Respiratory Therapy Director

Employment Type: Full Time - 40 hours per week, Day Shift

Position Highlights and Benefits

• Relocation package offered
• Wellness programs
• Education reimbursement
• Personalized health insurance plans including dental and vision
• Paid time off
• Long- and short-term leave
• Retirement planning
• Life insurance coverage

About the Role

Plans, manages, and directs respiratory care services as defined by the Department’s Scope of Service Statement. Assumes responsibility for all departmental equipment, facilities, budgeting, monitoring, and activity reporting. Ensures the department’s services meet the needs of customers and medical staff. Provides cost-effective, productive, and customer-focused services. Fosters an environment that maximizes staff talents through professional growth, involvement, and empowerment. Maintains the department’s operating budget, develops goals and objectives, and aligns services with the mission and philosophy of MercyOne. Serves as a leadership and clinical resource for department associates, medical staff, and other hospital staff, enabling maximum human development. Assumes a proactive role in improving quality and ensuring competency of respiratory care services associates.

Responsibilities

Customer-Focused Behaviors

• Attitude: Committed to providing excellent service. Treats everyone as important and each interaction as an opportunity to serve. Displays a friendly, open smile. Introduces self and describes role in the care of the customer.
• Acknowledgment: Demonstrates commitment by acknowledging customers promptly in a professional and courteous manner. Recognizes customers by making eye contact, addressing them by name, and offering help when needed.
• Privacy/Confidentiality: Ensures customers' right to privacy and modesty by maintaining a secure and trusting environment. Respects privacy by restricting conversations to necessary situations and locations.
• Communication Skills: Greets customers professionally, listens to their needs, and offers information or assistance. Presents oral/written communication in a positive and open manner.
• Professional Behavior: Demonstrates professional behavior in dress and actions. Promotes MercyOne positively and works as an active team member.
• Timely Responsiveness: Responds to customers promptly and performs tasks efficiently to minimize wait times. Explains any necessary delays to customers.

Planning

• Maintains awareness of current and developing practices in areas of responsibility.
• Develops departmental policies, goals, procedures, objectives, and operational plans.
• Establishes a vision for areas of responsibility and implements programs and services to meet community and regional needs.
• Aligns plans with MercyOne/Trinity Health strategic and operational plans.

Change Management

• Works effectively with direct reports, administration, and other departments to achieve goals and objectives.
• Demonstrates ability to achieve consensus on complex issues.
• Implements activities to impact change, such as expense reduction and quality improvement.

Financial Management

• Ensures appropriate use of hospital man-hour and financial resources.
• Monitors budget and analyzes variance to ensure cost competitiveness while providing value to customers.

Human Resources

• Promotes a participative and professional environment.
• Counsels colleagues to maximize human resource potential.
• Fosters high associate involvement, engagement, morale, empowerment, and job enrichment.

Competency

• Oversees a departmental staff development plan to maintain clinical/technical competence.
• Maximizes hospital resources through educational programming (e.g., in-service programs, seminars, conferences).

Relationships

• Establishes and maintains relationships with medical staff, nursing units, departments, programs, and contracting facilities reliant on respiratory care.

Regulations

• Maintains knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Ensures compliance with Mercy and Trinity Health’s Organizational Integrity Program, Standards of Conduct, and other policies.
• Oversees compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies, agencies, and licensure boards.

Quality

• Oversees development and maintenance of quality control programs to safeguard patients, personnel, and equipment.
• Ensures quality of respiratory care and neurodiagnostic services.

Collaboration

• Coordinates activities with other hospital departments to enhance smooth and efficient service delivery.
• Leads or participates in collaborative initiatives to improve care delivery and operations.

Personal Growth

• Actively enhances abilities to carry out job functions through personal and professional development.

Requirements

• Newly hired directors after July 1, 2025, must be credentialed as a registered respiratory therapist by the National Board for Respiratory Care.
• Bachelor’s degree required from an accredited college or university; Master’s degree in business or healthcare preferred.
• At least five (5) years of experience as a respiratory therapist; previous supervisory experience preferred.
• Active license as a respiratory care practitioner in the State of Iowa upon hire.
• Experience in another healthcare setting desirable; critical care experience preferred.
• BLS certification required within 3 months of hire.
• Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Mandatory Reporter Training required within 6 months of hire and every 3 years thereafter.
• ACLS certification preferred within one year of hire.
• Ability to read, write, and speak English.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and function in a high-stress environment.
• Adaptability to emergent, critical, or dangerous situations.
• Professional judgment in dealing with patients, physicians, and healthcare team members.
• Computer proficiency for documentation and other relevant activities.