"Director of Spine Services"

Director of Spine Services

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Department: School of Medicine Office of the Dean
Job Title: Director of Spine Services
Position #:00841641 - Requisition #:39084

Job Summary:

The Director of Spine Services (DSS) will provide strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for the multidisciplinary spine care program at University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz (UCHA), coordinating the work of orthopedic spine surgeons, spine neurosurgeons, and nonoperative spine care teams, including physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), pain management, chiropractic services, and supporting disciplines (e.g., physical therapy, imaging, behavioral health). The DSS will be appointed by the UCHealth CMO in collaboration with the relevant Associate Chief Medical Officers (ACMOs), Department Chairs, and administrative leadership.

The DSS will work in close partnership with UCHA operational leadership to align spine care delivery across the continuum, and across the Metro Denver UCHealth sites of care, to ensure excellence in quality and safety, prepare for value-based payment models, and foster collaboration across specialties.

In collaboration with the UCHA Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), each Department will identify Clinical Director(s) who will serve as the point person for quality and safety of patient care, access, service delivery and faculty engagement and performance for the Spine Service Line. The DSS is expected to collaborate with the relevant Associate Chief Medical Officer(s) (ACMO), the CMO, the Chief Quality Officer (CQO), the COO, the relevant Department Chairs, and UCHealth administrative and nursing leadership including the Spine Operations Director as hospital administrative dyad to assure the highest quality of patient care and patient and provider experience, as well as efficient operations.

Accountability:

The DSS will have a joint appointment in Neurosurgery and Orthopedics and thus be accountable to both department chairs, as well as to the UCHA CMO and relevant ACMO(s) for their performance as a Clinical Director. Annual evaluation of DSS performance will be completed by the relevant department chairs and the Spine Governance Committee, with input from relevant UCHA ACMOs. Annual performance evaluation reports will be shared with the UCHA CMO and relevant ACMO(s). All existing academic reporting and accountability relationships remain intact and are not supplanted by Clinical Director-related reporting, accountability or evaluation processes.

Key Relationships

• Relevant School of Medicine departmental/divisional leadership
• UCHA Associate Chief Medical Officer(s) (ACMOs)
• Relevant other Clinical Directors
• Relevant UCHA Medical Director(s) and Nurse or Operational Manager(s)
• UCHA physician, nursing, APP, operational and quality leadership
• UCHealth Metro Denver Chief Quality Officer (CQO)
• UCHA Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
• UCHA Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Key Responsibilities:

As the clinical leader of the Spine Service Line, the DSS will be responsible for:

• Multidisciplinary Program Oversight
  • Coordinate spine care across orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, PM&R, Pain Management, Chiropractic Care, Physical Therapy, and relevant support services.
  • Foster collaboration among faculty and providers to support seamless, patient-centered care across inpatient, outpatient, procedural, and rehabilitative settings.
  • Partner with operational leaders to support patient access, throughput, and experience.
• Quality and Performance Improvement
  • Lead the development and monitoring of program-level quality metrics, including outcomes, safety, efficiency, and patient satisfaction.
  • Champion continuous improvement using data-driven methods and structured quality frameworks.
  • Guide the adoption of evidence-based guidelines and clinical pathways across all care settings.
• Alternative Payment Model Preparation
  • Collaborate with finance, contracting, and operational teams to prepare for bundled payments, comprehensive care models, and other value-based reimbursement strategies.
  • Drive integration of care and appropriate resource utilization to ensure success under risk-based contracts.
• Strategic and Operational Leadership
  • Serve as the spine program's clinical representative in strategic planning, business development, and program growth across Metro Denver.
  • Help define and implement goals, Objective Key Result proposals (OKRs), and operational priorities for the spine service line in collaboration with administrative partners.
  • Actively participate in recruitment, onboarding, and performance evaluation of spine faculty.
• Clinical and Academic Leadership
  • Serve as the liaison between clinical departments (Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, PM&R, Anesthesiology) and UCHealth leadership on spine-related clinical operations and strategy.
  • Support a culture of excellence in education, research, and clinical care.
  • Engage trainees and staff in interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

Specific priorities and metrics will be determined in conjunction with Departmental and UCHA executive leadership on an annual basis. DSS goals and OKRs will be established from a menu of organizational goals that align with improving quality and safety outcomes, access and clinic operations, and inpatient care and patient flow. Individual position-specific goals may also be established based on other key initiatives that may impact a specific department or division.

Estimated time commitment: variable, depending on scope of responsibility. Anticipated to be approximately 0.4 FTE

Work Location: Onsite - this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora Colorado

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• MD or DO
• Board certified in neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery or appropriately qualified spine surgeon.
• Eligibility for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor (tenure-eligible) in the School of Medicine.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Commitment to provider wellbeing
• Advocate of excellence in education
• Commitment to ensuring an excellent patient experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Motivate excellence and teamwork among providers and staff, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration
• Exemplary leadership skills, including interpersonal communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, problem resolution, decision-making and project/change management
• Demonstrated ability to address issues and effect action in a timely manner
• Ability to integrate clinical, quality/patient safety, management and financial concepts
• Demonstrated experience in leading high-performing, cross-functional teams; designing and implementing processes for strong and effective clinical and practice management operations

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position
2. Curriculum vitae / Resume
3. Five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers.

Questions should be directed to: Makeedra Hayes at Makeedra.Hayes@cuanschutz.edu

Screening of Applications Begins: Immediately and continues until position is filled. For best consideration, apply by March 9, 2026.

Anticipated Pay Range:

The position comes with salary support in the amount of 0.4 FTE. The financial commitment may be implemented as salary support to buy out existing faculty effort (up to 0.40 FTE), or as additional compensation not to exceed 0.40 FTE of the individual's current salary, or as a blended approach, subject to institutional compensation and approval requirements. The compensation for this role can be configured to best support the finalist's needs, negotiable between the hiring manager and finalist.