The COO, in dyad partnership with the hospital’s CNO, is responsible and accountable for the safe and effective day-to-day operation of the appointed hospital. The COO will have direct responsibility for directing many of the hospital’s individual departments and functions. The COO is responsible and accountable for directing all appointed responsibilities along each domain of the “Triple Aim” (patient safety and quality, service, and financial performance):
• Developing, nurturing and improving a safe and cost-effective clinical culture that produce predictable patient outcomes;
• Developing, nurturing and improving a service culture that supports and engages employees, medical staff, patients and the community; and
• Developing, nurturing and improving a cost-effective operating culture that achieves established objectives.
At all times, the COO will conduct her/himself in accordance with ARH’s behavioral standards and will execute her/his duties in accordance with established laws, rules, regulations and standards of all applicable governmental, regulatory and accrediting bodies, and with the policies and procedures of the appointed hospital, region, and system.

Beyond those above, the primary duties of the COO are generally described below.  These essential functions are not intended to be, and should not be considered to be, a comprehensive list of duties or expectations.

• Hospital Performance – COO is responsible and accountable for the performance of the appointed departments and functions. As such, the COO shall develop and implement impactful strategies and plans to achieve established performance objectives along each domain of the Triple Aim. 
  • Patient Safety & Quality – COO is responsible and accountable for developing and sustainably improving a clinical culture within the appointed departments and functions that is safe, efficient, and consistently produces expected patient outcomes in a cost-effective way
    • Accreditation – The primary role of accrediting and regulating bodies is to assure that participating providers have sufficient policies, practices and safeguards in place to assure delivery of safe and predictable services to patients. COO is responsible and accountable for adherence to all relevant standards of applicable accrediting and regulatory bodies (e.g. JC, DNV, CMS, OIG, etc.). COO will assure accreditation readiness within the appointed departments and functions at all times, whether those surveys are planned and expected or not.
  • Service & Engagement – COO is responsible and accountable for sustainably improving the engagement and loyalty of the employees, medical staff and patients of the appointed hospital.
  • Financial Effectiveness – COO is responsible and accountable for developing and sustainably improving an operating culture that conducts its daily activities in an efficient and cost-effective manner, and in which achieves established financial performance objectives.
• Medical Staff Relations - COO is responsible and accountable for developing, nurturing and maintaining meaningful relationships with members of the medical staff and other providers, both independent and employed.
• Market Relevance – COO will participate in any and all strategic planning endeavors of the appointed hospital, and will embrace all commissioned strategies and plans intended to sustainably improve the appointed hospital’s role and relevance within the communities it serves.
• Corporate Citizenry – COO is responsible and accountable for being a good corporate citizen. In addition to abiding by established policies and procedures, behavioral standards and other expectations, corporate citizenry includes but is not limited to: working effectively within ARH’s matrixed reporting environment; working effectively with local-, regional- and system-level resources; and embracing ARH’s commitment to optimizing the value of its “system-ness” (e.g. regionalization, collaboration, etc.).
• Community Citizenry – COO shall at all times conduct her/himself in a personal and professional manner consistent with ARH’s behavioral standards. Beyond her/his personal membership and participation with the community, COO will develop and maintain a constructive relationship with community stakeholders.

All policies, procedures, practices, and standards referenced above and elsewhere in this document are subject to, and likely will, change from time to time.  Adherence to any changes to them will continue to be the responsibility and accountability of the COO. 

Likewise, any and all responsibilities, duties and reporting relationships referenced above and elsewhere in this document may change from time to time.  Any such change will be subject to the responsibilities, accountabilities and other provisions of this position description.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Ability to inspire and lead others, the humility to listen to and follow others, and the knowledge and discipline to know when to do which;
• Ability to adapt to and manage change in a timely and effective way;
• Ability to manage and mitigate conflict, including situations where COO is a party to said conflict;
• Courage to challenge established norms (policies, procedures, practices, directives, etc.) in an appropriate and impactful way;
• Humility to accept and embrace regional- or system-level strategies and endeavors which may from time to time be uncomfortable;
• Courage to ask for resources or help when necessary to accomplish established objectives or other expectations;
• Ability to think strategically to find novel solutions to complex problems;
• Energy, focus and aptitude necessary to effectively fulfil the duties of the role;
• Ability to surround a problem with the right people to affect a timely and effective solution;
• Ability to manage difficulty and crisis in a measured and effective manner, relying on data and counsel where able; and
• Possess an action-oriented disposition, relying on data and counsel where possible.

Education

• COO will be a graduate of an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in Hospital Administration, Business Administration, or other relevant field of study.

Minimum Work
Experience

• Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years’ experience in senior-level roles within a healthcare facility.