University of Iowa Health Care (UI Health Care) is seeking a visionary and collaborative Medical Director, Population Health & Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Operations. This 0.7 FTE leadership role is pivotal in advancing UI Health Care’s mission to deliver high-value, patient-centered care.  The Population Health & ACO Operations Medical Director will partner with the Director of Population Health & ACO Operations to shape and implement clinical strategies that align with the Quadruple Aim—enhancing patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs, and improving the work life of health care providers. The successful candidate will also be appointed to a .3 FTE as a clinical position in a clinical department within UI Health Care.

Key Relationships

• Reports to: Executive Medical Director, Ambulatory Care


• Collaborates with:
  
  
  
  • Director of Population Health & ACO Operations
  
  
  • Population Health Nursing Leader
  
  
  • Chief Quality Officer
  
  
  • Chief Medical Informatics Officer
  
  
  • Executive Director of the University of Iowa Physicians (UIP)
  
  
  • Clinical leadership, including Department of Family & Community Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and additional specialty departments
  
  
  • Clinical and multidisciplinary care teams
  
  
  • External payers and partners, including health plan medical directors, post-acute facility clinical leadership, and community-based organizations
  
  
  
  

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as the clinical lead for population health initiatives, translating strategy into action across the continuum of care.


• Partner with primary care, specialty care, and care management teams to align clinical practices with value-based care goals.


• Lead or co-lead clinical pathway development and implementation to reduce variation, improve outcomes, and control costs.


• Champion team-based care, integrated care delivery, and proactive risk management for patients across acuity levels.


• Drive improvement in clinical quality and equity metrics, especially in underserved or high-risk populations.

Performance Improvement & Accountability

• Analyze and improve performance on quality metrics (e.g., HEDIS, ACO, CMS Star ratings, etc.).


• Develop and disseminate actionable data insights to guide physician behavior change and practice improvement.


• Collaborate with finance, analytics, and operations teams to manage medical cost trend and total cost of care.

Engagement & Education

• Engage and educate physicians and APPs on population health principles, value-based care models, and performance expectations.


• Serve as a trusted liaison between the population health team and frontline clinical leaders.


• Facilitate feedback loops to ensure provider concerns, ideas, and clinical perspectives inform strategic decisions.

Model of Care & Program Development

• Co-design and help implement care models such as care management, transitions of care, chronic disease management, and home-based care.


• Provide clinical input into digital health tools, risk stratification models, and decision support systems.


• Support integration of behavioral health, pharmacy, and social determinants of health into care delivery.

Desired Outcomes

Clinical & Financial

• Improved outcomes in priority clinical areas (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, COPD).


• Reduction in avoidable ED visits, hospital admissions/readmissions, and avoidable post-acute utilization.


• Favorable performance on total cost of care, risk adjustment accuracy, and shared savings targets across value-based contracts.

Quality, Experience & Equity

• Improved performance on clinical quality and safety metrics (e.g., HEDIS, Star ratings, ACO benchmarks).


• Reduction in disparities across key clinical and social outcomes, especially among high-risk and underserved populations.


• Enhanced patient experience and continuity of care across settings and episodes.

Adoption of Digital Tools

• Increased provider adoption and satisfaction with population health tools, such as clinical dashboards, care gap alerts, risk stratification, and decision support.


• Seamless integration of digital health solutions into clinical workflows, reducing administrative burden and enabling proactive care.


• Improved data transparency and feedback loops that support provider engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Organizational Alignment & Culture

• Greater alignment between frontline clinical practice and enterprise population health strategy.


• Scalable care models and workflows adopted across departments or regions.


• Strengthened culture of collaboration, clinical accountability, and performance excellence.

Critical Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to align clinical initiatives with institutional goals and the evolving healthcare landscape.


• Influence and Change Management: Skilled in engaging stakeholders, building consensus, and driving change.


• Operational Execution: Capable of translating strategy into action through effective planning, implementation, and performance monitoring.


• Collaboration and Relationship Building: Builds trust and fosters partnerships across departments and with external entities.


• Health Disparity Focus: Committed to reducing disparities and promoting equitable care delivery.

Appointment will be at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor and may be on either the Clinical or Tenure Track. The position will be .7 FTE with the remaining .3 FTE as a clinical position in a clinical department within UI Health Care.

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any misconduct history or pending research misconduct investigation including but not limited to sexual misconduct in prior employment and provide a related release and will be subject to a criminal background and credential check.

Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. For questions, contact Sharon Walther at sharon-walther@uiowa.edu.

This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization now or in the future.

• MD or DO degree, with eligibility for medical licensure in the state of Iowa.

• Candidates must be eligible for a faculty appointment in the Carver College of Medicine.


• Eligibility for licensure in the State of Iowa is required


• Demonstrated leadership in population health, ACO operations, or value-based care.


• Experience leading change initiatives aimed at clinical transformation, including shifting provider behavior, workflow redesign, and culture change.


• Experience working in academic medical centers or integrated health systems.


• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex projects.


• Familiarity with quality improvement methodologies and data analytics.


• Demonstrated experience working effectively in a welcoming and respectful workplace environment.

• Board-certified physician with active clinical practice, preferably in adult primary care

• An advanced degree in healthcare/business (MBA, MHA) or equivalent degree is preferred.