agency.

This role is responsible for shaping medical strategy, advancing clinical quality and population health outcomes, and leading a statewide patient-centered medical home model within a complex correctional environment. Experience or demonstrated interest in public health, correctional health, or health systems serving underserved populations is highly valued.

The Department continues to work with the VERA institute to reduce our ever-shrinking restrictive housing population and have significantly reduced prison populations by creating evidence-based community alternatives to incarceration.

Duties:

        Executive Medical Leadership

        Provide strategic and operational leadership for a comprehensive statewide health services system, including medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment services across 10 correctional facilities.

        Establish and execute enterprise-level medical goals, objectives, and performance measures aligned with DOC’s mission and strategic priorities.

        Serve as a senior clinical advisor to executive leadership on matters affecting medical care, patient safety, and health policy.

        Health Services Oversight and Operations

        Lead and support multidisciplinary clinical leadership teams, including physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, and allied health professionals.

        Is a collaborating partner with the Assistant Secretary of Health Services to design, implement, and continuously improve clinical operations, treatment protocols, and care delivery models.

        Provide expert consultation on complex clinical, operational, and systems-level issues impacting incarcerated populations.

        Advance data-driven decision-making to improve clinical quality, access to care, efficiency, and health outcomes.

        Advocate for resources and infrastructure necessary to support effective, ethical, and evidence-based medical care.

        Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

        Serve as a primary point of contact with state and external partners, including the Health Care Authority, Department of Health, and community health organizations.

        Build productive partnerships that support continuity of care, public health integration, and reentry planning.

        Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

        Ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, professional standards of practice, RCWs, WACs, and departmental policies.

        Collaborate with leadership to manage clinical risk, accreditation requirements, and quality assurance activities.

Requirements

Qualifications:

        Leadership Competencies

        The successful candidate will demonstrate strength in the following areas:

        Executive leadership within complex, regulated healthcare environments

        Strategic planning and systems-level thinking

        Clinical quality improvement and population health management

        Collaborative leadership across multidisciplinary teams

        Talent development, performance management, and workforce engagement

        Change leadership, innovation, and continuous improvement

        Sound judgment, accountability, and adaptability in dynamic settings

        Commitment to equity, inclusion, and respectful professional practice

Required Qualifications

        Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) from an accredited institution

        Completion of an ACGME-accredited residency in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine

        Board certification through the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)

        Unrestricted license to practice medicine in Washington State, or ability to obtain prior to employment

        Demonstrated expertise in evidence-based medicine, clinical quality improvement, and population health

        Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare delivery and leadership

Preferred Qualifications

        Five (5) or more years of direct clinical practice demonstrating readiness for executive medical leadership

        Executive or senior leadership experience in public sector healthcare or similarly complex health systems

        Knowledge of human resource management within unionized or public sector environments, including RCWs, WACs, CBAs, and policy frameworks