Master's degree in Nursing or Bachelor's in Nursing with a Master's in Healthcare Administration or related field required; Doctoral degree preferred.
Ten years of progressive nursing and clinical operations experience in acute care or behavioral healthcare systems, including senior leadership roles.
Experience in leading behavioral health nursing services in an academic healthcare setting preferred.
Current Arizona Registered Nurse license or valid compact RN license required.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required; nursing administration or behavioral health specialty certification preferred.
Lean/Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification or higher preferred.
Responsibilities
Lead the development and execution of behavioral health nursing and clinical care strategies to ensure integrated services and measurable outcomes.
Establish and evaluate nursing and clinical care policies and quality measures to maintain compliance and safety.
Direct staffing models and resource allocation based on patient needs and quality benchmarks.
Build and develop a strong nursing leadership structure through coaching and performance evaluation.
Collaborate with healthcare providers to enhance care delivery and patient experience.
Oversee regulatory and accreditation readiness, ensuring compliance with standards.
Manage operating and capital budgets, evaluating clinical and financial performance for improvements.
Design and implement new behavioral health programs based on community needs and organizational strategy.
Benefits
Comprehensive health benefits package.
Retirement savings plan with employer contributions.
Professional development opportunities.
Support for continuing education and certifications.
Flexible work arrangements may be available.
Full Job Description
As the VP BH Nursing and Clinical Care at Valleywise Health, you will provide executive leadership for behavioral health nursing and clinical care across inpatient and outpatient services, establishing strategy, standards, and operating priorities that advance safe, high-quality, patient-centered care. In this role, you will direct clinical operations, workforce planning, financial stewardship, regulatory readiness, and program growth in alignment with Valleywise Health policies and enterprise objectives.
Annual Salary Range: $189,384.00 - $303,014.40
Essential Functions
Leads the development and execution of the enterprise strategy for behavioral health nursing and clinical care to ensure consistent standards, integrated services, and measurable patient outcomes across inpatient and outpatient settings.
Establishes, implements, and evaluates nursing and clinical care policies, practice standards, quality measures, and operating controls to maintain safe, effective, and compliant behavioral health services.
Directs behavioral health nursing operations, staffing models, productivity, and resource allocation based on patient acuity, service demand, quality benchmarks, and workforce capacity.
Builds and develops an accountable nursing leadership structure by selecting, coaching, and evaluating leaders and establishing clear performance expectations for clinical, operational, and financial results.
Partners with physicians, advanced practice providers, behavioral health clinicians, and operational leaders to coordinate care delivery, strengthen interdisciplinary practice, and improve patient experience and continuity of care.
Leads regulatory, accreditation, and clinical readiness activities for assigned services, including corrective action planning, monitoring, and sustained compliance with applicable requirements and standards.
Develops and oversees annual operating, capital, and workforce budgets; evaluates clinical and financial performance; and implements actions that improve quality, access, efficiency, and stewardship.
Directs the design, evaluation, and implementation of new behavioral health clinical programs and service expansions based on community need, organizational strategy, clinical readiness, and resource requirements.
Advances professional nursing practice, education, research, succession planning, and workforce development to strengthen clinical capability, leadership continuity, and evidence-based care.
Performs other duties as assigned to support and ensure efficient operations.
Job Qualifications Education:
Requires a Master's degree in Nursing, or a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and a Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
Doctoral degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or a related field preferred.
Experience:
Requires ten (10) years of progressively responsible nursing and clinical operations experience in an acute care, public, academic, and/or behavioral healthcare system, including executive or senior leadership experience with accountability for clinical quality, workforce, operations, and financial performance.
Experience leading behavioral health nursing services in an academic healthcare setting is preferred.
Certification/Licensure:
Requires a current, valid Arizona Registered Nurse license, temporary Arizona Registered Nurse license, or valid compact Registered Nurse license for the current state of practice and in good standing with the issuing Board of Nursing.
Requires Basic Life Support (BLS) through an approved American Heart Association (AHA) training center upon hire.
Certification in nursing administration or a behavioral health nursing specialty.
Lean/Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification or higher is preferred.
