Clinical Program Manager

Life at Ascension

Ascension is a leading nonprofit Catholic health system with a culture and associate experience grounded in service, growth, care and connection. We empower our 97,000+ associates to bring their skills and expertise every day to reimagining healthcare, together.

About the role

Command Global Program Governance: Serve as the central executive leader and strategic conduit unifying pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, APPs, clinical staff, and specialized vendors (e.g., CareDx, TOSA, OTTR).

Architect Strategic & Operational Growth: Co-author, execute, and scale the heart transplant program's strategic expansion plan in direct alignment with the Program, Medical, and Surgical Directors.

Oversee the Continuum of Transplant Care: Direct clinical coordination across the entire high-complexity patient lifecycle—including advanced heart failure management, transplant evaluation, UNOS listing, the perioperative event, and lifelong post-transplant surveillance.

Lead Process Engineering & Clinical Quality: Drive continuous process improvement (CPI) initiatives across clinic workflows, referral loops, electronic health record (EHR/OTTR) buildouts, financial stewardship, and quality data management.

Direct Human Capital & Multi-Disciplinary Teams: Provide direct leadership, mentorship, and performance management for a core team of RN Coordinators (4), Quality Coordinator (1), and Clinical Coordinator (1). Maintain "dotted-line" operational oversight for a dedicated psychosocial and allied health matrix (Social Workers, Dietitians, Pharmacists, Financial Coordinators).

Mitigate Complex Care & Social Risk: Act as the clinical escalation point and mentor for RN coordinators navigating highly complex pediatric cardiac cases intertwined with fragile or volatile patient social dynamics.

Enforce Federal & Multi-Agency Compliance: Partner with the Quality Coordinator to mandate and audit strict regulatory training, ensuring the program's flawless alignment with UNOS, OPTN, CMS, and HRSA standards.

Elevate National System Presence: Represent the institution at national transplant conferences and UNOS training forums to maintain industry leading-edge clinical knowledge and promote the center's national footprint.

Minimum Requirements

• Licensure / Certification / Registration: BLS Provider obtained within 1 Month (30 days) of hire date or job transfer date required. American Heart Association or American Red Cross accepted.
• Registered Nurse credentialed from the Texas Board of Nursing obtained prior to hire date or job transfer date required.
• Diploma from an accredited school/college of nursing with experience required.
• Work Experience: 3 years of experience required. 1 year of leadership or management experience required.

Additional Preferences

• Licensure & Advanced Clinical Foundation: Registered Nurse (RN) with extensive, hands-on clinical experience within Pediatric Cardiac Care, Advanced Heart Failure, or Solid Organ Transplant modules.
• Proven Nursing Leadership Tenure: 3–5+ years of progressive nursing leadership experience (Manager, Director, or high-level Program Lead) within a complex hospital or academic health system.
• Process Improvement & Project Architecture: A demonstrable track record of successfully running complex projects, building out workflows, and engineering clinical processes to support rapid program scaling.
• Elite Interpersonal Command: Exceptional leadership capability to manage diverse, cross-functional clinical teams and resolve conflicts within a matrixed institutional environment.
• Regulatory Landscape Competence: Strong familiarity with the compliance structures governing transplant medicine (UNOS, Joint Commission, CMS) and associated data tracking software (OTTR preferred).