Director, Surgical and Perioperative Services-(UPMC Harrisburg)

About the Role

This role directs the provision of quality patient care in collaboration with the Vice President of Operations/Chief Nursing Officer by identifying, analyzing, and refining clinical and system processes and operations to improve and ensure positive patient outcomes. The position utilizes human and financial resources effectively to achieve operational imperatives within the Hospital division, contributing to the development and maintenance of a professional practice environment for positive patient care outcomes and staff satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Participate in workforce planning and employment decisions, including selecting talented surgical services leaders, mentoring others, and applying corrective disciplinary actions to mitigate workplace behavior problems.
• Develop relationships and integrate all team members, including physicians, into the team's work.
• Establish and maintain good rapport and cooperative relationships with peers, nursing staff, hospital staff, medical staff, management, and others.
• Ensure provision of exemplary patient care, validate care according to current standards of practice, and support/monitor quality improvement programs at departmental and institutional levels.
• Ensure patient satisfaction and implement measures to correct perceived inefficiencies in care and service.
• Initiate and promote communication for coordinated integration of clinical support services required for comprehensive, interdisciplinary patient care.
• Enhance administrative efficiencies through effective verbal and written communication, demonstrating sound negotiating skills.
• Utilize hospital data management systems to access information and analyze data for planning surgical processes and systems.
• Lead problem-solving teams around clinical improvement issues and recommend changes to support quality patient care.
• Serve as a change agent, assisting others in understanding the importance, necessity, impact, and process of change.
• Establish quality care as a core value and primary accountability in all aspects of surgical services.
• Recommend changes in clinical care or process improvement based on clinical findings, team recommendations, and research literature to promote cost/quality outcomes.
• Collaborate with leadership to determine patient care quality improvement goals and objectives.
• Monitor clinical activities to identify unexpected risks and implement patient safety initiatives.
• Address complex, high-risk problems and translate them into opportunities and challenges.
• Share nursing-sensitive quality outcomes in appropriate leadership forums.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a surgical services environment for positive patient care outcomes and staff satisfaction.
• Ensure compliance with patient care and nursing standards established by regulatory agencies (e.g., PA DOH, CMS, The Joint Commission) and professional organizations.
• Recommend changes to policies and procedures at all organizational levels.
• Collaborate with professionals across UPMC to identify and support joint educational opportunities.
• Support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing programs, including orientation and continuing education.
• Role model, encourage, mentor, and monitor others to utilize evidence-based data for management and clinical decision-making.
• Participate in professional organizations to enhance personal growth and facilitate collaborative relationships at regional, national, and international levels.
• Promote the ongoing development of the Professional Practice Council and peer-to-peer accountability.
• Coach and advise professional staff in formulating their professional development plans.
• Engage all staff levels in decision-making related to their practice.
• Develop and evaluate clinical systems to facilitate comprehensive patient/family care across the continuum.
• Recognize the need for varied leadership styles based on situations and developmental stages of individuals or groups.
• Develop nursing leaders and participate in successful planning activities.
• Create structures and support for staff input and consideration.
• Provide direction and support to Surgical Services leaders and direct reports by refining clinical and system processes for positive patient outcomes.
• Communicate and model the shared mission, vision, and values of Surgical Services and UPMC.
• Assist with the development of the hospital Nursing strategic plan.
• Facilitate planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient flow initiatives to enhance care delivery and satisfaction.
• Define programmatic and financial goals consistent with short and long-term objectives of the program, division, and UPMC.
• Analyze performance from business and financial perspectives to achieve financial goals.
• Identify factors affecting programmatic and financial viability and intervene to optimize outcomes.
• Develop short-term and long-range plans and budgets based on division goals and present recommendations.
• Promote a customer service approach and ensure patient care outcomes and department goals are achieved.
• Achieve organizational outcomes related to core measures, regulatory influences, pay for performance, HCAHPS, OASCAHPS, staff and customer satisfaction, and identify growth areas.
• Conduct analysis of clinical variance trends and direct programmatic activities to achieve operational imperatives.
• Collaborate with medical staff and stakeholders to improve patient outcomes, set clinical quality priorities, and implement professional improvements and safety initiatives.
• Identify and participate in research activities, promoting evidence-based practice.
• Identify risk assessment strategies and lead risk reduction within the service line.
• Monitor compliance with regulatory agency policies (TJC, DOH, CMS) and environmental health and safety standards.
• Prepare annual operating and capital budgets, establish performance standards, and demonstrate cost containment and operational effectiveness.
• Analyze and control financial performance to ensure efficiency and resource utilization within budget.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in planning, allocating, and authorizing budgeted funds for clinical and program needs.
• Build trust and collaborative relationships with staff, peers, physicians, and other disciplines.
• Ensure nursing practices comply with organizational mission, vision, regulatory standards, and UPMC policies.

Qualifications

• BSN required; Relevant Master's degree required.
• Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) preferred.
• Five years of progressively increasing management experience in a healthcare facility and/or healthcare field required.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances

• National Nurse Executive Certification preferred.
• Registered Nurse (RN) with current licensure in the state where the facility is located or a multistate license issued by a participating NLC state.
• Act 34 clearance required.

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.