Director of Clinical Support-Surgical Services

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

The Director Clinical Support, Surgical Services reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

The Director Clinical Support, Surgical Services is accountable for the quality of support services delivered to patients across the Surgical Services (SS) departmental continuum ensuring that quality guidelines are properly enforced and regulatory functions are closely managed. This role works collaboratively to optimize SS resource utilization. They are integral in managing support staff (e.g. Central Sterile Services, Process Improvement, Pre-admission Care Clinic etc.) satisfaction and implementing initiatives to improve the patient, staff, and provider experience. This individual fosters a culture of open communication within a safe and supportive environment.

Responsibilities:

• Aligns Surgical Services (SS) anesthesia support, process improvement, scheduling, perfusion and sterile processing and other SS support services across multiple clinical departments within Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) to fulfill the mission, vision and strategy of NM SS and NMH
• Fosters interdepartmental collaboration and communication across the hospital to implement SS initiatives and create a positive patient, physician and staff experience
• Manages, counsels and drives engagement of Clinical Support Services staff (including perfusionists, surgery schedule support, anesthesia support, sterile processing and other SS support staff)
• Tracks support staff satisfaction and manages improvement initiatives to improve it
• Develops, oversees the budget for staff and instrumentation; tracks variance to the budget and monitors expenses and to properly steward NMH resources
• Collaborates closely with Infection Prevention and NMH Quality to ensure department adheres to hospital and regulatory policies and procedures
• Monitors performance metrics (e.g., regulatory, scheduling and quality metrics) to optimize SS resource utilization; identifies root cause of issues and escalates to the proper bodies and takes appropriate actions to resolve any issues
• Drives patient experience and satisfaction to exceed industry standard
• Promotes a collaborative, supportive culture within and outside of Clinical Support Services and SS

Required: 

• Master’s Degree
• 5 years of experience in a leadership role.
• Expert in process improvement methodologies
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Proven skills in leadership, planning and quality
• Excellent project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work with a diverse group of healthcare professionals in a matrix environment

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.