Job Description

Posting number: 15898

Department: Health Department

Division: Physical Health / Healthcare Operations

Job classification: Director of Healthcare Operations

Posting type: Open

Categories: Executive Management

Summary

The Director of Healthcare Operations (Director) is responsible for the strategic, operational and financial direction and oversight of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center’s (LCHD/CHC) Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). The Director must serve as a strategist: establish priorities, set clear expectations and successfully execute operations. The Director must clearly articulate the operational mission and vision of the organization to internal and external audiences while acting as a change agent for the organization. The Director is responsible for ensuring service levels are commensurate with industry standards for quality, responsiveness, cost and most importantly, customer experience.

Scheduled Hours: 40 hours per week

Examples of duties

Strategy

• Clearly articulates and aligns FQHC operations in accordance with LCHD/CHC’s operational mission, vision and strategic goals.
• Leads staff as a change agent, focusing on improving LCHD/CHC FQHC effectiveness, continuous quality improvement (CQI) and development.
• Mentors and develops staff to assume new responsibilities within LCHD/CHC.
• Analyzes market position and follows trends and changes in healthcare delivery, makes strategic planning recommendations and implements changes accordingly.

Operations

• Plans, directs, and oversees all FQHC Operations.
• Ensures timely and effective communication among all staff.
• Ensures uniformity of the care provided and operations across all FQHC sites.
• Works collaboratively with FQHC leadership, and Lead Providers to ensure consistent, high quality care and operational efficiencies across LCHD/CHC.
• Analyzes and evaluates program for workflow effectiveness, develops and implements plans for improved service delivery when indicated.
• Works collaboratively with LCHD/CHC Directors or Associate Directors across LCHD/CHC to optimize care and operations.
• Prepares, reviews, and ensures compliance with LCHD policies and procedures.
• Partners with Learning and Development Manager and Clinical Compliance Manager to align support and guidance for training and competency of staff and ensuring compliance with regulatory, accreditation, infection control and risk management standards.
• Presents and actively participates in meetings including but not limited to Board of Health, Governing Council, Provider Meetings, and FQHC staff meetings.

Compliance

• Ensures continual compliance with all Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program Requirements.
• Ensures continual compliance with all Joint Commission Standards for Ambulatory Care and Patient Centered Medical Home certification.
• Ensures continual compliance with all other regulatory or accrediting entities’ standards including but not limited to 340B.

Financial Management

• Active participant in developing and managing the annual budget for FQHC services.
• Controls and continually monitors revenues and expenses with guidance from the Finance Department.
• Continually monitors reports and practice trends and develops action plans accordingly.

Quality Assessment and Improvement

• Identifies and continually monitors key performance indicators including UDS measures, productivity, access, and financial performance. Assures the implementation of CQI principles and projects.

Human Resource Management

• Direct management of FQHC leadership and support functions
• Ensures appropriate and adequate FQHC site staffing, training, competency and education.

Patient, Provider, and Community Relations

• Reviews patient satisfaction surveys, patient or provider compliments and complaints and leads changes to continually improve.
• Advocates with external healthcare providers to provide services to LCHD/CHC patients.
• Leads and actively participates with community initiatives to advance the delivery of healthcare services to address unmet needs.
• Champions cross-agency collaboration to improve patient access to care, outcomes and patient satisfaction.
• Serves in a resource capacity to Lake County agencies, public and private, regarding services available and creatively collaborates to achieve LCHD/CHC mission.

Health Care Reform Initiatives

• Identifies applicable emerging health trends for implementation and subsequently develops goals, objectives and workplans for new activities and programs.
• Active participant in program development and potential expansion efforts including seeking new funding sources and grants.
• Remains current on legislative activities and potential issues, develops cost/benefit analysis and develops project plans to implement potential changes.
• Partners with Public Policy Analyst to support interactions with legislators.

Revenue Cycle

• Evaluates and addresses root causes of payment delays and/or denials with a focus on improving process workflows, optimizing revenue collections and reducing avoidable write-offs.
• Provides direct input to all managed care contracts and ensures contract compliance by both the Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and LCHD/CHC.
• Works closely with the Manager of the Central Business Office to monitor and analyze financial operations and key performance indicators, including but not limited to claims rejections, denials and accounts receivable devising proactive strategies to ensure favorable outcomes.
• Represents LCHD/CHC on MCO, State, Professional Associations’ committees and boards, as indicated.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A Master’s Degree in a healthcare discipline, business, or related field is preferred, with at least five years of experience in a healthcare organization and practice management at the senior-level/director-level, preferably gained in a FQHC or community health center environment.
• Demonstrated experience as a strategist. Be able to set priorities, establish clear (and high) expectations and execute identified strategies.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with diverse populations at all levels. Excellent verbal and written communication skills and organizational abilities.
• Considerable knowledge of rules, regulations, standards, and statutes governing behavioral health, physical and public health.
• Knowledge of federal, state and local laws pertaining to primary care, mental health and substance use records including release of information, subpoenas, court orders and individual’s rights to access their records.
• Good knowledge of supervisory practices including establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.

Supplemental information

As the largest human service provider in Lake County, we believe that services must be available without barriers. No residents are turned away due to the inability to pay. We believe in providing services in an environment of mutual respect, free of discrimination or bias. Whether assuring accessible and effective care, impacting policy, or assessing and monitoring risks, the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center has been an essential part of the public health system in Lake County for 60 years. We are looking for passionate, qualified team members who can help make a difference in our agency and, most importantly, in our community.

Additional information about the Lake County Health Department, our culture, and why you should join our team can be found at https://lakecountyil.attract.neogov.com/health-department.

At this time, you must live in Illinois or Wisconsin to be eligible to work at Lake County Health Department. You can find our salary grades at https://www.lakecountyil.gov/4515/Salary-Grades. For unionized positions, a list of our collective bargaining agreements can be found here: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/2686/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements.

Any offer of employment is conditioned on the successful completion of a background screening, drug and alcohol testing and may include a pre-employment medical exam.

The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.