Job Description

The Associate Director of Clinical Information Systems & Health Information Management (HIM) serves as the designated successor to the Director through a structured leadership transition, progressively assuming responsibility for the department with the expectation of advancing to the Director role dependent upon future growth. The department comprises three functional areas: Clinical Applications (building and supporting clinical systems), Clinical Informatics (driving adoption, training, and workflow improvement), and HIM Operations (governing and protecting health information). The Associate Director provides strategic and operational leadership across all three, guiding the department as automation transforms document management, release of information, and clinical systems management, while expanding its role in clinical operations through workflow optimization, performance measurement, and information governance in support of safe, high-quality patient care across the organization's facilities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Executes a structured knowledge-transfer and succession plan with the current Director, progressing from orientation to co-leadership, to full operational ownership of the department; assumes responsibility for in-flight initiatives including departmental restructuring, the HIM policy and procedure library, document automation programs, and key vendor relationships.

2. Partners with the Director to keep the Clinical Applications, Clinical Informatics, and HIM Operations functions running day to day stable, appropriately staffed, and aligned with organizational, quality, regulatory, and financial objectives — assuming direct ownership of this leadership as the transition progresses.

3. Co-manages the department's team managers and, through them, department personnel — participating in recruiting and dismissal recommendations, performance evaluations, merit and salary recommendations, training, work allocation, and problem solving — with full supervisory authority phasing in over the transition; contributes to bench strength, career pathing, and the evolving skill mix required by automation and analytics; helps ensure adequate coverage across all clinical sites.

4. Manages day-to-day governance, upgrades, releases, enhancement prioritization, testing, deployment, and vendor coordination for the electronic health record (eClinicalWorks), interoperability, and related clinical systems; leads first-line escalation and root-cause resolution of application issues, engaging the Director on matters with significant patient-care or revenue-cycle impact.

5. Runs clinical informatics programs on the ground — workflow observation and design, provider adoption, at-the-elbow support, and optimization — to translate technology into measurable clinical and provider-experience outcomes; conducts regular informatics rounds and maintains a visible departmental presence in clinical operations across all sites.

6. Manages training programs for providers and clinical staff day to day, including onboarding, role-based training, upgrade and new-release readiness, refresher training, and continuing education; maintains training documentation and competency records in accordance with policy.

7. Maintains KPI dashboards, adoption metrics, and data quality monitoring; tracks whether workflow and technology changes are improving performance, including the measured effectiveness of AI-enabled tools; supports clinical leadership on comparative performance reporting programs, including but not limited to the Promoting Interoperability Program.

8. Manages health information operations day to day throughout the organization — storage, retrieval, maintenance, and processing of health information; master patient index integrity and duplicate record management; record integrity and data quality reviews; chart audits; and retention practices — within the governance framework the Director sets.

9. Oversees day-to-day execution of release of information, including verification of authorization requirements, timely processing of patient and third-party requests, and disclosure logging; escalates complex legal, regulatory, or sensitive requests to the Director as needed during the transition.

10. Manages administration and optimization of document management and automation platforms day to day, including AI-assisted document processing, indexing, routing, exception queue management, and exception trend analysis; ensures document technologies support operational efficiency, compliance, and information governance objectives.

11. Supports governance for AI-enabled clinical and administrative solutions, assisting with evaluation, risk assessment, implementation, monitoring, and ongoing effectiveness, with increasing ownership as the transition progresses.

12. Assists in oversight of HIPAA privacy and security compliance as it relates to health information, with day-to-day responsibility for maintaining confidentiality and information governance policies, procedures, forms, information notices, and materials reflecting current organizational practices and regulatory requirements; partners with risk management, legal counsel, administrative staff, and key departments and committees on compliance activities and regulatory audit response.

13. Works closely with information technology on day-to-day transition planning — testing, installation, data migration, and staff education — to maintain high-quality data integrity and reporting; supports EHR data migration and onboarding for clinic acquisitions.

14. Supports the Director in representing the department to executive leadership and organizational committees, contributing to business cases, project reporting, and regulatory submissions; takes on increasing ownership of departmental budgeting, position management, vendor contracts, and technology roadmap decisions as the transition progresses.

15. Provides excellent internal/external customer service by email, telephone, fax, or face-to-face contact.

16. Performs other related duties as assigned.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in Health Information Management, Health Informatics, Healthcare Administration, or related field required (Master's degree in related field preferred)

Minimum five (5) years experience spanning health information management, clinical informatics, and/or clinical applications

Minimum five (5) years experience maintaining and governing a major Electronic Health Record information system required; eClinicalWorks experience strongly preferred

Minimum of five (5) years in leadership roles with demonstrated success leading managers and multiple teams

Must have knowledge of state, federal, and other regulatory and accreditation agencies, including FQHC regulatory and reporting requirements; FQHC or multi-site ambulatory care experience strongly preferred

RHIA credential strongly preferred (RHIT with significant leadership experience considered); informatics or health information technology credentials (e.g., CPHIMS, CHDA) a plus

Experience implementing or governing automation and AI-enabled tools in health information or clinical operations preferred

Knowledge of reporting requirements for governmental, public, private and foundation grants/awards

Ability to maintain strict confidentiality at all times

Ability to travel to various sites or for seminars, workshops and conferences

Scheduled hours and/or work locations are subject to change

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS:

Finger Dexterity: Using fingers to make small movements such as typing or picking up small objects.

Talking: Frequently conveying detailed or important instructions or ideas accurately, clearly, or quickly.

Hearing: Able to hear average or normal conversations and receive ordinary information.

Repetitive Motions: Frequently and regularly using the wrists, hands, and fingers.

Visual: Average, ordinary, visual acuity necessary to prepare or inspect documents or other materials.

Physical: Sedentary work; sitting most of the time. May have to lift folders, files, papers, audio/video equipment, and other such items weighing up to approximately 25 lbs.