Director Respiratory Care / RRT - NICU & WICU (Winnie Palmer Hospital)

Position Summary

Director of Respiratory Care at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida. Lead one of the nation's most advanced neonatal respiratory care teams.

About the Role

Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is seeking a dynamic Director of Respiratory Care to lead a highly skilled team dedicated to caring for critically ill newborns and high-risk mothers. As one of the nation's largest and most technologically advanced neonatal intensive care programs, Winnie Palmer Hospital is home to a Level IV NICU, providing the highest level of neonatal care available. Our team is recognized for delivering exceptional outcomes through innovation, collaboration, and family-centered care. This is an opportunity for a servant leader who is passionate about clinical excellence, team development, quality outcomes, and creating an environment where respiratory therapists can grow professionally while making a life-changing impact on patients and families.

Why Winnie Palmer?

At Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital For Women & Babies, our culture is built on:

• Family-centered care and partnership with patients and families
• Collaboration across multidisciplinary teams
• Innovation and leading-edge technology
• Continuous learning and professional development
• Commitment to quality, safety, and exceptional outcomes
• Supporting one another through teamwork, respect, and service excellence

Our NICU team cares for premature and critically ill infants while partnering closely with neonatologists, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, transport teams, and other specialists to deliver comprehensive care in a highly specialized environment.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is a confident and compassionate leader who can successfully balance operational excellence with employee engagement. Successful candidates will bring:

• A passion for leading and developing respiratory therapists
• Proven experience managing teams in a critical care or acute care environment, especially a NICU environment
• Strong clinical judgment and the ability to navigate complex patient care situations
• A commitment to quality improvement and patient safety
• Experience building highly engaged teams and fostering a positive workplace culture
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills
• The ability to inspire excellence while supporting staff growth and professional development

This role is particularly well-suited for leaders who thrive in high-acuity environments and understand the unique demands of neonatal, maternal, and critical care services.

Position Summary

Provides operational, clinical, financial, and strategic leadership for Respiratory Therapy services. Ensures safe, effective, and cost-efficient respiratory care while promoting excellence in patient outcomes, quality initiatives, regulatory compliance, and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 60+ respiratory care professionals. Recruit, hire, onboard, coach, and evaluate team members. Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Ensure staff maintain required competencies, certifications, and educational requirements.
• Clinical Excellence & Quality: Develop and implement departmental policies and procedures. Monitor and drive quality improvement initiatives across all areas of responsibility. Ensure compliance with Joint Commission, state, federal, and organizational standards. Oversee respiratory care practices that support exceptional patient outcomes.
• Operations & Financial Management: Coordinate department staffing and scheduling to support inpatient, outpatient, and critical care needs. Develop and manage operating and capital budgets. Monitor department productivity, expenditures, and resource utilization. Prepare operational and financial reports.
• Strategic Partnership: Serve as a key liaison between respiratory care services, physicians, nursing leaders, hospital administration, and interdisciplinary teams. Support implementation of new clinical programs, technologies, and respiratory services. Promote collaboration across departments to advance patient care and organizational goals.
• Professional & Community Engagement: Participate in hospital committees and interdisciplinary initiatives. Support education programs for staff, patients, and the community. Facilitate clinical education opportunities and partnerships that strengthen workforce development.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Respiratory Care, Cardiopulmonary Sciences, Business Administration, Health Services Administration, or a related field.
• Licensure & Certification: Current Florida Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) license; Registered Respiratory Therapist credential through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC); Current BLS/Healthcare Provider Certification.
• Experience: Five (5) years of respiratory therapy experience in an acute care setting; Minimum of one (1) year of leadership experience; Experience in critical care, neonatal, pediatric, or high-acuity respiratory environments strongly preferred.