Director of Labor and Delivery (OBGYN)
Job Description Position Summary The Director of Labor & Delivery is the clinical and operational leader for the L&D unit, OB-ED/Triage, and peripartum areas (ORs/PACU/Antepartum as applicable). This role ensures safe, equitable, patient-centered, and financially sustainable care by aligning bedside practice with evidence-based protocols, regulatory standards, and institutional priorities. The Director partners tightly with Nursing Leadership, Anesthesia, Neonatology, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine to deliver excellent outcomes, experience, and access across the perinatal continuum. Key Responsibilities Clinical Quality & Safety Own the L&D quality agenda (maternal morbidity/mortality reviews, perinatal safety program, and event response). Lead adoption and reliability of national bundles (e.g., obstetric hemorrhage, severe hypertension, sepsis, VTE, oxytocin safety). Chair/Co-chair L&D Quality & Safety Committee; run monthly case reviews and Just Culture debriefs. Standardize induction/augmentation, VBAC, operative vaginal delivery, and cesarean decision pathways; ensure timely MFM escalation. Ensure 24/7 readiness for OB emergencies (massive transfusion, perimortem C-section, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, obstetric anesthesia complications). Operations & Throughput Oversee patient flow across OB-ED/Triage, L&D, ORs, and PACU; reduce bottlenecks and diversion. Set and monitor staffing plans with Nursing Leadership (ratios, acuity tools, charge structure, OB techs/MTAs, doulas). Optimize scheduling for OB hospitalists, midwives, attendings, and residents/fellows; maintain fair workload distribution and backup coverage. Ensure equipment readiness and capital planning (monitors, fetal surveillance, ultrasound, hemorrhage carts, OR equipment). Partner with Bed Management and NICU for timely maternal–newborn dyad placement. Culture, Teaming & Education Foster a high-reliability, interdisciplinary culture (daily huddles, safety checks, structured handoffs, debriefs). Co-lead simulation program (hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, neonatal resuscitation, OB code, OR crises) with Nursing/Anesthesia/NICU. Support resident, fellow, midwife, and nursing education; ensure competency validation and privileging standards. Promote respectful, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive care, including language access and shared decision-making. Patient Experience & Equity Improve HCAHPS/CG-CAHPS touchpoints (communication, pain management, newborn care education, discharge readiness). Track and close disparity gaps in outcomes and experience by race/ethnicity, language, and social risk factors. Integrate doulas, lactation, social work, behavioral health, and maternal wellness resources into routine care. Compliance & Risk Ensure compliance with Joint Commission, CMS Conditions of Participation, state perinatal regulations, EMTALA (OB-ED), and payer requirements. Maintain/uphold credentialing, privileging, documentation, EMTALA logs, and OPPE/FPPE processes. Partner with Risk Management on event analysis, disclosure, and enterprise risk mitigation. Data, Informatics & Continuous Improvement Define, monitor, and act on a robust KPI dashboard; lead Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Oversee EHR optimization (order sets, decision support, oxytocin titration tools, hemorrhage calculators, VBAC counseling & consent). Leverage remote/wireless fetal monitoring and telemetry to improve mobility and experience when available. Strategy & Growth Align L&D capacity with service line strategy (acuity mix, induction scheduling, VBAC access, regional referral pathways). Support new program development (OB-ED/triage redesign, obstetric anesthesiology protocols, maternal fetal transport, high-risk clinics). Participate in budget planning; steward labor, supply, and implant costs; support contracting and value-based care initiatives. Success Metrics (tracked monthly/quarterly) Safety/Quality: Severe Maternal Morbidity (overall & hemorrhage-related), transfusion rates, timely treatment of severe hypertension, postpartum readmissions, SSIs, EBL/QBL documentation reliability. Clinical Practice: NTSV cesarean rate, VBAC attempt & success, operative vaginal delivery utilization, induction length of stay, oxytocin guideline adherence. Operations: L&D and OB-ED door-to-decision times, OR start on-time rate, boarding hours, diversion episodes. Experience & Equity: HCAHPS domains, doula utilization, disparities dashboards with gap-closure projects. People & Culture: Staff engagement/retention, completion of simulations/competencies, event debrief closure rates. Finance: Cost per delivery, length of stay benchmarks, supply variance, value-based incentives achieved. Qualifications Required: MD/DO in Obstetrics & Gynecology; board certified (or eligible with timeline). Active/unrestricted state license and hospital privileges; eligibility for malpractice coverage. Experience: 10-12 years post-residency with demonstrated L&D leadership (e.g., OB hospitalist lead, unit medical director, chief resident/fellow, MFM). Experience with QI methodologies (Lean/Six Sigma) and perinatal safety bundles. Preferred: Fellowship training (MFM, MIGS, or other), Master’s degree (MPH/MHA/MBA), formal patient safety/quality certification (e.g., CPHQ, IHI). Experience in academic teaching and interdisciplinary simulation. Skills: Collaborative leadership with nursing/ancillary teams; data-driven decision-making; excellent communication; ability to lead through influence and manage change. Proficiency with EHRs (EPIC/Cerner), perinatal analytics, and credentialing/privileging processes. Work Conditions On-site leadership presence with rotational evenings/nights/weekends as needed for visibility, mentorship, and incident support. Participation in clinical call (as defined with the Chair) to maintain bedside credibility and understand workflow realities. Physical demands consistent with hospital environment and OR/L&D settings. Professional Expectations Model Just Culture and psychological safety; promote respect and zero tolerance for harassment or bias. Maintain CME/board certification and institutional education requirements (BLS/ACLS/NALS/NRP as applicable). Uphold HIPAA, EMTALA, and institutional compliance policies.
