Vanderbilt University Medical Center Executive Search Team is conducting a national search for an Associate Operating Officer (AOO) for the Medical Specialty Ambulatory Practices and Diagnostic Clinics. Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), located in Nashville, TN, is one of the largest academic medical centers in the Southeast, focused on personalized patient care, research, and education associated with nationally recognized Medical and Nursing schools. VUMC is a rapidly growing quaternary care facility with an integrated 6-hospital system and over 130 ambulatory clinic locations throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, and northern Alabama. VUMC, with over 60,000 patient discharges from its hospitals, sees over 2.5 million outpatient visits annually, and is the largest employer in middle TN with over 25,000 employees. Additionally, through the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network, VUMC is working with over 60 hospitals and 5,000 clinicians across Tennessee and five neighboring states to share best practices and bring value-driven and cost-effective health care to the Mid-South.

JOB SUMMARY: This Associate Operating Officer (AOO) for Vanderbilt Medical Specialties has operational responsibilities for specialty practice locations (inclusive of Endocrine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Immunology, and Travel) adjacent to the Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital as well as locations across Tennessee, including non-invasive diagnostics, multiple dialysis centers, and infusion clinics . This is a senior executive role requiring proven leadership experience in Ambulatory Operations, including but not limited to the areas of strategic planning, fiscal planning and budgetary management, business development, continuous operational improvement for efficiency and optimization, and development of collaborative work teams across the enterprise. The successful candidate in this role demonstrates exemplary communication skills both vertically and horizontally in the organization and is adept in analytical processing. The AOO is a member of a triad leadership model with a Nursing Leader and an Executive Medical Director to provide strategic oversight of clinical operations along VUMC's five pillars; people, service, growth/finance, quality, and innovation. Additionally, the Medicine Patient Care Center is responsible for patients in the acute care setting as well as ambulatory, thus the AOO works collaboratively with inpatient leaders to ensure continuity across the continuum for medical specialty patients. This role provides leadership and direction in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities in all PCC areas of responsibility. In keeping with policies and procedures of VUMC and the Adult Clinical Enterprise, the PCC Leadership Team (including the Medical Leader, Administrative Leader, and Nursing Leader) shall have shared generalized duties and responsibilities as outlined below.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leadership
• Establish the mission, strategic plan, operational/programmatic plans, and practices for the PCC.
• Lead activities related to performance, improvement, and risk management programs in order to establish and meet clinical quality goals, effective cost management, patient satisfaction, and business goals.
• Participates in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of clinical programs and services, assuring appropriate resources for the delivery of care.
• Builds and maintains key strategic partnerships, both internally across VUMC and within the marketplace, that facilitate achievement of goals and objectives.
• Operations
• Works within a matrix relationship with leaders to oversee operations of the PCC and collaborates with core service leadership in the management of clinical core functions (i.e. lab, pharmacy, transport, etc.).
• Identify significant disease conditions relevant to the PCC; and: Specifically engineer measurable clinical processes and establish appropriate clinical pathways across the continuum Implement cost improvement initiatives to improve value to the patient in the management of the specific disease conditions(s).
• Demonstrate high level of knowledge of the patient population served and of the requirements for delivery of services.
• As assigned, represents VUMC in various meetings and organizations where VUMC maintains membership.
• Design, implement, evaluate and market programs to maximize clinical outcomes, functional status, patient/customer satisfaction and reimbursement
• Lead and provide feedback to direct reports with full responsibility for planning, coordinating, and controlling the work procedures; analyze and evaluate ongoing department programs to identify areas where adjustments/improvements are needed; provide advice/consultation to others regarding problems.
• Leads the transition of care initiatives in the PCC, with a focus on top disease conditions.
• Define criteria related to the selection and acquisition of equipment, outside vendors, supplies, and support services, subject to the final approval process.
• Participates in the planning and promotion of community health programs related to the PCC.
• Support, promote and integrate research activities in the accordance with the Division, Department, or VUMC goals.
• Promote and monitor the effective utilization of the assigned space in support of the PCC's goals.
• Ensure the most effective operations of the PCC through program development, process improvement and coordination/integration of processes with other departments.
• Recruitment/Retention/Performance Management
• Define the qualifications and performance expectations for all staff positions through the Performance Development system, including PCC specific job descriptions and measurable performance standards.
• Play an active role in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, orienting and retaining high level talent at all levels.
• Actively engage in processes that develop and reward high performers while addressing performance improvement needs through coaching, accountability plans and disciplinary action.
• Creates an environment that fosters staff and leader satisfaction and excellence in performance
• Communication
• Model behavior consistent with the credo, mission, vision, and values of the enterprise through leading, coordinating projects, innovating, initiating improvement, and developing new programs. Likewise, model appropriate behavior in all interactions with patients, families, and staff.
• Communicate within and across departments to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and information sharing.
• Create an environment that encourages and supports self-development and learning for all staff.
• Promote Shared Governance model throughout the PCC.
• Attend quarterly PCC Leadership team meetings.
• Meet at least monthly with the members of the PCC leadership team to review clinical performance data.
• Compliance and Regulatory
• Review, approve, communicate, and implement clinical protocols, policies and procedures, in an effort to facilitate efficient and effective practices.
• Responsible for coordinating and ensuring regulatory compliance with all State/Federal and JCAHO standards as evidenced by successful surveys and inspections.
• Maintain readiness for internal and external survey/inspections by assuring that all faculty and staff are knowledgeable of regulatory standards applicable to their work and ensuring that standards are met within the PCC to assure Clinical Enterprise accreditation/licensure.
• Growth and Business Development
• Develop and coordinate the strategic growth objectives for the PCC to meet the mission for VUMC.
• Responsible for crafting operational plans to achieve target performance and growth.
• Evaluate changing demographic, legal and technical developments in the field and initiate new or enhanced programs responsive to such needs.
• Engage the medical staff, employees, and community to seek innovative program enhancements that benefit the community and financial health of the PCC.
• Finance
• Reduce operational costs and increase revenues based on knowledge of market trends, operating procedures and reimbursement matters.
• Participate in the preparation of the annual operating budget, including direct labor, material and supplies, services, equipment maintenance and replacement.
• Ensure financial targets are met or exceeded.
• Evaluate organizational functions and structures to best determine the allocation and utilization of resources.
• Coordinate capital purchase decision-making within the PCC to align with strategic goals.
• Performance Development
• Coordinate the development of performance standards, objectives, evaluations, appropriate pay and opportunity for growth and development of staff.
• Adapt and align organizational structures to optimize efficient and effectiveness of services.
• Quality and Service
• Review PCC performance in relation to established goals, implementing changes to effect continual improvement in the services provided.
• Create and exceed service standards utilizing key service dimension and from knowledge of patient/customer expectations and best practice.
• Monitor patient satisfaction scores for the PCC and collaborates with other leaders to develop and implement action plans to address issues.
• Standardize services, processes, resources, and practices where appropriate to improve efficiency maximizing continuity of patient care while maintaining professional standards within disciplines and across the PCC.
• Lead activities related to performance improvement, and risk management programs in order to establish and meet clinical quality goals, effective cost management, and patient satisfaction.
• Lead the development and implementation of work systems, with a focus on enhancing system reliability.