UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Director of Pediatric Palliative Care (Hospice and Palliative Medicine)
HS Clinical or Clinical X Faculty Series

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, is seeking a new faculty member to join its Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. The Center of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care, and Integrative Medicine at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco is recruiting a full-time Pediatric Pain and Palliative Physician Lead to join our growing interdisciplinary team of pain, palliative care and integrative medicine providers. The appointment will be made at the Associate or Full Professor rank of the HS Clinical or Clinical X faculty series. Academic rank is commensurate with experience.

The Center of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care, and Integrative Medicine is growing providing comprehensive care on both campuses in Oakland and San Francisco. This is an exciting and ambitious program, which aims to provide holistic, interdisciplinary care for infants, children, and teens with acute, procedural, neuropathic, and chronic/complex pain. In addition, we care for children with serious illness and provide palliative and hospice care in the hospital, outpatient clinic, and at home. Integrative Medicine provides mind-body interventions such as hypnosis, biofeedback, acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy and much more.

The Benioff Children’s Hospitals were a recent recipient of the prestigious ChildKind International designation and is credentialed by The Joint Commission for Pediatric Palliative Care. The Center provides comprehensive teaching, including the annual Pediatric Pain Master Class and EPEC-Pediatrics.

Integrated Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care (IP3) provides pain and palliative care services in the  inpatient and outpatient setting to infants, children and adolescents with acute and complex/chronic pain, and children with chronic illnesses. Our team includes pain and palliative care physicians, pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric nurse practitioner, nurses, pain psychologist, social worker, chaplain, child life specialists and integrative medicine specialists who provide mind-body interventions, such as acupuncture, massage, and biofeedback.

The Director of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) will join an interdisciplinary team providing care for patients from infancy through adolescence with pain as well as palliative care/hospice needs both  inpatient, in the outpatient clinic, and for children with serious illness at home.

Specific Responsibilities
   • Leads growth and development in the area of pediatric palliative care and hospice, both inpatient, in the outpatient clinic, and in collaboration with partners in the community.
   • Provides leadership by developing and translating a vision for the department to maintain an exemplary clinical, educational, and research program with the goal of continually being a top-tiered, nationally ranked program.
   • Develops a strategic plan for the palliative care program, in conjunction with Division leadership, for a comprehensive PPC program including state-of-the-art patient care and hospital-wide approach to advanced and symptom management for children with serious illnesses.
   • Is involved in a PPC education program including our hospice and palliative medicine Fellowship, and supporting our research program focusing on clinical, translational research.
   • Provides leadership and oversight of medical staff clinical care and education, as well as performance improvement initiatives.
   • Champions lean protocols and standards for the service.
   • This position also includes some provision of pain medicine as part of our interdisciplinary team. Additional pain training would be provided, if required.
   • In addition, the position includes some on-call responsibilities on a rotation basis with the other clinicians. The physician will work with a team that covers both the Oakland and San Francisco  campuses.

Reporting Relationship
The Director of Pediatric Palliative Care reports to the Medical Director of the Center of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care, and Integrative Medicine, Stefan J. Friedrichsdorf.

Candidate Qualifications
   • Extensive experience in treating pediatric patients with advanced serious diseases.
   • We are seeking candidates with both excellent clinical, as well as strong operational day-to-day skills.
   • Strong leadership as well as organizational skills needed to effectively operate in the complex environment of a large pediatric medical center on two campuses, a large team, and to effectively manage conflicting agendas.
   • Excellent collaboration and team building skills.
   • Good communication skills, flexibility and a desire to learn together with the interdisciplinary team are a must.

If interested, the successful applicant may participate in further research, education, quality improvement and/or teaching opportunities: We host the ACGME accredited Pediatric track of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine physician fellowship in collaboration with the UCSF Division of Palliative Medicine (Director: Steve Pantilat, MD).

The successful candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team, including physicians (pediatricians, pediatric anesthesiologists, neurologists and PM&R), advanced practice registered nurses, nurses, psychologist, massage therapists, social worker, MD fellows, chaplain, child life specialist, integrative medicine therapists, plus clinical support and administrative staff to assure timely assessment and intervention for all children referred to the program.

Education and Licensure
   • Board certified pediatrician, med/peds trained, or anesthesiologist (MD or DO). Candidates with extensive pediatric pain treatment experience (including neurology, physical medicine &  rehabilitation) may also be considered.
   • CA License/Eligibility.
   • At least two years of experience in providing pediatric palliative care including treatment of pain care and symptom management in the tertiary and palliative care setting.
   • It would be desirable for the applicant to have board certification in hospice and palliative medicine. Experienced candidates with an excellent skill set of pediatric palliative care and managing children with advanced serious illnesses may also be considered.

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is one of the top biomedical research institutions in the nation and is ranked 1st among public universities in NIH funding in 2020. The Department’s clinical enterprise is based at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Mount Zion, Zuckerberg San Francisco General, and at a number of outreach clinics throughout Northern California, providing the Department with an unsurpassed opportunity to meet the needs of infants, children, and young adults throughout the Bay Area. In 2020, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals ranked in all 10 children’s specialties in U.S. News and World Report. Nestled in a dynamic and unique geography distinguished by unprecedented innovations in technology, UCSF and the Department of Pediatrics are able to bring research and industry together to advance health.

Interested candidates can apply online at https://aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF03689 with a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of contributions to diversity, and statement of teaching/research accomplishments (optional).

For more information contact:
Amber Borucki
Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
Amber.Borucki@ucsf.edu

UCSF seeks candidates whose experience, teaching, research, or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.