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Duty Station : Beirut, North and Akkar, South and Nabatieh, Bekaa and Baalbeck Hermel

Background:

Following the withdrawal of UNHCR from hospitalization coverage, UNICEF is assuming responsibility for supporting access to life-saving neonatal intensive care for vulnerable populations in Lebanon. Given the high clinical complexity, cost intensity, and variability in NICU practices, additional specialized neonatology oversight is required to ensure appropriate utilization, clinical justification, and quality of care. This role builds on UNICEF’s ongoing investment in capacity building, quality improvement, and standardized neonatal care across public hospitals.

The Paediatric and neonatal Intensive Care Coverage hospital delegate is responsible for coordinating between the TPA, UNICEF and governmental hospitals providing service coverage for NICU and PICU patients. UNICEF will apply a cost-sharing modality aligned with the former UNHCR referral approach and will utilize the vulnerability criteria developed by the health sector combined with an adaptation of UNHCR current medical and protection methodology UNICEF will subsidize 60 percent of hospitalization costs, with families contributing 40 percent, an approach shown to improve access while limiting catastrophic expenditure. This position will be instrumental in coordinating the coverage and admissions to commit to UNICEF and TPA guidelines and protocols.

Purpose:

The Neonatology Consultant will provide specialized clinical oversight and advisory support to UNICEF, the TPA, and supported hospitals. The consultant will act as a core member of a technical review mechanism, ensuring that clinical decisions related to complex cases, prolonged admissions, high-cost interventions, and advanced therapies are medically justified, minimally invasive, and aligned with global best practices, while contributing to cost containment and system efficiency.

Work Assignment:

·         Provide clinical review and justification for complex NICU cases, prolonged length of stay, and proposed high-cost interventions

·         Ensure commitment to evidence-based, low-invasive neonatal care and appropriate escalation of treatment

·         Serve as a member of a technical committee providing clinical opinion on exceptional cases and advanced interventions

·         Support clinical decision-making related to utilization management and medical necessity

·         Track quality of care provision and clinical pathways for high-risk neonates

·         Identify opportunities to optimize care pathways in line with UNICEF and WHO clinical guidelines

·         Provide clinical consultations to NICU teams on complicated cases and advanced neonatal interventions

·         Support identification of cases requiring telemedicine, second opinions, or specialized referral

·         Contribute to cost-containment strategies through clinical efficiency and rational use of interventions

·         Coordinate with UNICEF, TPA, and hospital teams on medically sensitive or high-risk cases

·         Support capacity building of NICU teams through targeted on-the-job clinical guidance

·         Promote standardized neonatal care protocols across supported hospitals

·         Flag clinical risks, quality concerns, or deviations from agreed standards

·         Contribute to strengthening safe, ethical, and cost-effective neonatal intensive care services

·         Audit selected high risk medical bills

·         Monthly reporting to UNICEF and management service provider working with UNICEF

Minimum Qualifications Required:

·         Medical degree with specialization in Neonatology

·         Board certification or equivalent specialization required

If Other, Enter Disciplines:

Years of Experience required:

·         Minimum 7 years of clinical experience in neonatal intensive care

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

·         Demonstrated experience in managing complex NICU cases and advanced neonatal interventions

·         Experience in quality improvement, clinical audits, or guideline implementation is an asset

·         Strong clinical judgment and decision-making skills

·         Ability to balance clinical excellence with cost-effective care

·         Experience working in humanitarian or resource-constrained settings is an asset

·         Strong communication, mentoring, and advisory skills

Deliverables/Outputs:

Tasks/Milestone:

1. Inception report and workplan

-          Review agreement, SOPs, and guidelines; submit detailed workplan and methodology

Clinical review and advisory input

-          Provide technical inputs on high-risk cases

-          Provide advisory input for the medical committee on ways forwards with high-cost NICU cases

-          Provide inputs on controversial rejections or discharges

-          Participate in technical review and case discussion

-          Contribute to cost-containment strategies through clinical efficiency and rational use of interventions

Clinical Support and capacity Building

-          Field-based or remote clinical consultations with NICU teams

-          Provide advice on alternative medical approaches

-          Provide insight on clinical protocols

-          Support identification of cases requiring telemedicine, second opinions, or specialized referral

-          Onjob Capacity building and support to NICU medical teams as needed

Periodic summary report outlining reviewed cases, recommendations, and system-level observations

-          Monthly data quality checks, summaries, and documentation submitted to UNICEF