Chair Department of Psychiatry, Baystate Health

Baystate Health is seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to join our team as the Chair, Department of Psychiatry. This key leadership role will oversee the strategic, clinical, and educational aspects of all behavioral health services across Baystate Health. The ideal candidate will have a passion for improving mental health care and a proven track record in managing complex clinical operations, driving strategic initiatives, engaging team members, and enhancing academic programs.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Clinical Oversight:
• Lead the clinical management and oversight of all behavioral health services and programs at Baystate Health, including:
• Inpatient Psychiatry
• Inpatient Psych Consult Services
• Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care
• Outpatient Behavioral Health
• Baystate Medical Center’s Child Partial Hospital Program
• Interventional Psychiatry
• Neuropsychology
• Board member of the joint ventured behavioral health hospital with Lifepoint
2. Strategic Leadership:
• Lead the development and execution of departmental clinical, educational, and research strategies in alignment with Baystate Health’s overall strategic goals.
• Serve as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate, supporting faculty development and the academic enterprise.
3. Academic Leadership:
• Oversee and direct key educational programs, including:
• General Psychiatry Residency Program
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program
• Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship Program
• MS3 Psychiatry Clerkship
• Continuing education programs, including Grand Rounds and Morbidity/Mortality Conferences

Oversight of departmental research

1. Financial Oversight:
• Work collaboratively with the Director and finance teams to:
• Prepare and oversee department budgets
• Monitor and address budget variances
• Manage compensation decisions in line with BMP provider compensation policy
• Ensure accurate recording of provider time and financial operations for the department
2. MSO Chair of Psychiatry at BMC:
• Support the appointment and reappointment process for medical staff members
• Oversee FPPE (Focused Professional Practice Evaluation)
3. Quality Oversight:
• Ensure high-quality, evidence-based care across all behavioral health and substance use disorder services.
• Drive quality improvement initiatives within the department.

• Reports to Chief Physician Executive, Baystate Health

• Direct Reports:

Vice Chairs for Clinical and Education, Psych Consult Medical Director, Regional Hospital Psychiatric Medical Directors, and Manager of Grants/Projects.

Qualifications:

• M.D. or equivalent medical degree, with active board certification in Psychiatry.
• At least 5 years of progressive leadership experience in a large, complex, academic healthcare system.
• Significant experience in behavioral health, substance use disorder services, and psychiatry operations.
• A track record of successful strategic planning, clinical program development, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Qualification for academic rank at the Associate Professor or Professor level
• Strong understanding of the business aspects of psychiatry with experience in budget preparation, management, and financial oversight.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams.
• Ability to thrive in dynamic environments with uncertainty

Why Baystate Health?

• Impact: Lead one of the most comprehensive and integrated behavioral health systems in New England.
• Collaboration: Work alongside world-class clinicians, educators, and researchers in a supportive, patient-centered environment.
• Innovation: Be at the forefront of research, education, and clinical care in mental health services.
• Community: Join a dynamic healthcare community that is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the individuals and families we serve.

Baystate Health is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees.

Baystate Health (BH) is one of New England’s leading and largest integrated healthcare systems, serving more than 800,000 people throughout western Massachusetts. With about 12,000 employees, a 1,200-member medical staff, and net patient service revenue of more than $2.3 billion, this dynamic and growing system includes an academic medical center, a children’s hospital and three community hospitals. It also includes a large multispecialty group, (Baystate Medical Practices), Baystate Home Health, Baystate Reference Laboratory, and Health New England, a 205,000-member health insurance company.

Baystate Medical Center (BMC) in Springfield, MA is Baystate Health’s 716-bed flagship hospital and a training site for the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School – Baystate. As a major referral care center and the only Level 1 trauma center and pediatric trauma center for western Massachusetts with one of New England’s busiest emergency departments, BMC plays a critical role in meeting the healthcare needs of residents throughout western New England. 

In 2015, Baystate Health established a new partnership with the UMass Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to develop a new regional clinical campus of the UMass Chan Medical School (UMMS) in Springfield, known as UMMS Chan-Baystate. UMMS Chan- Baystate is now home to UMMS’ four-year Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track, which welcomed its inaugural class of 22 medical students in Autumn 2017. Through this innovative program, the three institutions are partnering to strengthen the pipeline of new primary care physicians for the future in Western Massachusetts. These three institutions have also collaborated to create the Institute for Healthcare Delivery & Population Science, to generate and apply new knowledge to transform health care delivery and population health in support of Baystate Health’s strategic goals. The Institute conducts health services research projects in partnership with local, regional, and national stakeholders.

Baystate Health is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.