To our prospective intensivist teammates,

I’m the ICU system medical director for Sound’s critical care programs at Carondelet St Joseph’s & Carondelet St Mary’s in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve been a part of Sound Physicians for three years and I’m proud of the intensive care practice we’ve built. The team and I welcome interest from physicians coming out of training or looking to make a career change. I’d like to share more about who we are and what we do — specifically about our people, practice, and purpose — as you consider your options:

People 

• We are a cooperative and high-performing team of 10 physicians and 2 advanced practice providers (APPs).
• Our program is comprised of clinicians from diverse geographic, educational, and training backgrounds who lean on and learn from each other in their approach to patient care.
• Within the hospital, we work closely with our colleagues in other departments to ensure smooth transitions of care. Many of us are active in committees including stroke, sepsis, code blue, peer review, medical executive, and practice guidelines. We have opportunities for those interested to participate in various committees and quality improvement initiatives.
• Sound manages the emergency medicine and hospitalist services as well and we collaborate to provide the best possible patient care.

Practice

• St. Joseph’s is a level I trauma center, comprehensive stroke center, and home to the Carondelet Neurological Institute. This site has a med/surg ICU with a capacity of 32 beds, although we are presently utilizing 16 beds. We have a 12-bed Neurocritical care unit.
• St Mary’s has a 28-bed med/surg ICU and a 12-bed cardiovascular ICU. This hospital is a comprehensive stroke center and home of the Carondelet Heart & Vascular Institute, providing state-of-the-art cardiovascular care, including a structural heart program. You will care for a wide range of high-acuity ICU patients with a very manageable census.
• Both programs do CRRT, impella, and balloon pumps.
• We are not teaching hospitals per se, but we do occasionally have medical students in the ICU.
• Our program uses 7-on/7-off scheduling – one week of night shifts every 2nd or 3rd month, otherwise, day shifts only.
• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, long- and short-term disability, paid medical malpractice and tail coverage, and annual CME allowance.

Purpose

• We put patients first. Always.
• We value and support growth and development in our critical care medicine practice, allowing you to explore new opportunities locally and within the broader medical group.
• We’re a community-minded team and support involvement and contributions to community health and wellness in and out of the hospital.

With 350 days of annual sunshine and an average temperature of 83 degrees, Tucson offers access to outstanding hiking and outdoor activities year-round. There are few places where you can be sitting by your pool in January and drive an hour to Mount Lemmon to go skiing. We have three high schools that were listed in the “Top 50 High Schools in the USA” by U.S. News & World Report. As a city with over 1 million residents, we have amenities found in every metropolis, minus the crowds and traffic. Home prices in Tucson are still relatively affordable compared to other metropolises in the Western USA (homes in Tucson are about 20% less expensive than Phoenix).

Want to learn more about this opportunity? Reach out to my recruiting partner, who will put you in touch with me.

Richard Ciezki, MD
ICU System Medical Director

Tagged as: Physician