Toward the end of a terminal illness, when there is nothing more that can be done to extend a patient’s life, the focus of medical professionals often turns to ensuring the patient is as comfortable as possible during their final days. Hospice organizations work toward this goal, optimizing the quality of life for patients approaching the end of their life. Hospice care plays a delicate yet pivotal role in the lives of patients. It also provides comforting benefits to family members.
Hospice medical directors provide high-level oversight for these organizations, ensuring they offer the best possible experience for patients and their loved ones. Advanced education can be a key element of succeeding in the role.
What Is a Hospice Medical Director?
In this executive leadership position, individuals set goals for hospice care and then implement operational practices to achieve those goals. Hospice medical directors may oversee and manage multiple programs, including in-facility care, home care and palliative care. They also oversee the personnel who staff each of these programs.
Hospice Medical Director Job Description
While the duties and responsibilities associated with the position can vary from one organization to the next, a typical job description includes duties and expectations such as:
- Establishing and maintaining standards for conscientious, supportive end-of-life care
- Recruiting, hiring and overseeing hospice personnel
- Collecting and reviewing daily or weekly reports regarding hospice operations
- Setting and monitoring budgets
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards
- Creating and implementing policies and procedures to ensure the highest level of care
- Communicating with family members and loved ones, conveying empathy and understanding
- Supervising all clinical and medical activity within the hospice program
How to Become a Hospice Medical Director
To work in this field, it is vital to pursue a high level of advanced training and gain on-the-job experience. Here is a brief rundown on how to advance in hospice care and leadership, as well as a look at some of the most important skills to develop for success.
Hospice Medical Director Career Trajectory
While there’s no single path to becoming the medical director of a hospice facility, some common steps include the following.
- Obtaining an undergraduate degree. To develop foundational skills and gain basic familiarity with health care management principles, a bachelor’s degree is a must. This can be in health administration or a related field.
- Acquiring hands-on experience. Before rising to the position of hospice director, it’s important to understand how hospice organizations work from the ground up. Most director-level positions require at least three years of administrative experience within a hospice organization.
- Pursuing clinical training. Most hospice organizations require their medical directors to be either licensed physicians or nurses. Others will hire a more general director, who must have basic certifications in CPR, life support and related fields.
- Earning a degree in health administration. A Master of Health Administration (MHA) or Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) degree can offer a broader, more advanced set of skills, including key leadership and managerial competencies. While an MHA degree may not be required for all positions, it can lead to a wider array of career opportunities and possibly more competitive salaries.
- Earning certification. While not required for most roles, certification demonstrates a level of expertise that can lead to increased opportunities. Some certifications for hospice administrators include the National Association for Home Care & Hospice’s Certified Home Care & Hospice Executive (CHCE) and the California Association for Health Services at Home’s Certified Hospice Care Manager (CHM), Certified Hospice Administrator (CHA) and Certified Hospice Executive (CHE) credentials.
A master’s degree in health administration can also be useful in preparing for a broad range of leadership roles in health care. These roles may range from pharmaceutical careers to nursing home administrator positions.
Essential Skills for a Hospice Medical Director
Through this combination of education and hands-on training, aspiring directors can gain the skills to achieve long-term success. Some of the skills most vital to the hospice medical director position include:
- Communication
- Empathy and compassion
- In-depth knowledge of health laws and regulations
- Basic clinical acumen Leadership and teambuilding
- Organization and attention to detail
Hospice Medical Director Salary Range
The annual median salary for the position was approximately $165,000, according to July 2023 data from the compensation website Payscale. Those in the upper tenth percentile may earn salaries closer to $251,000.
Several factors can affect salary. Education and experience can have a significant impact, as can geographic location. An MHA degree can also lead to more competitive salaries.
Seek a Career Directing Hospice Care
The end of life is never easy, but high-quality hospice care can lead to greater comfort, peace and quality of life for both patients and their family members. A hospice medical director can play a central role in promoting this level of care.
For those who wish to make an impact in this profession, the Executive MHA degree program at USC Price can be invaluable. The program offers exposure to critical health leadership skills and familiarity with key concepts related to compliance, legality and ethics.
Discover more about how USC can help pave the way toward your long-term success in directing hospice care and improving the lives of patients and their loved ones.
Recommended Readings
National Patient Safety Goals: How They Improve Care Delivery
7 Reasons to Pursue an EMHA Degree
Hospital Discharge Planning Guide
Sources:
CAHSAH, “CAHSAH’s Hospice Certification Process”
Cleveland Clinic, “Hospice”
National Association for Home Care & Hospice, “Certified Home Care & Hospice Executive (CHCE)”
National Institutes of Health, “What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care?”
Payscale, “Average Hospice/Palliative Care Director Salary”
Zippia, “Hospice Director Overview”
ZipRecruiter, “What Is a Hospice Executive Director and How to Become One”