Use for posting

Chief Operating Officer serves as a key member of the hospital’s senior leadership team and is responsible for the strategic, operational, and administrative leadership of assigned hospital departments and functions. This role is designed as a CEO-development position and requires an executive leader who can progressively assume broad hospital leadership responsibilities, demonstrate sound judgment in complex operational matters, and function as the CEO’s designee when needed. The COO partners closely with the CEO, medical staff leadership, department leaders, and enterprise stakeholders to advance operational performance, quality, patient experience, workforce engagement, financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and growth objectives. Upon successful completion of approximately two years in the role, the incumbent is expected to be prepared to function as a Chief Executive Officer in a small hospital setting, with the ability to lead day-to-day operations, make informed executive decisions, and represent the hospital effectively with employees, physicians, patients, community partners, and Lifepoint Health leadership.

• Provides executive oversight and administrative direction for assigned hospital departments and operational functions, ensuring alignment with hospital strategy, performance goals, regulatory requirements, and Lifepoint Health expectations.
• Serves as a CEO-in-training by developing the operational, financial, strategic, physician relations, workforce leadership, governance, and community engagement capabilities necessary to assume CEO-level responsibility in a small hospital setting upon completion of the defined development period.
• Functions as the CEO’s designee in the CEO’s absence and, as assigned, represent the CEO in coordinating hospital operations, leading executive discussions, addressing operational priorities, and making decisions within established authority and policy parameters.
• Partners with the CEO to develop, implement, and monitor strategic and operational plans that support quality outcomes, patient safety, service excellence, employee engagement, physician alignment, growth, and financial performance.
• Leads assigned department heads by establishing clear expectations, evaluating performance, supporting leadership development, and making employment recommendations or decisions in accordance with policy and CEO oversight.
• Communicates routinely with the CEO regarding operational performance, emerging issues, policy recommendations, resource needs, risk areas, and proposed courses of action to support effective hospital leadership and decision-making.
• Implements new policies, procedures, programs, and operational initiatives; ensures timely communication and adoption across assigned departments; and recommends process improvements, facility enhancements, technology investments, equipment needs, and service line opportunities.
• Promotes accountability for budget development, expense management, productivity, forecasting, capital planning, and financial performance within assigned areas, while educating department leaders on the importance of sound financial stewardship.
• Advises the CEO on budget, cost, reimbursement, productivity, quality improvement, performance metrics, operational barriers, and resource utilization; assists department leaders in establishing measurable goals and sustainable action plans.
• Build collaborative relationships with medical staff leaders, physicians, advanced practice providers, employees, community partners, and enterprise leaders to support effective communication, operational alignment, and achievement of hospital objectives.
• Attends medical staff meetings, board or committee meetings, leadership meetings, and other forums as assigned or requested; keeps the CEO informed of key discussions, issues, and recommendations requiring executive attention.
• Supports regulatory readiness and compliance with applicable federal, state, accreditation, licensure, safety, privacy, and organizational requirements.
• Represents the hospital and Lifepoint Health professionally through participation in appropriate community, civic, and professional organizations.

Education

Master’s degree required; Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or another relevant graduate degree strongly preferred in healthcare administration, business administration, public health, or a closely related field.

Experience

Minimum of two years of successful experience as a Chief Operating Officer at an equivalent or larger facility, or two years of progressive internal leadership experience as a hospital Officer, Assistant Administrator, or comparable senior operational leader. Experience must demonstrate readiness to assume increasing executive responsibility, including the ability to function as a CEO in a small hospital setting upon successful completion of approximately two years in the COO role.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of acute care hospital operations, clinical support services, regulatory requirements, financial performance, quality improvement, patient experience, and workforce leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, build effective relationships with physicians and leaders, resolve complex operational issues, and make timely, data-informed decisions.
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to present information clearly to employees, medical staff, senior leadership, governing bodies, community partners, and enterprise stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, lead change, develop leaders, foster accountability, and sustain operational improvements in a dynamic healthcare environment.
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, business acumen, discretion, and judgment required to represent the CEO and prepare for future CEO-level responsibilities.