Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Medical Director

The Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Penn State College of Medicine is seeking a Medical Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) to join our growing team of 11 board-certified pediatric intensivists.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled physician with strong leadership abilities to serve as Medical Director of the PCICU within the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Candidates must be board-certified or board-eligible in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Additional advanced training - either completion of a one-year fellowship in Pediatric Cardiovascular Intensive Care, a fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology, or ≥10 years of PCICU experience - is required.

This is a hybrid clinical and leadership role designed to support the continued growth of a comprehensive pediatric cardiac critical care program within a collaborative, integrated PICU model.

The Medical Director will provide expert care for both pediatric cardiothoracic surgical patients and general pediatric critical care patients, reflecting our current model in which cardiac and general critical care services are aligned to ensure high-quality, efficient, and sustainable care delivery.

Leadership Responsibilities

The Medical Director will provide strategic, operational, and clinical leadership for the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU), guiding the ongoing development and growth of a high-quality cardiac critical care program. This individual will work in close partnership with leaders in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiology, Anesthesia, Nursing, and hospital administration to ensure alignment of clinical, operational, and programmatic goals. The role includes leading the design and implementation of cardiac-specific clinical pathways, protocols, and quality initiatives, as well as collaborating with quality improvement and assurance teams to uphold the highest standards of patient care and safety. The Medical Director will also represent the PCICU across institutional committees and participate in regional and national collaborations to advance the program’s visibility and impact.

Clinical Responsibilities

The Medical Director will deliver high-quality care within an integrated, team-based model that prioritizes the care of pediatric cardiac patients while maintaining involvement in general pediatric critical care. Clinical responsibilities will primarily focus on the management of cardiothoracic surgical and cardiac patients, with a smaller, complementary role in the care of general PICU patients.

The PICU operates with a dual-team structure, in which one team focuses on cardiac patients during daytime hours, while a parallel team manages general critical care patients. This model is designed to ensure appropriate expertise and patient-centered care while maintaining flexibility to adapt to daily census and acuity. The Medical Director will play a key role within this structure, including supporting care of additional patients as needed to ensure balanced workload and seamless unit operations.

In this role, the Medical Director will provide attending coverage in the PICU, managing a diverse population of critically ill children, including those with complex congenital and acquired heart disease. The position supports the continued development and growth of cardiac critical care services while maintaining excellence across the broader PICU. The Medical Director will also actively supervise and teach fellows, residents, and advanced practice providers in support of the institution’s academic mission.

Call Responsibilities

The Medical Director will participate in a shared call model with the Pediatric Critical Care physician group to ensure continuous, high-quality patient care. This includes providing night and weekend coverage within a system of mutual cross-coverage for both cardiac and general PICU patients. The role also involves close collaboration with cardiology and cardiothoracic surgical teams to ensure appropriate and timely escalation of care for complex cardiac patients, supporting a cohesive and responsive multidisciplinary care environment.

Protected Time

Dedicated administrative time will be provided to support the Medical Director’s leadership responsibilities, including program development, quality improvement initiatives, and strategic planning efforts essential to the growth and success of the PCICU.

Clinical and Program Highlights:

Our critical care services are located within a high-acuity 18-bed multidisciplinary PICU, which includes an 8-bed integrated Pediatric Cardiac Care Unit. An adjacent 18-bed Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit offers flexibility for service expansion.

Our team includes 3 pediatric congenital cardiac surgeons, a comprehensive team of 13 pediatric cardiologists, 6 adult congenital heart disease cardiologists, 4 pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists, highly skilled advanced practice providers, pediatric critical care and cardiology fellows, and dedicated pharmacy and nutrition services.

In addition to providing care in the PCICU, the Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist will also be expected to deliver care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The PICU supports a wide range of clinical programs, including ECMO (gold certified by ELSO), CRRT, neurosurgery, Level 1 trauma, stem cell transplantation, as well as comprehensive surgical and medical subspecialties.

The Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine offers both a Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship and an Advanced Practice Provider Program, while the Division of Pediatric Cardiology sponsors a Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship. Together with the pediatric residency, numerous other pediatric subspecialty fellowships, and the adjacent College of Medicine, these programs provide a wide array of educational opportunities.

Penn State Golisano Children’s Hospital and the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine are committed to national quality benchmarking and patient safety. We actively participate in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart Surgery Database, Virtual PICU Systems (VPS), Vizient, and the Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) collaborative - with plans to join the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC⁴). Our STS cardiothoracic surgery outcomes consistently demonstrate exceptional performance, including lower rates of operative mortality, 30-day readmissions, complications, and length of stay. Similarly, our VPS data for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit show a statistically higher severity of illness among our patients, yet we continue to maintain a lower-than-expected standardized mortality ratio - a testament to the skill, teamwork, and quality of care delivered in our PICU.

Penn State Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, the adjacent College of Medicine, and the broader Penn State University main campus together offer outstanding opportunities for collaborative pediatric research. The Pediatric Critical Care Division is an active participant in national research consortia, including the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network and the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN). Faculty members are engaged in multicenter clinical trials focused on brain injury, lung injury, sepsis, and pediatric pharmacology. The Department of Pediatrics and the College of Medicine are committed to fostering the development of early-career investigators and advancing pediatric research through mentorship, infrastructure, and institutional support.

Faculty members are encouraged and supported in pursuing their individual interests and professional growth. Academic appointments are made through Penn State College of Medicine, with rank commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Sign-on bonus and relocation assistance.
• CME funds and protected CME time
• Long-term disability, life insurance, and retirement plans

Invest in Your Future and Theirs: Full-time Milton S. Hershey Medical Center employees receive a 75% Penn State tuition discount for themselves and eligible dependents through the Grant-in-Aid program.

Living in Hershey, PA:

Hershey is a safe, family-friendly community located near Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. The area offers:

• Excellent public schools and an affordable cost of living
• A vibrant community with rich cultural amenities, outdoor recreational opportunities, and historic charm

Convenient access to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact: Kristen Brannen, Physician Recruiter, at kbrannen@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

About Penn State Health

Penn State Health is a multi-hospital health system serving patients and communities across 29 counties in central Pennsylvania. It employs more than 18,000 people systemwide.

The system includes Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital and Penn State Cancer Institute based in Hershey, Pa.; Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center in Enola, Pa.; Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill, Pa.; Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center in Lancaster, Pa.; Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading, Pa.; Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, an 89-bed psychiatric hospital in Harrisburg, Pa., and 2,450+ physicians and direct care providers at 225 outpatient practices. Additionally, the system jointly operates various healthcare providers, including Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center and Hershey Endoscopy Center.

In 2017, Penn State Health partnered with Highmark Health to facilitate creation of a value-based, community care network in the region.

Penn State Health shares an integrated strategic plan and operations with Penn State College of Medicine, the University’s medical school. With campuses in State College and Hershey, Pa., the College of Medicine boasts a portfolio of more than $150 million in funded research and more than 1,700 students and trainees in medicine, nursing, other health professions and biomedical research.

Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital is the top-rated and most comprehensive children’s hospital between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, fully equipped to treat the most severely ill or injured children with both the highest-level neonatal intensive care unit and a Level I pediatric trauma center. Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital physicians and nurses provide a full spectrum of support and highly specialized care to infants, children and adolescents. Located on the campus of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa., the children’s hospital delivers exceptional care for children, including advanced treatments for complex medical conditions like heart disease and cancer. Our patients benefit from the highest quality of care, close to home. Beyond the hospital, child-friendly facilities provide access to expert pediatric specialty services within communities throughout the region.

WHY PENN STATE HEALTH?

Penn State Health offers exceptional opportunities to learn and grow, exposure to a wide patient population, and the ability to provide individualized, innovative, and specialized care to patients in the community.

Penn State Health offers an exceptional benefits package including medical, dental and vision with no waiting period as well as a Total Rewards Program that highlights a few of the many additional offerings below:

• Be Well with Employee Wellness Programs, Fitness Discounts (Facilities and Peloton), Employee Exclusive Concierge Service for scheduling, and PSH OnDemand.
• Be Balanced with Paid Holidays, Time Off, and Paid Parental Leave.