The COO, in dyad partnership with the hospital’s CNO, is responsible and accountable for the safe and effective day-to-day operation of the appointed hospital. The COO will have direct responsibility for directing many of the hospital’s individual departments and functions. The COO is responsible and accountable for directing all appointed responsibilities along each domain of the “Triple Aim” (patient safety and quality, service, and financial performance):
• Developing, nurturing and improving a safe and cost-effective clinical culture that produce predictable patient outcomes;
• Developing, nurturing and improving a service culture that supports and engages employees, medical staff, patients and the community; and
• Developing, nurturing and improving a cost-effective operating culture that achieves established objectives.
At all times, the COO will conduct her/himself in accordance with ARH’s behavioral standards and will execute her/his duties in accordance with established laws, rules, regulations and standards of all applicable governmental, regulatory and accrediting bodies, and with the policies and procedures of the appointed hospital, region, and system.
Beyond those above, the primary duties of COO are generally described below. These essential functions are not intended to be, and should not be considered to be, a comprehensive list of duties or expectations.
Hospital Performance – COO is responsible and accountable for the performance of the appointed departments and functions. As such, COO shall develop and implement impactful strategies and plans to achieve established performance objectives along each domain of the Triple Aim.
o Patient Safety & Quality – COO is responsible and accountable for developing and sustainably improving a clinical culture within the appointed departments and functions that is safe, efficient, and consistently produces expected patient outcomes in a cost-effective way
Accreditation – The primary role of accrediting and regulating bodies is to assure that participating providers have sufficient policies, practices and safeguards in place to assure delivery of safe and predictable services to patients. COO is responsible and accountable for adherence to all relevant standards of applicable accrediting and regulatory bodies (e.g. JC, DNV, CMS, OIG, etc.). COO will assure accreditation readiness within the appointed departments and functions at all times, whether those surveys are planned and expected or not.
o Service & Engagement – COO is responsible and accountable for sustainably improving the engagement and loyalty of the employees, medical staff and patients of the appointed hospital. In addition, COO is responsible and accountable for developing, nurturing and maintaining meaningful relationships with members of the medical staff and other providers, both independent and employed.
o Financial Effectiveness – COO is responsible and accountable for developing and sustainably improving an operating culture that conducts its daily activities in an efficient and cost-effective manner, and in which achieves established financial performance objectives.
Market Relevance – COO will participate in any and all strategic planning endeavors of the appointed hospital, and will embrace all commissioned strategies and plans intended to sustainably improve the appointed hospital’s role and relevance within the communities it serves.
Corporate Citizenry – COO is responsible and accountable for being a good corporate citizen. In addition to abiding by established policies and procedures, behavioral standards and other expectations, corporate citizenry includes but is not limited to: working effectively within ARH’s matrixed reporting environment; working effectively with local-, regional- and system-level resources; and embracing ARH’s commitment to optimizing the value of its “system-ness” (e.g. regionalization, collaboration, etc.).
Community Citizenry – COO shall at all times conduct her/himself in a personal and professional manner consistent with ARH’s behavioral standards. Beyond her/his personal membership and participation with the community, COO will develop and maintain a constructive relationship with community stakeholders.
“Systems Thinking” – Beyond her/his appointed departments, COO is a member of the hospital’s executive team and, as such, will facilitate or otherwise be engaged in many other endeavors across the facility, region and system on a regular basis. COO at all times will facilitate collaborative working relationships across departments and the region. COO continually searches for meaningful ways to improve upon the status quo by streamlining workflows, integrating novel practices, and sharing of resources across the region and system. COO, via her/his behaviors, actions and execution of day-to-day duties, demonstrates daily her/his commitment to optimizing the value of ARH’s “system-ness”. “Collaboration”, “integration”, “shared planning” – these are all terms or ideas that COO values as demonstrated through her/his behavior and attitude.
In addition to the essential functions of this role, COO shall be actively engaged in the professional and career development of Assistant Administrator, if applicable.
All policies, procedures, practices, and standards referenced above and elsewhere in this document are subject to, and likely will, change from time to time. Adherence to any such change will continue to be the responsibility and accountability of COO.
Likewise, the responsibilities, duties and reporting relationships referenced above and elsewhere in this document may change from time to time. COO shall be responsible and accountable for any such change, and the general principles of this position description shall apply to any such change.
Qualifications
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
• Ability to inspire and lead others, the humility to listen to and follow others, and the knowledge and discipline to know when to do which;
• Ability to adapt to and manage change in a timely and effective way;
• Ability to manage and mitigate conflict, including situations where COO is a party to said conflict;
• Courage to challenge established norms (policies, procedures, practices, directives, etc.) in an appropriate and impactful way;
• Humility to accept and embrace regional- or system-level strategies and endeavors which may from time to time be uncomfortable;
• Courage to ask for resources or help when necessary to accomplish established objectives or other expectations;
• Ability to think strategically to find novel solutions to complex problems;
• Energy, focus and aptitude necessary to effectively fulfil the duties of the role;
• Ability to surround a problem with the right people to affect a timely and effective solution;
• Ability to manage difficulty and crisis in a measured and effective manner, relying on data and counsel where able; and
• Possess an action-oriented disposition, relying on data and counsel where possible.
Education
COO will be a graduate of an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in Hospital Administration, Business Administration, or other relevant field of study.
Minimum Work Experience
Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years’ experience in senior-level roles within a healthcare facility.
Ideal preparation for this role would be prior service as CEO of a Critical Access Hospital, CNO, or other substantive senior-level hospital leadership role.