Inpatient Team Leader at Avenue Healthcare at Avenue Healthcare

Inpatient Team Leader at Avenue Healthcare at Avenue Healthcare | Iko Kazi

Job Objective/Purpose

To provide clinical and operational leadership across Inpatient Services, ensuring safe, high-quality and efficient patient care, effective patient flow, optimal utilization of medical and procedural resources, strong multidisciplinary and specialist coordination, achievement of operational and quality performance indicators, and continuous improvement in clinical outcomes and patient experience.

The Inpatient Team Leader will provide direct leadership to the inpatient medical officers' team.

Main Responsibilities

Inpatient Clinical Operations & Patient Flow

Provide day-to-day clinical and operational oversight of inpatient services, ensuring timely assessment, investigation, treatment, admission, referral, transfer and discharge of patients.
Coordinate admission and referral processes based on clinical priority, hospital occupancy, bed capacity and resource availability, ensuring appropriate patient placement and optimal bed utilization.
Monitor patient flow indicators, including admission and discharge turnaround times, average length of stay, delayed discharges, referrals, transfers and unplanned ICU/HDU transfers.
Coordinate with Nursing, Theatre, ICU, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, Infection Prevention and Control and other support departments to ensure seamless patient care.
Conduct and coordinate multidisciplinary ward rounds and facilitate timely implementation of agreed patient management plans.
Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks affecting patient flow and escalate significant capacity, clinical or operational risks to the Medical Services Manager and relevant management teams.
Ensure timely and appropriate investigations, treatment and specialist review for admitted patients.
Manage Discharge Against Medical Advice (DAMA) cases and support financial and clinical risk mitigation in coordination with the Duty Manager and relevant departments.
Support the development and implementation of integrated workflows that improve the overall patient journey and clinical outcomes.

Medical Team Leadership & People Management

Lead, supervise and performance-manage inpatient Medical Officers, including permanent and locum staff, ensuring optimal deployment, productivity, responsiveness and professional conduct.
Ensure adequate staffing and roster coverage for inpatient medical services in coordination with the Medical Services Manager, Nursing Services Manager, HR, Finance and Operations.
Monitor and manage duty rosters for inpatient Medical Officers and Clinical Coordinators, ensuring appropriate clinical cover at all times.
Coordinate consultant and specialist on-call rosters and ensure availability of appropriate specialist support for inpatient care.
Oversee the internship programme for Medical Officers, including supervision, mentorship, structured learning and assessment.
Support postgraduate medical training rotations by coordinating schedules, learning objectives, supervision and feedback for students from partner universities and training institutions.
Identify staff training and development needs and coordinate appropriate continuous professional development initiatives with HR and relevant clinical leads.
Establish systems for regular observation and assessment of clinical competencies among inpatient medical staff.
Support annual performance appraisals and continuous monitoring of clinical staff performance.
Drive staff engagement and retention through regular meetings, timely resolution of concerns, recognition and a culture of accountability and teamwork.
Implement staff recognition and disciplinary processes in accordance with Avenue Healthcare policies.
Address interpersonal and professional conflicts promptly and escalate unresolved matters to the Medical Services Manager and relevant management teams.

Clinical Quality, Patient Safety & Governance

Ensure delivery of safe, effective, evidence-based and protocol-compliant clinical care across inpatient services.
Monitor key clinical quality, patient safety and operational indicators, including mortality, morbidity, adverse events, infections, medication incidents, readmissions, complications, referrals and patient-flow performance.
Ensure significant incidents, sentinel events, adverse events and near misses are reported, escalated and investigated within the required timelines.
Participate in and support Root Cause Analyses (RCA), corrective and preventive action plans (CAPA), quality indicator reviews and Quality Improvement Projects (QIPs).
Serve as a key member of relevant hospital Clinical Governance Committees and coordinate departmental participation in governance meetings.
Ensure action points arising from clinical governance, audits, incidents and quality improvement activities are assigned, monitored and closed within agreed timelines.
Lead the department's contribution to Avenue Healthcare's quality, safety, environmental and health management systems.
Review and update departmental work instructions, processes, protocols and workflows in collaboration with the Medical Services Manager and relevant stakeholders.
Ensure compliance with infection prevention and control standards, medication safety requirements and hospital clinical care standards.

Mortality & Morbidity Management

Ensure all inpatient deaths and significant adverse clinical outcomes are accurately documented, reported and appropriately escalated.
Compile and submit mortality and morbidity data in accordance with hospital policy and regulatory requirements.
Ensure cases requiring Mortality and Morbidity (M&M) review are identified and presented in a timely manner.
Coordinate or support M&M reviews and ensure recommendations are translated into specific, owned and time-bound improvement actions.
Monitor mortality and morbidity trends and identify recurring clinical or operational risks requiring intervention.
Ensure unexpected deaths are promptly escalated for review and investigation in accordance with hospital policy.
Track closure of recommendations and overdue actions arising from mortality and morbidity reviews.

Clinical Standards, Protocols & Documentation

Ensure compliance with clinical protocols, Standard Treatment Guidelines, clinical pathways, treatment guidelines and Avenue Healthcare policies.
Develop, implement, monitor and periodically review standard care protocols and clinical pathways for inpatient services in collaboration with the Medical Services Manager and relevant specialists.
Ensure completeness, accuracy and timeliness of clinical documentation, including admission assessments, progress notes, consultant reviews, treatment plans, procedure notes, referrals, discharge summaries, mortality reports and other required clinical records.
Ensure appropriate escalation of deteriorating, complex and high-risk patients.
Monitor compliance with medication management, infection prevention and control, patient identification and other clinical safety standards.
Ensure inpatient Medical Officers and specialists maintain appropriate clinical privileging documentation and professional credentials.
Ensure clinical equipment used within inpatient services is maintained in accordance with manufacturer requirements and that relevant staff are trained in its safe and appropriate use.

Specialist & Multidisciplinary Coordination

Facilitate effective collaboration between Medical Officers, admitting and procedural specialists, Nursing, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, Physiotherapy, Dietetics, Infection Prevention and Control and other multidisciplinary teams.
Coordinate multidisciplinary management of complex patients and facilitate timely implementation of specialist recommendations.
Monitor and escalate delays in specialist review, clinical decision-making, referrals or interventions that may affect patient safety, patient flow or patient experience.
Work with Specialist Liaison and relevant stakeholders to resolve recurring specialist coordination barriers.
Facilitate daily multidisciplinary ward rounds and promote integrated, patient-centred clinical decision-making.
Support specialist-led service development and clinical improvement initiatives relevant to inpatient services.

Patient Experience & Communication

Drive initiatives aimed at improving patient satisfaction, communication and the overall inpatient experience.
Ensure patients and families receive timely, clear and appropriate communication regarding diagnosis, treatment plans, progress, procedures, referrals and discharge arrangements.
Monitor patient-experience performance against agreed KPIs and initiate corrective actions where gaps are identified.
Review and analyse patient feedback and complaints, identify recurring concerns and coordinate appropriate corrective and preventive actions.
Facilitate timely resolution and escalation of patient complaints in collaboration with relevant departments.
Ensure patient privacy, dignity, confidentiality and informed communication are maintained at all times.

Performance Management, Data & Strategic Reporting

Monitor inpatient performance against agreed clinical, operational, financial, quality and patient-experience indicators.
Provide accurate and timely data and analysis to the Medical Services Manager and Senior Management to support decision-making and strategic planning.
Monitor inpatient admissions, referrals, occupancy, patient flow, case scheduling, resource utilization and other relevant operational indicators.
Track inpatient revenue performance and support financial sustainability through appropriate resource utilization, efficient patient flow and coordination with Finance and Insurance teams.
Work closely with Insurance and Finance teams to support appropriate justification of treatment extensions and management of care within approved insurance budgets.
Provide a daily performance report highlighting key issues, emerging risks, delays, exceptions, operational gaps and actions requiring follow-up or escalation.
Identify performance trends and ensure corrective, preventive and improvement actions are appropriately assigned, monitored and closed.
Provide regular performance reports to the Medical Services Manager and participate in departmental and hospital performance reviews.

Education, Training & Professional Development

Coordinate structured learning and mentorship for internship Medical Officers and postgraduate medical students rotating through inpatient services.
Ensure appropriate clinical supervision and assessment of interns and postgraduate trainees in accordance with agreed learning objectives and institutional requirements.
Identify clinical competency and knowledge gaps among Medical Officers and coordinate targeted training interventions.
Promote continuous professional development, evidence-based practice and adherence to current clinical guidelines.
Act as the primary liaison between the hospital and postgraduate training institutions and other approved external training partners.

Corporate Governance & Compliance

Ensure compliance with Avenue Healthcare corporate governance policies, applicable laws, regulatory requirements, professional standards and hospital policies.
Participate in regulatory, accreditation and internal/external audit activities relevant to Inpatient Services.
Ensure audit recommendations relating to inpatient services are implemented and closed within agreed timelines.
Prevent, identify, report and support investigation of suspected fraud, misconduct, malpractice or other criminal activity in accordance with Avenue Healthcare policies.
Ensure appropriate maintenance of clinical, staffing, privileging, training and compliance records.

Theatre Operations and Performance

Monitor Theatre and Cath Lab activity, utilization and efficiency against agreed targets, including volumes, cancellations, start-time delays, turnaround times and procedural complications.
Review causes of cancellations and underutilization, ensure patients are appropriately prepared and cleared for procedures, and coordinate corrective actions.
Facilitate coordination between specialists, Medical Officers, Nursing and support services, and escalate recurrent operational barriers.

Clinical Responsibilities

Undertake clinical duties and on-call responsibilities as required and provide clinical leadership, support and escalation to Medical Officers.
Provide timely clinical support in complex, deteriorating and high-risk patient situations.
Maintain professional registration, licensing and mandatory clinical competencies.
Ensure continued compliance with required professional and clinical certifications.
Private practice shall not be permitted where this remains applicable under organizational policy.

Any other duty as assigned by your immediate supervisor in line with the job description

Key Deliverables

Effective clinical and operational leadership of Inpatient Services and the inpatient medical team.
Safe, high-quality, evidence-based and protocol-compliant clinical care for all admitted patients.
Efficient admission, referral, bed utilization, patient flow and discharge management.
Effective supervision, rostering, performance management, mentorship and development of inpatient Medical Officers.
Accurate and timely mortality and morbidity reporting, review, RCA and closure of improvement actions.
Effective coordination of consultants, specialists and multidisciplinary teams.
High compliance with clinical governance, patient safety, infection prevention, medication safety and documentation standards.
Effective delivery of internship and postgraduate medical training programmes.
Improved patient satisfaction, communication and overall inpatient experience.
Accurate and timely strategic reporting and data-driven performance improvement.
Effective resource utilization and support for inpatient financial sustainability.
Timely identification, escalation and closure of clinical, operational, quality and compliance risks.

Person Specification

Bachelor's degree in medical science.
A valid Kenya Medical Practitioners' and Dentists Board License (KMPDB) will be required
Updated BLS, ACLS/ATLS certificate
Experience in clinical leadership
Proven 3 years' experience post internship.
Postgraduate qualification in healthcare management, leadership or related field.
Additional training in quality improvement, patient safety or clinical governance.
Demonstrated experience in clinical leadership and multidisciplinary healthcare delivery.
Demonstrated experience in supervision, mentorship and performance management of clinical teams.
Demonstrated experience in inpatient service delivery, clinical governance and quality improvement.

Key Competencies

Clinical leadership and judgement; patient safety and quality improvement.
Clinical governance, regulatory compliance and risk management.
Performance and results management; operational problem-solving; data analysis.
Inpatient operations, patient flow and resource utilization.
People leadership, supervision, coaching and performance management.
Strong interpersonal, communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills.
Ability to coordinate specialists, Medical Officers, Nursing and multidisciplinary teams.
Education, mentorship and clinical competency development.
Customer/patient focus, accountability and ethical professionalism.
Attention to detail and ability to identify, escalate and act on clinical and operational risks.
Teamwork and result orientation.
Customer focus, empathy and emotional intelligence.
Resilience and ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
Strategic thinking and ability to translate data into actionable improvement initiatives.
Strong documentation, reporting and analytical skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively in a healthcare environment.

Inpatient Team Leader at Avenue Healthcare

Stand out to recruiters

Inpatient Team Leader at Avenue Healthcare

Stand out to recruiters