NOTE: The Medical Director or Physician Designee may be an employee or a

NOTE: The Medical Director or Physician Designee may be an employee or a volunteer of the hospice agency. The hospice agency may also contract for the services of the Medical Director or Physician Designee. 1. Qualifications – A Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi. 2. Responsibilities – The Medical Director or Physician designee assumes overall responsibility for the medical component of the hospice’s patient care program and shall include, but not be limited to: a. Serve as a consultant with the attending physician regarding pain and symptom control as needed; b. Serve as the attending physician if designated by the patient/family unit; c. Review patient eligibility for hospice services; d. Participate in the review and update of the POC for each patient at a minimum of every 14 calendar days, unless the plan of care has been reviewed/updated by the attending physician who is not also the Medical Director or Physician Designee. These reviews must be documented. e. Document the patient’s progress toward the outcomes specified in the plan of care. f. Serve as a medical resource for the hospice interdisciplinary group and as a liaison to physicians in the community; g. Develop and coordinate procedures for the provision of emergency care; h. Provide a system to assure continuing education for hospice medical staff as needed.