Job Details

 For inquiries, contact Karl Desch, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, at [email protected] or 734-763-4109.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Care

• Provide clinical care in a 35-bed Level III NICU and a 12-bed Special Care Nursery
• NICU manages 700?800 admissions annually and delivers high-acuity care including:
• High-frequency ventilation (HFOV and HFJV)
• Inhaled nitric oxide
• Therapeutic hypothermia
• Advanced ventilatory support (e.g., NAVA)

• Care for complex neonatal patients, including extremely preterm infants and surgical/subspecialty cases
  Lead delivery room resuscitations and advanced airway management

   

   

Leadership & Operations

• Provide on-site medical leadership for the NICU
• Lead and develop the physician and APP team, setting expectations for clinical excellence, professionalism, and accountability
• Foster a collaborative, high-functioning culture during ongoing organizational change
• Partner as a core member of the interprofessional NICU leadership team
• Support recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and retention of clinicians
• Lead local quality improvement and patient safety efforts and monitor performance metrics
•  

System Integration

• Serve as the primary liaison between the NICU and the broader health system
• Align local clinical practices, guidelines, and workflows with system standards in collaboration with Michigan Medicine
• Support implementation of transfer, triage, and regional care pathways

• Partner with OB/MFM and referring providers to optimize perinatal care coordination

   

   

Academic & Educational Role

• Participate in academic conferences and QI initiatives with Michigan Medicine
•  Serve as an educator and mentor for pediatric residents and NNP students

Required Qualifications
 

• MD or DO with board certification in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

• Minimum 5 years of clinical experience in a Level III or IV NICU

  • Demonstrated expertise in advanced neonatal care, including:

    • FOV, HFJV, NAVA

       

    • Neonatal transport

      • Therapeutic hypothermia

        • Experience caring for extremely preterm infants (22?23 weeks gestation)

          • Proficiency in delivery room leadership and advanced resuscitation; NRP certification required (instructor preferred)

          • Demonstrated ability to lead clinical teams and set expectations for performance and accountability

             

             

• Experience with quality improvement and patient safety initiatives 

Academic Affiliation

Includes a faculty appointment at the University of Michigan, with rank based on experience. Participation in teaching, quality improvement, and statewide collaboration is expected.

Ideal Candidates