Director, Emergency Department Observation Services

Director, Emergency Department Observation Services

Job Summary

The Director, Emergency Department Observation Services for the University of Maryland Department of Emergency Medicine (UMDEM) is responsible for the strategic development, implementation, operational oversight, and continuous advancement of observation medicine services across the department’s clinical sites. Under the direction of the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and in partnership with departmental, clinical, and hospital leadership, this role designs and operationalizes a comprehensive Emergency Medicine observation medicine program serving multiple clinical sites.

The Director leads the creation of standardized observation care models, clinical pathways, operational workflows, staffing strategies, and performance metrics that support efficient, evidence-based, and patient-centered care. Provides ongoing program leadership and oversight of day-to-day observation operations, ensuring consistency across sites while driving improvements in patient flow, quality outcomes, resource utilization, and regulatory compliance. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, data-driven decision making, and alignment with national best practices in observation medicine, the Director advances departmental and organizational goals related to throughput, capacity management, care standardization, and exceptional patient care.

Essential Functions

Leads the design, implementation, and ongoing management of a comprehensive Emergency Department Observation Services program across multiple clinical sites, establishing a standardized and sustainable model of observation care throughout the practice.

Establishes and oversees operational standards, staffing models, clinical workflows, and daily observation service operations across all sites, ensuring appropriate patient placement, progression of care, timely disposition, and efficient utilization of resources.

Develops, implements, and maintains observation-specific policies, protocols, order sets, patient selection criteria, and evidence-based clinical pathways that promote safe, consistent, and efficient patient care.

Establishes and monitors program performance metrics, including observation length of stay, inpatient conversion rates, discharge efficiency, return visits, patient outcomes, patient experience, and resource utilization. Utilizes data to evaluate program effectiveness, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement. Provides regular reporting and recommendations to departmental and organizational leadership regarding operational performance, future needs, strategic priorities, and ongoing program enhancement.

Provides oversight and performance feedback for APPs practicing within Emergency Department Observation Services. Partners with facility APP leadership to support onboarding, competency development, professional growth, and the consistent application of observation medicine protocols, workflows, and clinical pathways across all sites.

Works closely with the UMDEM Associate Vice Chair of Quality & Patient Safety in the development and implementation of quality improvement, patient safety, and throughput initiatives designed to optimize observation services, improve patient outcomes, and enhance organizational capacity management.

Partners with the UMDEM Director of Coding, Compliance & Reimbursement to ensure compliance with CMS observation requirements and support accurate documentation, coding, billing, and reimbursement practices.

Serves as the departmental subject matter expert for observation medicine, maintaining knowledge of regulatory requirements, national standards, emerging observation care models, and industry best practices.

Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration among physicians, APPs, nursing leaders, administrators, and ancillary services to remove operational barriers, improve throughput, and support standardized observation care delivery across all clinical sites.

Minimum Requirements

Residency Trained and Board Eligible/Board Certified in Emergency Medicine required; BE/BC in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine preferred.

Completion of an Observation Medicine Fellowship preferred.

Eligible for medical staff appointment at all departmental clinical locations.

Experience in establishing and maintaining a multi-site observation program; emergency medicine observation service experience preferred.