Director of Cardiopulmonary Services

About the Role

The Director of Cardiopulmonary Services provides strategic, operational, clinical, and financial leadership for the Cardiopulmonary Services Department, including Respiratory Therapy. This role ensures the delivery of safe, high-quality, evidence-based respiratory care across the continuum of care while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and accreditation standards. As a member of the hospital leadership team, the Director collaborates with physicians, nursing leadership, ancillary departments, and executive leadership to improve patient outcomes, enhance operational performance, and support the organization’s strategic goals.

In this rural hospital environment, the position serves as a working director who provides direct patient care when operational needs require, while leading departmental growth, quality improvement, financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and workforce development.

Responsibilities

Department Leadership

• Provides overall administrative and clinical leadership for Cardiopulmonary Services, including:
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Sleep Disorders Center/Sleep Laboratory
  • Pulmonary Function Testing
  • EKG/ECG Services
  • Home Sleep Apnea Testing Program
  • Respiratory Equipment Management
  • Pulmonary Education Programs
• Plans, organizes, directs, coordinates, and evaluates all departmental operations.
• Develops annual departmental goals aligned with the hospital’s strategic plan.

Clinical Operations

• Oversees respiratory care services across:
  • Emergency Department
  • Intensive Care Unit
  • Medical/Surgical Unit
  • Labor & Delivery
  • Nursery
  • Surgery/PACU
  • Outpatient Services
• Ensures evidence-based care for neonatal, pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients.
• Maintains clinical protocols consistent with current standards from:
  • American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)
  • American Heart Association (AHA)
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • Arkansas Department of Health
• Provides clinical consultation to physicians and nursing staff regarding respiratory and sleep-related patient care.

Sleep Laboratory Oversight

• Provides administrative and operational leadership for the Sleep Disorders Center, including:
  • Diagnostic Polysomnography
  • CPAP/BiPAP Titration Studies
  • Home Sleep Apnea Testing
  • PAP Therapy Management
  • Patient Education
  • Quality Assurance
  • Scheduling
  • Equipment Oversight
  • Accreditation Readiness
• Ensures compliance with all AASM standards and CMS documentation requirements.

Financial Management

• Develops and manages the annual operating and capital budgets.
• Responsible for:
  • Productivity management
  • Labor expense control
  • Overtime reduction
  • Supply utilization
  • Capital equipment planning
  • Revenue optimization
  • Charge capture accuracy
  • Contract management
  • Cost reduction initiatives
• Regularly reviews departmental financial performance and develops corrective action plans as needed.

Human Resources Management

• Responsible for all personnel functions, including:
  • Hiring
  • Orientation
  • Competency validation
  • Performance evaluations
  • Employee coaching
  • Progressive discipline
  • Staff retention
  • Succession planning
  • Scheduling
  • Continuing education
• Develops a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Quality Improvement & Patient Safety

• Leads departmental quality initiatives and monitors performance indicators, including:
  • Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE)
  • COPD Readmissions
  • Oxygen Stewardship
  • Sepsis Compliance
  • Sleep Study Quality Metrics
  • Documentation Accuracy
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Employee Safety
  • Equipment Performance
  • Clinical Outcomes
• Utilizes quality improvement methodologies to enhance departmental performance.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensures departmental compliance with:
  • CMS Conditions of Participation
  • Arkansas Department of Health regulations
  • Arkansas Respiratory Care Practice Act
  • OSHA Standards
  • HIPAA
  • AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines
• Maintains department readiness for regulatory surveys.

Physician Relations

• Develops collaborative working relationships with:
  • Emergency Physicians
  • Hospitalists
  • Anesthesiologists
  • Surgeons
  • Primary Care Providers
• Assists with protocol development and evidence-based practice implementation.

Equipment Management

• Oversees:
  • Mechanical Ventilators
  • Transport Ventilators
  • High Flow Nasal Cannula Systems
  • BiPAP/CPAP Devices
  • Aerosol Delivery Systems
  • Airway Equipment
  • Blood Gas Analyzers
  • Pulmonary Function Equipment
  • Sleep Diagnostic Systems
  • PAP Download Software
  • Oxygen Delivery Equipment
  • Respiratory Monitoring Equipment
• Coordinates preventive maintenance with Biomedical Engineering.

Direct Patient Care

• Maintains clinical competency and provides patient care as operational needs require, including:
  • Respiratory assessment
  • Mechanical ventilation management
  • Airway management assistance
  • Emergency response
  • Code Blue participation
  • Intubation assistance
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Aerosol therapy
  • Patient education
  • PAP therapy education
• Serves as the department’s primary clinical resource.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provides leadership in:
  • Strategic Planning
  • Service Line Development
  • Physician Engagement
  • Employee Engagement
  • Community Outreach
  • Workforce Development
  • Regulatory Readiness
  • Clinical Excellence
  • Financial Stewardship
  • Operational Improvement
• Represents Cardiopulmonary Services on hospital leadership committees.

Rural Hospital Leadership Expectations

• Serves as a visible, hands-on leader while maintaining clinical competency.
• Functions as a working director by providing direct patient care during staffing shortages, high census, emergencies, and after-hours situations.
• Supports emergency preparedness, disaster response, and hospital-wide clinical initiatives.
• Collaborates with executive leadership on strategic growth opportunities, including expansion of pulmonary rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and tele-pulmonology services.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, service excellence, innovation, fiscal responsibility, and patient-centered care.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Respiratory Therapy program.
• Current Arkansas Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) license.
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
• Current BLS certification.
• Current ACLS certification.
• Current PALS certification, or within six (6) months of hire.
• Current NRP certification, or within six (6) months of hire.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive respiratory therapy experience.
• Minimum three (3) years of healthcare leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy, Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Business Administration, or related healthcare field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in rural healthcare.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of:
  • Critical Care Respiratory Therapy
  • Mechanical Ventilation
  • Pulmonary Diagnostics
  • Budget Management
  • Healthcare Finance
  • Quality Improvement
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Leadership Principles
  • Electronic Medical Records
  • Productivity Management
• Ability to:
  • Lead multidisciplinary teams
  • Build strong physician relationships
  • Analyze operational and financial data