Physician Services in Nursing Homes
Federal and state laws require physician services and medical care be provided under the management and clinical supervision of a skilled nursing facility medical director. The functions of a medical director are to implement resident care policies and coordinate medical care in the facility. Medical directors work closely with the administrator and director of nursing and participate in the nursing home quality improvement process. They create and approve facility medical policies and procedures as well as oversee practice of all physicians and midlevel providers such as nurse practitioners. The medical director may be the attending physician for many of the residents in the facility, but is not required to care for patients in the facility.The American Medical Directors Association offers a certification program that recognizes the dual clinical and managerial roles of the medical director. Certification requires indicators of competence in clinical and medical management in long-term care. It emphasizes specialized training in infection control, geriatric syndromes, quality improvement methodology, and federal nursing home regulations. Learn more about medical director certification from AMDA.
North Carolina has its own chapter of the American Medical Directors Association. It offers continuing education, annual meetings, and many other resources. Learn more about NCAMDA.