Chief Academic Officer

Job Description:

The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) serves as the senior physician leader responsible for advancing and integrating undergraduate and graduate medical education (UME and GME) within the hospital. The role embeds medical education into clinical operations, quality and safety efforts, and hospital strategy while maintaining alignment with enterprise standards and regulatory requirements.

Reporting Relationship
• Solid-line reporting relationship to hospital medical leadership / hospital CMO.
• Matrixed, tight partnership with the Enterprise Designated Institutional Official to maintain enterprise alignment and regulatory consistency.
• Program Directors report through the academic leadership structure at the hospital level

Essential Functions Medical Education Leadership Provide overall site leadership for Graduate Medical Education and Undergraduate Medical Education programs.

Oversee recruitment for Program Directors, Associate Program Directors, academic faculty, and program administrators.

Conduct annual review of program leadership and ensure infrastructure and resources are available to support learner success.

Chair the hospital GMEC, where applicable.

Faculty, Scholarship, and Research Infrastructure Advise and mentor academic faculty in academic appointment and promotion processes.

Participate in enterprise academic/research initiatives and collaborate with hospital and enterprise research leaders on scholarly activity infrastructure.

Support quality improvement, education scholarship, and clinical research.

Enable trainee and faculty access to resources, mentorship, and local processes.

Hospital Operations and Clinical Integration Embed education into clinical operations and hospital strategy.

Partner with hospital leadership on clinical learning environment issues, including learner access to call rooms, transportation, lactation rooms, and food services.

Ensure learners are represented in quality and safety initiatives and have opportunities to participate in QI projects.

Ensure learner impact is considered when responding to quality and safety concerns.

Maintain budgetary oversight of GME programs including both revenue and appropriate expense management.

Leadership Engagement Serve on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the hospital, as appropriate for role scope.

Participate in Quality, Medical Executive Committee, and other key hospital committees.

Represent medical education at the hospital level.

Accreditation, Compliance, Growth, and Liaison Ensure ACGME/CMS compliance in coordination with the ACMO – Med Ed, support accreditation readiness, and implement enterprise policies.

Lead program expansion assessments, efforts, and development, including Program Director support for new and growing programs.

Represent medical education for medical students and non-Intermountain rotating residents/fellows.

Serve as liaison to enterprise partners, Sponsoring Institutions, and Medical Schools.

Coordinate with enterprise leadership on resident compensation, CMS funding, and cap implications.

Skills Medical education leadership across UME and GMEACGME/CMS compliance and accreditation readiness

Hospital operations, quality, safety, and clinical learning environment leadership

Program development, strategic growth assessment, and academic infrastructure planning

Faculty mentorship, scholarship support, and academic appointment/promotion advising

Stakeholder liaison work with medical schools, sponsoring institutions, enterprise partners, Program Directors, faculty, and hospital leaders

Committee leadership, communication, collaboration, and change management

Minimum Qualifications MD or DO with ABMS or equivalent AOA Board Certification in a relevant specialty.

Active Medical Licensure Minimum three…