Medical Director for Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit; CVICU

Job Summary and Responsibilities

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is fulfilling our vision of transforming healthcare by expanding our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) team.

We have an opportunity for a 1.0 FTE physician in Seattle, Washington at our Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) hospital location.

We are seeking a dynamic, highly skilled and visionary Director to lead and develop this new cardiovascular critical care service line. The ideal candidate will be a physician board certified in either cardiac anesthesiology, cardiovascular disease, cardiothoracic surgery, or critical care with advanced cardiovascular care expertise. The director will closely collaborate with Advanced Heart Failure, Structural Heart, Electrophysiology, Vascular Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery teams.

The leadership position will be a combination of administrative duties and clinical care.

The Director will oversee clinical operations, program development and quality initiatives. You will join talented colleagues in a culture that values clinical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement; partnering with Cardiac Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), along with Heart Failure cardiologists, physician leadership, and multidisciplinary clinical teams in a collaborative care model. This leadership position offers dedicated administrative time and opportunities to shape and grow a high-impact program that will serve as a regional and national model for excellence in cardiovascular intensive care.

• Lead the successful launch and growth of the new CVICU at VMMC.
• Manage and care for approximately 90 annual cardiogenic shock cases.
• Provide expertise in mechanical circulatory support including IABP, Impella CP, RP Flex, Impella 5.5 (approximately 70-80 cases annually).
• Lead support efforts for a robust VA/VV ECMO program with about 40-50 cases annually.
• Participate in the Mechanical Cardiac Support program expansion, including ECMO and build up Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) programs.
• Assist with intensive care management for approximately 400 open heart surgeries annually, including complex cases such as aortic arch surgery, valve replacements, pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, and septal myectomy.
• When needed, assist with over 450 structural heart procedures annually (most recent volumes), including Mitra Clip, Tricuspid clip, TAVR, transcatheter valve replacements, Watchman device placement, and high-risk PCI with Impella/ECMO support
• Collaborate on advanced electrophysiology procedures such as convergent ablations with experienced procedural teams.
• Engage in educational activities with internal medicine, anesthesiology, and surgery residents and cardiology fellows.
• Participate in leadership opportunities, committees, and clinical trials within the critical care and structural heart programs.

• Work with the CVICU multidisciplinary team including APPs, physicians, and support staff.
• Drive quality improvement, operational efficiency, and clinical research initiatives.
• Participate in education and mentorship of Medicine, Surgery and Anesthesiology residents and Cardiology fellows.
• Represent CVICU in organizational leadership and strategic committees.

• Board Certified/Board Eligible in one of the following
  • Cardiac Anesthesiology
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Critical Care Medicine
• Demonstrated leadership experience and program development expertise.
• Critical care certification preferred but not required
• Advanced complex cardiovascular care experience
• Ability to obtain medical licensure in Washington State.
• DEA license with full prescriptive authority.
• An ideal candidate would have strong skills in transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography
• Cardiac Anesthesiologist, Cardiologist, or Cardiothoracic Surgeon

At Virginia Mason Medical Center our goal is to empower people to live healthy lives. That's why we focus on health education and preventive medicine, in addition to comprehensive and compassionate medical care. Laboratory testing, diagnostic screenings, occupational medicine, and much more are all available. Our caring team members enjoy building relationships with our patients.

Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) is a leading tertiary and qua ternary referral center specializing in complex and innovative cardiovascular care. As part of Common Spirit Health, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health systems, we are nationally recognized for quality and patient safety, and provide advanced care that values collaboration and excellence. We are excited to launch a new Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at our downtown Seattle campus, dedicated to meeting the needs of a rapidly growing population of patients with complex cardiovascular disease.

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