Important Recruitment Information for this vacancy
-
Job Posting closes: Open until Filled
-
Required documents uploaded by: All required documents listed below must be attached to your application within 2 days of applying for your application to be considered complete.
Agency Information:
South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital (SCR) is Kansas's newest state psychiatric hospital and serves adults experiencing serious mental illness throughout south-central Kansas. Located in Wichita, SCR is a 104-bed facility committed to delivering evidence-based, trauma-informed care in a modern, recovery-oriented environment.
About the Position
Who can apply: Anyone
Classified/Unclassified Service: Unclassified
Full-Time/Part-Time: Part-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Work Schedule: M-F
Eligible to Receive Benefits: Yes
Veterans' Preference Eligible: Yes
Disability Preference Eligible: Yes
Search Keywords: Chief Medical Officer (Forensic)
Compensation: Up to a maximum salary of $186,000.00 annually.
- Salary can vary depending upon education, experience, or qualifications.
Employment Benefits
Comprehensive medical, mental, dental, vision, and additional coverage
Sick & Vacation leave
Work-Life Balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave
Paid State Holidays (designated by the Governor annually)
Fitness Centers in select locations
Employee discounts with the STAR Program
Retirement and deferred compensation programs
Visit the Employee Benefits page for more information…
Position Summary & Responsibilities
Position Summary:
This position provides clinical and executive medical leadership for the Forensic Units of South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital. The physician will provide clinical supervision for physicians, including weekend on-call physicians, at the facility. This includes evaluation and re-evaluation of the physicians’ clinical performance and providing clinical consultation as appropriate. The physician will collaborate with administrative and clinical staff to ensure compliance of regulations set by accrediting agencies such as Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), and Kansas Department for Aging and Disabilities Services (KDADS). The position also serves as a liaison to the courts, legal counsel, and law enforcement on matters related to patient status, competency, and treatment planning.
In addition to overseeing ongoing clinical operations of the Forensic Units, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) plays a critical role in the continuous development, implementation, and oversight of medical services, protocols, and systems across the hospital. This includes sustained leadership in physician recruitment and engagement; defining, implementing, and maintaining treatment philosophies; establishing and overseeing medical staff policies and procedures; and guiding the ongoing evolution of workflows, clinical standards, and interdepartmental collaboration to support high-quality, compliant, and integrated patient care.
Job Responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following:
Administration:
-
Serve as the physician executive responsible for the quality, safety, and effectiveness of forensic and medical services at the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital. Provide strategic leadership, medical direction, and oversight to ensure excellence in patient care and compliance with all regulatory standards. Align practice and policy with the hospital-wide medical direction set by the Senior Physician Executive (Certified CMO).
-
Ensures that medical and operational decisions support the hospital’s financial sustainability while upholding clinical excellence and regulatory compliance.
-
Provide leadership for patient safety and clinical quality improvement initiatives, ensuring adherence to evidence-based practices and performance metrics consistent with accrediting body standards.
-
Supervision of direct reports, including documentation of required competencies and ongoing focused assessments.
-
Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing review of clinical and medical policies and procedures.
-
Guide the establishment of workflows and coordination models between medical staff, nursing, and ancillary departments.
-
Participate in the design and launch of systems supporting performance improvement, clinical outcomes tracking, and quality assurance.
-
Provide subject matter expertise for facility readiness planning, medical equipment needs, and integration of clinical technology.
-
Provide clinical supervision and consultation to physicians. Collaborate with the physicians in evaluating and re-evaluating patients’ psychiatric and physical needs to optimize patient safety and quality of life and staff safety.
-
Evaluate and re-evaluate physicians’ clinical performance, billing and other competencies, complete annual evaluations.
-
Collaborate with the Credentialing Coordinator in the credentialing and privileging processes and to make sure the physicians’ credentialing files are kept current in accordance with required standards, such as Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
-
Ensure clinical practice aligns with both hospital policy and court mandates, including competency restoration and legal status reviews.
-
Assist in the physician recruitment and retention processes.
-
Assist the Senior Administrative Officer and other physicians in ensuring adequate physician coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
-
Be knowledgeable of the required federal and state regulations such as CMS, KDHE.
-
Collaborate with administrative and executive clinical committee members in working towards hospital compliance of these required federal and state regulations as well as clinical consultations.
-
Lead medical aspects of readiness planning, including forensic-specific credentialing, staff orientation, and coordination with legal and regulatory entities.
Clinical:
-
Actively contributes to the establishment of treatment philosophies and evidence-based care pathways suitable for the hospital’s patient population
-
Provide clinical coverage when needed. This includes, but is not limited to patient admission, completion of required psychiatric admission paperwork, writing physician orders and diagnostic tests, participation in interdisciplinary treatment planning processes, meeting with patients, writing court reports, progress notes, discharge summaries, going to court hearings as applicable.
-
Prescribe psychiatric, and to some extent, medical medications, in accordance with evidence-based guidelines and consider relevant factors such as safety profiles, effectiveness and costs.
-
Respond to medical emergencies, assess and transfer patients who need a higher level of medical care.
-
Order seclusion or restraint in accordance with the hospital procedure.
-
Assist in the triage processes such as reviews of the mental health screens of proposed patients.
-
Provide clinical and forensic oversight of court-ordered evaluations and reports; serve as an expert medical resource to the courts and legal counsel; ensure accurate and timely communication with judicial partners; and lead the clinical management of high-risk forensic patients in coordination with interdisciplinary teams.
Teamwork:
-
Foster an inclusive and collaborative culture among newly recruited medical staff, encouraging ongoing engagement, communication, and shared decision-making.
-
Collaborate with administrative and executive clinical committee members on matters regarding patient care, communication and teamwork with community agencies such as community mental health center and other hospitals.
-
Participate in hospital-wide and medical staff committees, special administrative and clinical projects.
-
Participate in the “on call” coverage when needed.
Licensure:
-
Maintain an active license in Kansas and a current DEA certification.
-
Keep updated with the current trends in psychiatric medications, complete CME credits as required by the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.
-
Keep current with the required hospital training such as facility-identified Behavior Management system, CPR, and other employee training.
Qualifications
Special Qualifications/Education:
-
Completion of residency in an approved psychiatric residency program.
-
Certification of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and/or certification of the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry; or evidence that the physician has taken the Boards and would satisfy that the physician has the training and equivalency to be admitted to the board examination.
-
Active Kansas license
-
DEA certification
-
Inclusion in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid program.
-
At least five years of inpatient psychiatric experience.
-
At least two years of administrative or supervisory experience.
-
Proficiency with electronic health record (EHR) and pharmacy systems.
-
Certification in an identified Behavioral Health management system within 60 days of hire.
-
CPR/AED Certification
Post-Offer, Pre-employment Requirements:
-
Ability to pass a KBI background and pre-employment drug test.
Recruiter Contact Information
KDADS – Human Resources Recruiter
503 S. Kansas Ave
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: 785-296-0463
Fax: 785-368-6688
Email: [email protected]
Job Application Process
First Sign in or register as a New User.
Complete or update your contact information on the Careers> My Contact Information page. *This information is included on all your job applications.
Upload required documents listed below for the Careers> My Job Applications page. *This information is included on all your job applications.
Start your draft job application, upload other required documents, and Submit when it is complete.
Manage your draft and submitted applications on the Careers> My Job Applications page.
Check your email and My Job Notifications for written communications from the Recruiter.
Email – sent to the Preferred email on the My Contact Information page
Notifications – view the Careers> My Job Notifications page
Helpful Resources at jobs.ks.gov: “How to Apply for a Job – Instructions” and “How to Search for a Job – Instructions"
Required Documents for this Application to be Complete
Upload these on the Careers - My Job Applications page
-
Transcripts
-
DD214 (if you are claiming Veteran’s Preference)
Upload these on the Attachments step in your Job Application
-
Cover Letter
-
Curriculum Vitae
Helpful Resources at jobs.ks.gov: “How, What, & Where do I Upload Documents”
Kansas Tax Clearance Certificate: A valid Kansas Tax Clearance Certificate is a condition of employment for all employees of the State of Kansas. Applicants (including non-residents) who receive a formal job offer for a State job, are required to obtain a valid Tax Clearance within ten (10) days of the job offer. A Tax Clearance can be obtained through the Kansas Department of Revenue who reviews individual accounts for compliance with Kansas Tax Law.
If you have a missing tax return(s) or you owe taxes to the State of Kansas, please know that the Kansas Department of Revenue will work with you. The Kansas Department of Revenue can set you up on a payment plan to receive a Tax Clearance so you can get a job working for the State of Kansas. The Kansas Department of Revenue can be contacted at 785-296-3199. Kansas Department of Revenue - Tax Clearance Frequently Asked Questions
How to Claim Veterans Preference
Veterans' Preference Eligible (VPE): Former military personnel or their spouse that have been verified as a "veteran"; under K.S.A. 73-201 will receive an interview if they meet the minimum competency factors of the position. The veterans' preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job. Positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determine by the hiring manager.
Learn more about claiming Veteran’s Preference
How to Claim Disability Hiring Preference
Applicants that have physical, cognitive and/or mental disabilities may claim an employment preference when applying for positions. If they are qualified to meet the performance standards of the position, with or without a reasonable accommodation, they will receive an interview for the position. The preference does not guarantee an applicant the job, as positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determined by the hiring manager.
Learn more about claiming Disability Hiring Preference
PLEASE NOTE: The documentation verifying a person's eligibility for use of this preference should not be sent along with other application materials to the hiring agency but should be sent directly to OPS. These documents should be scanned and emailed to [email protected], or can be mailed/delivered in person to:
ATTN: Disability Hiring Preference Coordinator
Office of Personnel Services
Docking State Office Building
915 SW Harrison Ave, Suite 260
Topeka, KS 66612
Equal Employment Opportunity
The State of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, political affiliation, disability or any other factor unrelated to the essential functions of the job.
If you wish to identify yourself as a qualified person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request an accommodation, please address the request to the agency recruiter.
