Job DescriptionThe Associate Vice President (AVP) of Hospital Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for Imaging Services, Laboratory Services, Support Services and Facilities Management, and Respiratory Services within an acute care hospital. Support Management and Facilities Management includes Plant Operations, Environmental Services, Dietary Services, Biomedical Services, and Security.
This position is responsible for ensuring the effective, efficient, and compliant delivery of hospital diagnostic, therapeutic, and support services that are essential to high-quality patient care. The AVP establishes strategic priorities, monitors operational and financial performance, develops departmental leaders, and ensures that services are aligned with organizational goals, patient safety requirements, and regulatory standards.
The AVP works collaboratively with executive leadership, medical staff, nursing, clinical departments, and other organizational stakeholders to optimize service delivery, improve patient outcomes and experience, strengthen operational performance, and promote responsible stewardship of organizational resources. The position supports continuous improvement, workforce engagement, regulatory readiness, emergency preparedness, and the development of sustainable operational strategies to meet current and future hospital needs.
1. Executive Leadership and Strategic Planning- Provide strategic direction and operational oversight for Imaging Services, Laboratory Services, Respiratory Services, Support Services & Facilities Management.
- Translate organizational strategic priorities into departmental goals, operational plans, performance measures, and actionable improvement initiatives.
- Serve as a member of the hospital's executive team and contribute to organizational decision-making, strategic planning, and operational policy development.
- Evaluate existing service delivery models and identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, access, productivity, and financial performance.
- Develop short- and long-term strategies to address evolving patient care needs, technology requirements, regulatory changes, workforce challenges, and organizational growth.
- Establish clear expectations and accountability for departmental leaders and ensure alignment with organizational policies, mission, vision, and values.
- Identify opportunities for service expansion, operational integration, shared resources, technology adoption, and improved coordination across departments.
- Provide executive leadership with regular updates regarding operational performance, risks, financial results, strategic initiatives, and improvement opportunities.
- Identifies opportunities for improvement and champion performance improvement work within your areas of responsibilities.
2. Imaging Services- Provide administrative and operational oversight of Imaging Services, including applicable diagnostic imaging modalities such as radiology, CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, mammography, and other services operated by the organization.
- Ensure imaging services are delivered safely, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable clinical, regulatory, accreditation, and professional standards.
- Collaborate with radiologists, medical staff, nursing, Emergency Services, and other clinical leaders to support timely diagnostic services and effective patient care coordination.
- Monitor access, scheduling, patient throughput, turnaround times, equipment utilization, staffing productivity, service quality, and patient satisfaction.
- Ensure appropriate oversight of imaging equipment maintenance, quality assurance, radiation safety, contrast safety, and required inspections in collaboration with qualified personnel.
- Support compliance with applicable requirements of CMS, The Joint Commission or other applicable accrediting organizations, state agencies, and other regulatory authorities.
- Evaluate opportunities to optimize imaging capacity, reduce delays, improve scheduling practices, and enhance service availability.
- Participate in capital planning, equipment replacement decisions, technology upgrades, and evaluation of opportunities to expand imaging services.
- Monitor departmental financial performance, staffing, supply utilization, and vendor contracts to promote cost-effective operations.
3. Laboratory Services- Provide administrative and operational oversight of Laboratory Services to support accurate, reliable, timely, and clinically appropriate diagnostic testing.
- Ensure laboratory operations maintain appropriate quality systems, patient identification and specimen handling processes, quality control, proficiency testing, and required documentation.
- Support compliance with applicable Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements, CMS regulations, accreditation standards, and state and local requirements.
- Collaborate with the laboratory medical director, laboratory leadership, physicians, nursing, Infection Prevention, and other stakeholders to improve diagnostic turnaround times and clinical service delivery.
- Monitor key performance indicators, including test turnaround times, specimen rejection rates, quality indicators, productivity, service availability, and patient safety measures.
- Oversee operational planning for laboratory staffing, equipment, supplies, service contracts, and technology systems in collaboration with qualified laboratory leadership.
- Support appropriate laboratory equipment lifecycle planning, automation, technology implementation, and process improvement.
- Ensure appropriate escalation and resolution of laboratory service disruptions, equipment failures, quality concerns, and other operational risks.
- Evaluate opportunities to improve laboratory efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs, optimize test utilization in collaboration with clinical stakeholders, and support organizational financial objectives.
4. Support Services and Facilities ManagementA. Plant Operations and Facilities- Oversee the maintenance, operation, inspection, and repair of hospital buildings, grounds, utilities, infrastructure, and building systems.
- Ensure reliability and appropriate maintenance of critical systems, including HVAC, emergency power, electrical distribution, plumbing, medical gas systems, water systems, and other essential utilities.
- Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance programs, work order management, equipment inventories, and infrastructure replacement planning.
- Maintain readiness for applicable life safety inspections, regulatory surveys, fire safety requirements, and environmental-of-care assessments.
- Provide oversight of facilities-related capital projects, construction, renovations, equipment installations, and infrastructure improvements.
- Collaborate with Infection Prevention and clinical leaders to ensure construction and maintenance activities incorporate appropriate infection control risk assessment and mitigation measures.
- Develop capital recommendations and long-term facilities plans based on asset condition, operational risk, regulatory requirements, and organizational priorities.
B. Environmental Services- Oversee environmental cleaning, disinfection, sanitation, waste management, and housekeeping operations throughout the hospital.
- Ensure cleaning protocols support infection prevention, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and a positive patient experience.
- Collaborate with Infection Prevention and clinical departments regarding isolation precautions, discharge cleaning, and specialized environmental cleaning requirements.
- Monitor cleanliness audits, staffing productivity, response times, patient feedback, and service quality.
- Ensure appropriate management and disposal of regulated medical waste, hazardous materials, and other waste streams in accordance with applicable requirements.
C. Dietary Services- Oversee the operational performance of hospital Dietary Services, including food preparation, meal delivery, food safety, sanitation, staffing, inventory, and financial management.
- Ensure food service operations meet applicable regulatory requirements and organizational standards for food handling, storage, temperature control, and sanitation.
- Collaborate with Registered Dietitians, clinical nutrition personnel, Nursing, and other clinical leaders to support prescribed diets, food allergies, and patient nutritional needs.
- Monitor food quality, meal accuracy, timeliness, patient satisfaction, food costs, waste reduction, and operational productivity.
- Evaluate opportunities to improve meal service delivery, staffing efficiency, supply utilization, and the overall patient dining experience.
D. Biomedical Services- Oversee Biomedical Services and the effective management of medical equipment maintenance, inspection, testing, repair, and preventive maintenance programs.
- Ensure medical equipment management practices support patient safety, equipment reliability, applicable regulatory requirements, and manufacturer recommendations.
- Monitor preventive maintenance completion, equipment availability, repair response times, equipment-related incidents, and required documentation.
- Oversee medical equipment inventory, lifecycle management, capital replacement planning, service contracts, and vendor performance.
- Collaborate with clinical departments, Risk Management, Quality, Information Technology, and Supply Chain to address equipment safety, operational needs, and technology implementation.
- Ensure appropriate review and follow-up of equipment recalls, safety alerts, and identified equipment deficiencies.
E. Security- Oversee hospital security operations, including access control, surveillance, patrols, incident response, and protection of patients, employees, visitors, and organizational assets.
- Ensure security procedures support workplace violence prevention, visitor management, emergency response, and the safety of the hospital environment.
- Collaborate with law enforcement and other community partners as appropriate.
- Monitor security incidents, response times, staffing effectiveness, training completion, and corrective action plans.
- Collaborate with Emergency Management and hospital leadership to maintain security preparedness for emergencies, threats, and other facility-specific risks.
5. Respiratory Services- Provide administrative and operational oversight of Respiratory Services to support safe, timely, and effective respiratory care across the hospital.
- Collaborate with the Respiratory Services leader, medical staff, Nursing, Critical Care, Emergency Services, and other clinical stakeholders to ensure services align with patient care needs.
- Support appropriate staffing, scheduling, competency assessment, equipment availability, and service coverage for inpatient and other applicable clinical settings.
- Monitor key performance indicators, including service response times, productivity, equipment utilization, quality indicators, and patient safety outcomes.
- Ensure operational processes support applicable respiratory care practice requirements, hospital policies, accreditation standards, and regulatory obligations.
- Oversee operational readiness and appropriate maintenance coordination for respiratory equipment, including ventilators and other respiratory support devices, in collaboration with Biomedical Services and clinical leadership.
- Support appropriate implementation and maintenance of respiratory care equipment, technology, and related clinical systems.
- Identify opportunities to improve care coordination, resource utilization, workflow efficiency, and patient outcomes.
- Monitor departmental budgets, staffing costs, supply utilization, and other financial indicators to ensure responsible resource management.
6. Regulatory Compliance, Quality, and Patient Safety- Ensure assigned departments maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation standards, and organizational policies.
- Support regulatory and accreditation readiness through routine monitoring, documentation, internal audits, and corrective action planning.
- Collaborate with Quality, Risk Management, Infection Prevention, Employee Health, and clinical leadership to identify and mitigate operational risks.
- Ensure departmental leaders maintain appropriate policies, procedures, training records, quality documentation, and evidence of compliance.
- Review adverse events, service disruptions, audit findings, and operational deficiencies to identify trends and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Promote a culture of safety, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure appropriate escalation of significant regulatory, patient safety, equipment, infrastructure, and service delivery concerns.
7. Financial Management and Resource Stewardship- Develop, manage, and monitor operating and capital budgets for assigned departments.
- Establish financial performance expectations and hold departmental leaders accountable for achieving approved budgetary and operational targets.
- Analyze labor costs, overtime, productivity, supply expenses, equipment utilization, contract services, and other financial indicators.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, optimize staffing, and achieve sustainable cost savings without compromising quality or safety.
- Evaluate vendor contracts, service agreements, purchasing arrangements, and equipment investments for cost effectiveness and operational value.
- Develop business cases and return-on-investment analyses for technology investments, equipment replacement, service expansion, and process improvement initiatives.
- Provide regular financial reports and recommendations to executive leadership.
8. Data Analytics and Performance Improvement- Establish departmental key performance indicators and standardized reporting processes.
- Use operational, clinical, quality, staffing, patie
