AVP - Associate Vice President - Operations

Reports to the President of Adult Services and serves as the senior operational leader for the assigned facility, institute, or service area at OU Health. Working in partnership with physician and nursing leadership within a dyad/triad leadership model, the AVP-Operations is responsible for advancing clinical excellence, operational performance, growth, patient and workforce experience, and financial stewardship in alignment with the mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities of OU Health.

The AVP-Operations provides executive leadership for assigned departments, programs, and service lines, translating organizational strategy into operational execution and ensuring alignment between enterprise objectives and local operations. Through collaboration with physician, nursing, and administrative leaders, the AVP-Operations develops and executes operational plans; establishes and monitors key performance indicators; drives continuous improvement in quality, safety, access, patient experience, throughput, utilization, and financial performance; and ensures compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and organizational standards.

As the senior on-site operational executive, the AVP-Operations maintains a visible leadership presence, provides day-to-day operational oversight, and partners with clinical and administrative leaders to achieve measurable results, advance service line strategies, optimize organizational resources, and support the continued growth and impact of Oklahoma’s only integrated academic health system.

Responsibilities

• Direct assigned areas of operation, tactics supporting the strategies, policies and procedures, budget process, project implementations, human resource management, and committee representation.
• Collaborate with physicians, leadership, OU Health colleagues, and community stakeholders in developing goals and objectives to meet the outcomes goals of OU Health as a whole, ensuring ongoing communication and partnership.
• Ensure consistency and compliance with regulatory standards, implement and monitor financial controls for effective resource utilization through budgeting and analysis of management reports, staff development, organizational performance improvement, quality management, evidence-based outcomes, and setting the communication tone, values, and culture of OU Health.
• Ensure development and enforcement of all applicable policies, standards, and regulations related to assigned areas of responsibility.
• Implement process improvement initiatives and create an environment emphasizing continuous monitoring and improvement within assigned areas.
• Establish operational plans for areas of responsibility that support the overall goals and strategies of OU Health.
• Foster a culture of compliance, ensuring operational and administrative functions, including record keeping and reporting, comply with applicable local, state, and federal regulations and accrediting agency rules; initiate corrective action as necessary.
• In collaboration with the dyad leadership, drive the growth, development, and management of assigned clinical services.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with leadership and key stakeholders across OU Health Services, OU Health, and OU Health Sciences Center as applicable.
• Coordinate services across all entities and throughout the health system, ensuring support from functional leaders across the enterprise including Ambulatory, ETS, Facilities, Nursing, and Peri-Op.
• Develop and lead the assigned clinical services leadership team in close partnership with the physician leader/medical director of the services (where applicable).
• Identify opportunities to ensure effective employee engagement, quality of healthcare delivery, financial sustainability, and growth of clinical services' impact on healthcare delivery and system-wide goals.
• Share responsibility for accomplishing the organization’s patient service, financial efficiency, and employee engagement goals.
• Oversee business and fiscal management, including contracts, billing, compensation, procure-to-pay functions, financial reporting, budgeting, and internal controls of assigned clinical services.
• Ensure successful accreditation and re-accreditation of strategic programs, as applicable to assigned areas of responsibility.
• Utilize benchmarking tools (e.g., Vizient) to guide continuous performance improvement within the Accountability and Sustainability framework set by the President.
• Ensure standard work and daily execution at the frontline level of performance improvement methodologies designed to empower frontline employees and providers to continuously improve operational performance.
• Work with the President to prepare operating and capital budgets; oversee budgets throughout the fiscal year and ensure operating costs remain within established fiscal parameters.
• Manage costs by continually seeking data to identify opportunities and taking appropriate action regarding non-value-added services and costs.
• Direct and/or conduct determination-of-need and cost-benefit studies.
• Direct, coordinate, and oversee preparation of financial records, reports, and analyses applicable to assigned areas of responsibility in conjunction with the President and Finance support colleagues.
• Review and interpret records and reports to ascertain the extent to which goals are being attained.

Requirements

• Master's degree in healthcare, business, or other related field is required.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressively responsible leadership experience within a healthcare organization or an academic health system.

Skills

• Demonstrated success fostering large-scale change management outcomes through effective planning and communications.
• Operational experience and a record of success in complex settings, preferably including an academic healthcare environment.
• Experience in business development, strategic planning, and operational leadership with significant budgetary responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a wide variety of professionals, with an emphasis on physicians and senior leaders.
• Experience leading a team of skilled, independent, and competent departmental leaders.
• Ability to lead and work in collaboration with a diverse leadership group and relate to a broad group of leaders and stakeholders.
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, allocate resources, and manage multiple ongoing, concurrent projects.
• Interpersonal skills to successfully interact with all people, with the ability to gain buy-in from multiple stakeholders for the good of the organization.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including PTO, 401(k), medical and dental plans.