Vice President of Clinical ServicesNexus Health SystemsThe Vice President of Clinical Services will lead the development, implementation, and expansion of specialized clinical programs while strengthening coordination across medical, behavioral, rehabilitative, and psychosocial services. This individual will work closely with executive leadership, physicians, nursing leaders, clinical teams, and facility operations to improve patient outcomes, standardize care delivery, support sustainable growth, and advance the Nexus mission.
The ideal candidate is a collaborative and compassionate executive who can translate clinical strategy into reliable, scalable operations across a complex, multi-site healthcare system.
Key ResponsibilitiesExecutive and Operational Leadership- Provide executive oversight of clinical service lines and programs across multiple Nexus locations, including inpatient, behavioral health, rehabilitation, and specialty services.
- Establish and execute short- and long-term strategic goals for clinical services in partnership with executive and facility leadership.
- Lead the development, implementation, and expansion of programs serving patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, high-acuity behavioral needs, acquired brain injuries, and medically complex conditions.
- Translate system-level clinical standards, policies, and procedures into consistent and sustainable practices at the facility level.
- Strengthen coordination across inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitative, and transitional care environments.
- Evaluate clinical programs for effectiveness, scalability, access, operational efficiency, and alignment with organizational priorities.
- Facilitate clinical councils and interdisciplinary governance structures that support collaboration, accountability, and informed decision-making.
- Develop relationships with community organizations, referral partners, and academic institutions to strengthen the continuum of care and expand access to specialized services.
Clinical Excellence and Program Development- Advance evidence-based clinical practices aligned with national standards, specialty guidelines, and the needs of the populations served.
- Establish system-wide expectations for clinical practice standardization, competency validation, and care-model design.
- Promote integrated care models that bring together medical, nursing, behavioral health, rehabilitation, and psychosocial services.
- Ensure clinical services are delivered within applicable professional scopes of practice, licensure requirements, and credentialing standards.
- Use clinical outcomes and performance data to evaluate program effectiveness, reduce unwarranted variation, and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Lead innovation in care delivery for neurodevelopmental, behavioral health, rehabilitation, and brain injury populations, including behavioral stabilization and communication-adapted care.
- Meet regularly with facility clinical leaders and physicians to understand local needs, address barriers, and promote consistent execution across the system.
- Partner closely with the Vice President of Clinical Excellence to operationalize enterprise standards for quality, education, compliance, and performance improvement.
- Provide clinical and operational insight during the development and refinement of policies, procedures, and practice standards.
Patient Experience and Advocacy- Champion patient- and family-centered care grounded in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming practices.
- Promote individualized care that accounts for each patient's medical condition, behavioral needs, communication barriers, cognitive abilities, and personal goals.
- Develop methods for capturing patient and caregiver feedback and incorporating that feedback into clinical and operational improvements.
- Advocate for ethical care that protects patient dignity, autonomy, safety, and well-being.
- Partner with clinical and operational leaders to reduce restraints, adverse behavioral events, preventable harm, and other negative outcomes.
Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Readiness- Promote a culture of safety, transparency, continuous improvement, and clinical accountability.
- Support organizational compliance with CMS Conditions of Participation, Joint Commission and CARF accreditation standards, Texas Administrative Code requirements, and other applicable regulations.
- Oversee the operational deployment of quality management systems, performance improvement plans, and clinical audit processes.
- Lead initiatives designed to reduce adverse events, hospital-acquired conditions, and variation in clinical practice.
- Maintain reliable processes for the development, approval, review, and communication of clinical standards.
- Partner with Clinical Excellence, Quality, Compliance, and facility leadership to maintain ongoing regulatory and survey readiness.
- Ensure all clinical activities are conducted in accordance with applicable laws, organizational policies, HIPAA requirements, and professional standards.
Clinical Workforce Development- Partner with clinical education leadership to support role-specific onboarding, continuing education, annual training, remedial education, and ongoing competency validation.
- Promote leadership development consistent with recognized nurse executive competencies in communication, professionalism, business acumen, leadership, and the healthcare environment.
- Support succession planning, preceptor and educator programs, and specialty-certification pathways across clinical disciplines.
- Ensure education and competency programs align with applicable scopes of practice, licensure requirements, and organizational policies.
- Remain current on developments in pediatric behavioral health, neurodevelopmental care, rehabilitation, clinical operations, and healthcare regulation.
Financial and Resource Stewardship- Provide financial oversight of clinical services, including budget development, resource allocation, workforce planning, and labor optimization.
- Balance clinical quality, patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and fiscal responsibility.
- Partner with Finance and executive leadership to evaluate program performance, improve service-line sustainability, and support capital planning and strategic growth.
- Use data analytics and process-improvement methodologies to identify waste, reduce variation, and address key cost drivers.
- Promote responsible stewardship of organizational resources while maintaining high standards of patient care.
Position QualificationsEducation- Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or a related clinical field required.
- Doctoral degree, such as a DNP, PhD, or DHA, preferred.
Experience- Minimum of 10 years of progressive clinical leadership experience within a hospital or multi-facility healthcare system.
- At least five years of senior leadership experience at the director level or above, with responsibility for multi-site clinical operations, service-line leadership, or enterprise clinical programs.
- Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary clinical teams and implementing standardized practices across complex healthcare environments.
- Experience serving patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, behavioral health needs, acquired brain injuries, rehabilitation needs, or medically complex conditions strongly preferred.
- Substantial experience with regulatory compliance, accreditation readiness, quality improvement, and patient-safety initiatives.
- Demonstrated success leading organizational change, developing clinical programs, and using data to improve quality and operational performance.
Knowledge and Leadership Competencies- Advanced understanding of clinical operations, care-delivery systems, and interdisciplinary models of care.
- Knowledge of quality-improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, and Plan-Do-Check-Act.
- Strong understanding of healthcare regulatory and accreditation frameworks.
- Proven ability to develop strategy and translate it into measurable operational results.
- Strong financial acumen and experience managing clinical budgets, labor resources, and program performance.
- Exceptional executive communication, relationship-building, and change-management skills.
- Ability to influence across departments and facilities while building alignment among clinical, physician, administrative, and operational stakeholders.
- A leadership style grounded in collaboration, accountability, compassion, and a commitment to clinical excellence.
Licensure and Certifications- Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse license issued by the Texas Board of Nursing required.
- Current Basic Life Support certification from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross required. Certification must remain in good standing throughout employment.
- Nurse Executive Certification, such as NE-BC or NEA-BC, preferred.
- Specialty certification related to behavioral health, rehabilitation, neuroscience, or another relevant patient population preferred.
