About this opportunity
Sandbar Health lists this Family Medicine Physician & Founding Medical Director opportunity in washington, District of Columbia. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Sandbar Health is a next-generation "payvider" — a physician-led direct primary care practice and health plan in one — with an obsessive focus on the member experience. Because we both deliver care and own the cost of it, every incentive is aligned around keeping members healthy: radically better, coordinated care that members love, delivered efficiently by cutting the friction, waste, and unnecessary utilization that define most of healthcare today. Backed by experienced healthcare operators and investors, we are building the clinical and operational foundation for a direct-to-consumer health plan launching in the DC metro area.
Clinic will be located in Ballston, VA
Position Summary
We are seeking a Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician to serve as our founding Medical Director, providing clinical leadership for a high-touch, technology-enabled primary care practice. As the first physician and clinical leader in the organization, the Medical Director will build and lead a collaborative POD-based care team of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), health coaches, and medical assistants to deliver preventive, relationship-driven care with a strong focus on access, continuity, and proactive population health management.
This role is ideal for a physician who values meaningful member relationships, innovation in care delivery, and the opportunity to lead a clinical team and help shape a modern, consumer-oriented healthcare organization from the ground up.
Core Responsibilities
Provide clinical leadership for the founding care POD, setting the standard for quality, access, and member experience
Help recruit, onboard, and mentor the clinical team as the practice scales (additional physicians, APPs, and care navigators)
Deliver comprehensive outpatient Family Medicine care for adult and pediatric members in a direct primary care environment
Lead preventive care and longitudinal chronic disease management with an emphasis on reducing downstream utilization
Provide same-day and next-day access through a combination of in-person, virtual, and asynchronous care modalities
Collaborate with APPs, health coaches, and care navigators within a team-based POD model
Perform office-based procedures and women's health services within scope of practice
Participate in proactive outreach efforts focused on preventive health, care gaps, and high-risk members
Utilize digital tools, structured intake pathways, and AI-supported workflows to improve efficiency and the member experience
Own clinical pathway development and standardization initiatives
Champion an obsessive focus on the member experience — hospitality, responsiveness, and proactive communication at every touchpoint
Lead clinical operations and inform the future scaling of the organization
Clinical Model
The practice is designed around smaller member panels and high-access care delivery, with efficiency coming from technology and operations so that clinician time goes to members. Panels run 500 to 750 members per provider. Each POD is one physician, one medical assistant, and up to four APPs, with health coaching built in. The care model emphasizes:
Preventive and relationship-driven care
Async-first workflows for low-acuity needs
Proactive care coordination and navigation
Reduced administrative burden through technology-enabled operations
A few specifics physicians usually want up front:
Panel: 500 to 750 members per provider
Pod staffing: 1 MA per physician, up to 4 APPs, plus health coaching
EMR: Canvas, with ambient AI note-taking, so your charting does not follow you home as pajama time
Access: same-day and next-day availability across in-person, virtual, and asynchronous visits
After-hours and call: partner-led telemedicine platform
Preferred Qualifications
Board Certified in Family Medicine
Active or eligible MD or DO licensure in Washington, DC, Maryland, and/or Virginia
Prior clinical leadership experience (medical director, lead physician, or similar) preferred
Comfort managing members across the lifespan, including preventive care, women's health, and common musculoskeletal conditions
Experience in direct primary care, rural medicine, urgent care, emergency medicine, or value-based care environments preferred
Strong communication skills and comfort with digital-first member engagement
Interest in innovation, care redesign, and early-stage healthcare ventures
Collaborative and team-oriented leadership style
Commitment to delivering evidence-based, high-touch member care
What We Offer
Opportunity to help build a next-generation healthcare model from the ground floor as its founding clinical leader
Smaller member panels and increased time with members
Collaborative interdisciplinary care environment
Technology-enabled workflows designed to reduce administrative friction
Competitive compensation package ($240,000–$300,000) with potential performance-based bonus
401(k) with employer match
Best-in-class health, vision, and dental coverage
Mission-driven culture focused on prevention, access, and member experience
This position represents a unique opportunity for a physician leader seeking to practice and lead relationship-centered medicine within a modern, innovative healthcare platform designed to improve both member outcomes and the clinician experience.
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Worksite address
washington, DC, 20022, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.