Department Administrative Officer- Emergency Medicine

About the Role

The University of Iowa Health Care Department of Emergency Medicine seeks to hire a Department Administrative Officer to plan, organize, direct, and evaluate administrative activities of the department. This position will contribute to providing and supporting health care services through leadership and management of clinical/technical specialty services, revenue cycle, support services, clinical education, and research programs. The role focuses on ensuring health services, medical care, medical/health professions education, and research programs are delivered effectively and efficiently.

The Emergency Department (ED) at the University Campus is a 57-bed department with specialized spaces including a Pediatric ED, trauma/resuscitation rooms, and expanded Team Triage. It is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of Emergency Medicine providers, Registered Nurses, Patient Care Technicians, Paramedics, and other support staff.

Responsibilities

• Human Resource Management:
  • Provide strategic planning and administrative coordination for departmental staff to align clinical, educational, and research missions.
  • Oversee staff onboarding, performance feedback, and proactive problem resolution.
  • Review and approve resource allocations and staffing models.
  • Facilitate workforce utilization and productivity analysis.
  • Supervise, schedule, and direct work activities of professional and administrative staff.
  • Develop performance goals and monitoring systems in collaboration with faculty leaders.
  • Develop clinical staffing models based on data-driven workforce utilization.
  • Oversee personnel-related transactions, including performance evaluations, salary benchmarking, and promotions.
• Financial and Data Management Analysis:
  • Develop and manage departmental budgets, including short- and long-term capital equipment and personnel needs.
  • Develop budget priorities for clinical, education, and research functions.
  • Resolve budget issues with internal and external leaders.
  • Enhance overall departmental revenue through strategic execution.
  • Manage departmental accounts, reconciliations, transfers, and financial tracking.
  • Ensure adherence to regulatory standards set by state, federal, UI Health Care, and University policies.
  • Practice “Lean” standards for clinical and academic operations.
  • Advise the Departmental Executive Officer on fiscal oversight and responsible use of funds.
  • Identify opportunities for administrative operations improvement and efficiencies.
• Operations, Standards of Care, Regulatory Compliance, Quality, and Patient Satisfaction:
  • Develop and track key performance quality and service indicators for all clinical functions.
  • Track patient satisfaction and quality indicators, participating in performance improvement initiatives.
  • Apply Lean process improvement principles to clinical and administrative operations.
  • Assure communication and coordination among Emergency Medicine services.
  • Resolve operational issues related to equipment, facilities, patient care, and supplies.
  • Develop organizational structure for administrative functions to achieve departmental objectives.
• Patient Care & Service Delivery:
  • Work with medical directors to implement best care practices and new models of care/service.
  • Lead development of clinical care and support staffing models to ensure high-quality service delivery.
  • Define, develop, and direct departmental goals for excellent patient services.
• Planning & Goal Management:
  • Develop departmental strategic plans in collaboration with senior leaders.
  • Guide managers in developing project management action plans and monitor progress.
  • Assure integration of goals across functions and missions.
  • Analyze the impact of operational initiatives on the strategic plan and track outcomes.
• Communication & Collaboration:
  • Serve as liaison between staff, medical staff, and health care leadership.
  • Engage and collaborate with physicians on improvement opportunities, program development, and capital budgeting.
  • Communicate with external agencies and constituencies to address issues.
  • Support collaboration among clinical functions, research, and education units.
  • Communicate expectations and provide resources aligned with UI Health Care’s vision and strategic planning.
• Education Programs:
  • Oversee staff support functions for clinical education programs, including strategic planning and project management.
  • Foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development.
• Research Administration:
  • Provide infrastructure to support research initiatives and growth.
  • Oversee grant administration for multiple research grants and contracts.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Hospital and Health Administration, Public Health, or Business Administration, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Comprehensive (5-7) years of progressive healthcare administrative experience, preferably in an academic medical center.
• Expertise in financial management, data analysis, practice management, and human resources.
• Experience with budget preparation and implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to drive organizational change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating and supporting a respectful and collaborative work/academic environment.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in academic/medical administration.
• Expertise in physician compensation and reimbursement, grants management, and revenue cycle management.
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex statistical and financial analysis, presentation, and forecasting.
• Advanced knowledge of Tableau and PeopleSoft.
• Experience managing in a matrix reporting and unionized environment.

Schedule

Full-time position, Monday through Friday, with day hours and occasional evenings and weekends as necessary.

Location

Medical Campus, University of Iowa Department of Emergency Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Health, dental, life, and disability insurance options.
• Generous employer contributions into retirement plans.
• Relocation assistance available to qualified applicants.

For more information, visit UI Health Care Benefits.