Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Faculty Affairs Office
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Health System Clinicians

Faculty appointed in this track are full-time and part-time clinicians who contribute to the mission of the medical school by practicing in affiliated hospitals or clinics, and may participate in clinical trials or student and/or resident teaching programs in variable amounts up to 5% upon request. Health System Clinicians are typically employed by affiliated clinical entities such as a clinical practice plan of Northwestern Medicine, the Pediatric Faculty Foundation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab or others as they exist from time to time. On occasion, physicians in private practice may be appointed in this track if they actively contribute to advancing the vision, mission, and values of Northwestern Medicine or another of the clinical affiliates. Faculty in this track will also pursue continuing medical education, earning at least enough credits to maintain licensure. The clinical institutions where they work will also recognize Health System Clinicians, where appropriate, by the professional standards committee of their practice plan. Health System Clinician appointments are unpaid by the University, non-tenure-eligible, and normally rankless. 

Faculty in this track will normally be titled as Health System Clinician; however, those eligible for membership on the medical staff of Northwestern Memorial Hospital are designated specifically as Health System Clinician/NMH and those eligible for membership on the medical staff of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago as Health System Clinician/LCH. 

A small number of Health System Clinicians, may on occasion be designated Health System Clinician/Academic. Faculty members on this track will typically have held an academic appointment at their previous institution just prior to their appointment at Northwestern and be practicing at a regional medical practice. They are expected to continue to engage in academic activity that will make them eligible for promotion using the criteria described for Clinician-Educators. Faculty who are initially appointed as Health System Clinicians and engage in academic activity measured as publications or similar work products subsequent to their initial appointment may be considered for transfer to the Health System Clinician/Academic track. Faculty appointed to this track will be appointed as Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, or Clinical Professor depending upon their prior academic rank and level of achievement. This is a non-tenure eligible track.

For more information, view the Information Guide for Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure (APT).

Appointment Transactions (submitted via OnBase)

  • Submit requests at least 3 weeks before the effective date. You may be asked to resubmit with a revised effective date if there is not sufficient time for appointment processing.
  • If the candidate has a visa, write "VISA" in two places: (1) at the top of the first page of appointment packet, and (2) in the Comments and Notes section of the OnBase submission form. 
  • Do not contact FAO for status updates or appointment letters unless more than 3 weeks have passed since you submitted a correct and complete request (i.e., if an OnBase transaction is rejected and you need to resubmit, the 3-week timeline begins at the time FAO receives your resubmission). 
  • Recognize that transactions route through multiple offices, and approval by FAO does not mean that a request is fully processed. View OnBase Routing Workflows for more information.

 Recruitment

Health System Clinicians are not employees of the university and receive no salary from NU, so there are no recruitment procedures that must be followed at NU or FSM.  Departments do not enter business plans in the business plan database for HSC recruitment, and NU does not require evidence of a national search in order to appoint an HSC.  Please follow the recruitment procedures established by the organization employing the HSC, and when a candidate is identified, use the appropriate appointment checklist on this webpage to request an appointment at FSM.

NMG-Employed HSCs
If you intend to hire an HSC who will be employed by Northwestern Medical Group, please consult with NMG (mdgrowth@nm.org) on their position approval process prior to beginning a search.  NMG has a "pre-search" process for HSCs, but it is not the same as the pre-search process that NU uses for regular faculty positions.  

 New HSC Appointment (proposed by FSM Department Chair)

For appointment requests initiated by the FSM Department Chair; use for new hires, rehires, and changing a current faculty member's appointment to HSC

This process applies to new HSC appointments, including those designated at HSC/NMH and HSC/LCH.

To propose an HSC appointment, complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

 New HSC Appointment (proposed by NM Regional Chief Medical Officer)

For appointments proposed by an NM Chief Medical Officer for physicians already on the medical staff at an NM hospital; use for new hires, rehires, and changing a current faculty member's appointment to HSC

This process applies to new HSC appointments, including those designated at HSC/NMH and HSC/LCH.

Physicians on the medical staff of Northwestern Medicine (NM) regional hospitals (e.g., Northwestern Lake Forest, Northwestern Delnor, Northwestern Central Dupage) may be appointed as HSCs if recommended by their regional NM Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and approved by the FSM Department Chair and Dean. HSC appointment requests initiated by the CMO will be coordinated locally by the Medical Staff Office Coordinator (MSO Coordinator). The MSO Coordinator will work with the candidate and the CMO to assemble the necessary paperwork and then send it to the appropriate Department Administrator for consideration by the Department Chair. If the Chair approves the appointment, the Department Administrator will finalize the packet and send it to the Faculty Affairs Office.  

Phase 1: Materials Prepared by MSO Coordinator (in Collaboration with CMO and Candidate) for Submission to FSM Department

Note: You may refer the MSO Coordinator to the For Northwestern Medicine Regional Hospitals page for information on this process that is written specifically for them.

The MSO Coordinator will send the following materials to the appropriate FSM Department Administrator:

Phase 2: Materials Prepared by FSM Department for Submission to FAO 

The materials received from the MSO Coordinator should be reviewed by the Department Chair.  If the Department Chair approves the appointment, then the Department Administrator should submit the request for HSC appointment via OnBase.

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

  • Upload the completed Personal Data Form separately to its respective button
    • If an existing faculty member is changing to HSC status, the personal data form isn't necessary unless the faculty member needs to update information on it
  • Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
    1. Health System Clinician Cover Sheet: Initial Appointment (proposed by NM Region CMO)
      • This was received from the MSO Specialist in step 1 and should be signed by the FSM Department Chair
    2. Position Data/Appointment Forms
      • FSM department administrator needs to prepare these forms
    3. Prior correspondence with FAO regarding special circumstances, if applicable
    4. Candidate's CV

 New HSC/Academic Appointment

This process is used to appoint a new HSC/Academic titled as Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, or Clinical Professor.

Chief medical officers (CMOs) at Feinberg-affiliated hospitals may recommend physicians at their hospital for appointment to the Feinberg faculty as a Health System Clinician/Academic. Recommendations must be approved by the relevant Feinberg department chair and the Feinberg dean's office before an appointment is granted. Feinberg departments who receive inquiries about HSC/Academic appointments from NM regional hospital administrators may refer them to the page For Northwestern Medicine Regional Hospitals.

The process below assumes that the HSC/Academic request originates with the CMO; if it instead originates with the Feinberg department chair, the chair's office may opt to follow the process in the order outlined below, or the chair's office can take the lead on assembling the documentation and send the cover sheet and CV to the relevant CMO for sign-off. HSC/Academic appointments can only be made with the relevant CMO's endorsement, as well as that of the Feinberg department chair.

Phase 1: CMO Workflow 

You may refer the CMO's office to the For Northwestern Medicine Regional Hospitals page for information on this process that is written specifically for them.

  1. CMO collects the following documents from the candidate:
  2. CMO completes remaining relevant sections of the HSC/Academic Cover Sheet for New Appointment.
  3. CMO sends all the documents from steps 1 and 2 above to the relevant Department Chair's Office.

Phase 2: Feinberg Department Workflow

  1. Because HSC/Academic appointments are rare, the department chair should discuss the case with the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs before an OnBase transaction is prepared to ensure the case aligns with HSC/Academic appointment criteria
  2. Solicit reference letters based on the referee list collected above. You may solicit reference letters using one of the following methods:
    • Option 1: Feinberg Faculty Portal
      Follow the steps on the reference letter solicitation page to collect reference letters using the Feinberg Faculty Portal.
    • Option 2: Email
      You may contact referees by email to request letters. Referees can provide their letter either as an attachment or typed into the text of the email itself. The letters must remain confidential and not be shared with the candidate or any individuals outside those who are involved in evaluating the candidate for appointment.
  3. Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
    • HSC/Academic Cover Sheet for New Appointment, received from CMO
    • Position Data/Appointment Forms
    • Candidate's CV, received from CMO
    • Reference letters, collected above
    • Personal Data Form, received from CMO (upload separately to its respective button in OnBase) 

 Reappointment

Health System Clinicians are eligible for reappointment in 1-year terms. HSC appointment terms always end on August 31 of a given year, with reappointments taking effect on September 1. Faculty whose appointment terms end on August 31 are reappointed together as part of an annual batch process.  

View our Annual Reappointment Process page for details.

 Change in Appointment

HSCs who are eligible for privileges at NMH or LCH (as determined by the department chair) are designated as such with a corresponding suffix--HSC/NMH or HSC/LCH, respectively. (HSCs eligible to be on the medical staff of both hospitals are designated HSC/NMH/LCH.) To add or remove eligibility for NMH or LCH privileges for a currently appointed Health System Clinician, please email the Faculty Affairs Office to request the change. No additional paperwork is required.

Other changes in Health System Clinician appointments are unusual, so please contact the Faculty Affairs Office to discuss your case. 

 Promotion (for HSC/Academic Only)

Faculty appointed to the HSC/Academic track are eligible for promotion as part of the annual promotion and tenure process. They are evaluated for promotion using the criteria for the Clinician-Educator career track.

 Request Approval for an Outside Appointment

Faculty must obtain approval from their Department Chair and the Dean’s Office before accepting an appointment at an another institution.

Request approval to obtain an outside appointment.

 Termination or Appointment Non-renewal
Involuntary departure initiated by the department

Phase 1: Provide Written Notice of Appointment Non-Renewal

Health System Clinicians must receive 4 months advance written notice from the Department Chair that the appointment will not be renewed. If you wish to discuss the case before providing the notification, contact fao@northwestern.edu. 

Exception: Most faculty who practice clinically are required to remain in good standing at their clinical employer in order to retain their faculty appointment. If the clinical employer terminates their employment, the faculty appointment can be terminated the same day as the clinical employment, without the same advance notice requirements. If this situation arises, please contact fao@northwestern.edu to discuss the case.

  1. Prepare the letter (template available below) and send to the faculty member:
  2. Submit a copy of the letter to FAO via the online Faculty Appointment Non-renewal form
     

Phase 2: Submit Termination Transaction Via OnBase

To process a termination after providing advance notice to the faculty member, submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:

  1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
    • Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the termination. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. (If a secondary department wishes to retain an appointment for the faculty member, it would submit an additional OnBase transaction separately to propose an appointment change.)
    • Appointment form action/reason codes: depends on termination reason, so consult action/reason code matrix 
    • Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
  2. Copy of written notification provided to faculty member

 Resignation
Voluntary departure initiated by faculty member

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

  • Upload the faculty member's resignation letter (if available) separately to its respective button
  • Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
    1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
      • Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the resignation. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. (If a secondary department wishes to retain an appointment for the faculty member, it would submit an additional OnBase transaction separately to propose an appointment change.)
      • Common appointment form action/reason codes:
        TER/OTP (resignation for another position)
        TER/PER         (resignation for personal reasons)
      • Position form action/reason code: POS/INA

 Retirement, retaining netID, Wildcard, and email
Eligible at 55 years of age

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

  • Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
    1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
      • Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the retirement. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. 
      • Add this note in the comments: "Retain WildCard and email"
      • Appointment form action/reason code: TER/RTT
    2. Retiree Privileges Form
    3. Faculty member's letter of retirement (optional)

 Retirement, relinquishing netID, Wildcard, and email
Eligible at 55 years of age

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

  • Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
    1. Position Data / Appointment Forms
      • Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the retirement. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. 
      • Appointment form action/reason code: TER/RTT
    2. Faculty member's letter of retirement (optional)

 Death

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

  • Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
    1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
      • Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the death. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. 
      • Appointment form action/reason code: TER/DEA
      • Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
    2. Obituary (if available)