Location: Chicago, Illinois
Hospital: Rush University System for Health
Department: System Emergency Department
Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)
Pay Range: $275,000 - $350,000 per year
Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush's anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.
Position Summary
The System Vice President (VP) of Emergency Services provides executive-level administrative leadership for emergency medicine and emergency management across all hospitals within the Rush University System for Health (RUSH).
This role is accountable for developing and executing a unified strategy to improve access, throughput, quality, safety, financial performance, and patient experience across multiple emergency departments. The VP partners with physician, nursing, and operational leaders to ensure standardized practices and high-reliability performance system-wide.
This position reports to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
As a key leader within an academic healthcare system, the System VP exemplifies the RUSH mission, vision, and values and acts in accordance with RUSH policies and procedures. This role requires a dynamic leader who can balance standardization and system-wide efficiency with the unique needs of multiple hospital sites
Scope of Responsibility
• Oversight of the Emergency Departments across all hospitals
• EMS relationships and community access strategy
• ED throughput and inpatient flow coordination
• Oversight of emergency management committees
Key Responsibilities
1. System Strategy & Governance
• Develop and execute a system-wide Emergency Services strategy that aligns with the organization's overall goals
• Establish base standardized operating models across all EDs albeit with exceptions where applicable based on patient mix and educational/research expectations
• Align ED performance goals with enterprise strategic priorities
• Lead system ED leadership council (academic chairman, site ED directors, physician and nursing leaders)
• Lead ED huddles and other operational meetings to review metrics with local leaders
2. Operational Performance & Throughput
• Implement system-wide best practices and evidence-based protocols
• Coordinate inpatient access and bed management strategies
• Drive performance improvement across:
o Door-to-provider time
o Disposition to move times
o Length of stay (admit & discharge)
o LWOT rates (LWBS + Absconded)
o Left Without Registration (LWOR)
o Boarding time
o Diversion rates
3. Financial & Resource Stewardship
• Develop and manage system-wide consolidated operating and capital budgets
• Optimize staffing models and productivity standards
• Benchmark against peer systems and national performance metrics
• Identify growth and capacity expansion opportunities
• Monitor and control supply expenses
4. Quality, Safety & Patient Experience
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards (CMS, Joint Commission, state)
• Reduce clinical variation across sites driving to standard of care across the system
• Monitor practitioner resource utilization to prevent over ordering and control expenses to improve margins
• Partner with system CMO and CNO to standardize clinical quality measures
• Improve patient satisfaction and experience metrics
5. Physician, APP & Nursing Partnership
• Collaborate with:
o Academic Department Chair of Emergency Medicine
o Site ED Medical Directors
o Site ED Nurse Unit Directors
o System Nursing Leadership
• Work with Rush Medical Group (RMG) to align physician contracts and incentives with throughput and access goals
• Work with Rush Medical Group to align physician assistant and nurse practitioner incentives with throughput and access goals
• Support recruitment and retention strategies
6. Emergency Preparedness
• Coordinate surge capacity planning across hospitals
• Standardize disaster response protocols
• Ensure system readiness for mass casualty events, public health emergencies and local situations requiring HICS
Reporting Structure
Reports To: Chief Administrative Officer
Direct Reports May Include:
• Site ED Administrative Directors
• ED finance
• ED data analytics
• Emergency Management Committee leadership
Required Qualifications:
• Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Nursing, or related field
• 10+ years progressive healthcare leadership experience in operations
At least 5 years in senior Emergency Management leadership
• Demonstrated success improving ED throughput and financial performance
• Strong data analytics and change management capability
• Multi-hospital or system-level leadership experience preferred
Core Competencies:
• Enterprise thinking (system vs. site focus)
• Operational rigor and performance management
• Financial acumen
• Physician partnership and influence
• High-reliability leadership
• Executive communication
Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).
