Director Mission Integration

In 2020 united in a fierce commitment to deliver the highest quality care and exceptional patient experience Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan Health came together as natural partners to build a new health system centered around the patient: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Our combined system builds upon the scale and expertise of our nearly 300 sites of care including 11 hospitals and nearly 5000 physicians and providers. Together we are empowered to make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of our communities.

This job is responsible for ensuring the integration of the CommonSpirit Health Mission, Vision, and Values into the plans, policies and processes that affect the organization’s operations, goals and strategic transformation. The incumbent will also focus on the implementation and administration of programs/services that promote the integration of the mission/core values/ethics of CommonSpirit Health (CSH) across multiple acute care, non-acute/ambulatory care facilities, and physician enterprise operations throughout the market. The position will also support and participate in market-wide and regional mission integration strategic and operational planning to fully integrate the mission, vision, and values.

Work requires considerable knowledge of the CSH mission and values, clinical ethics and organizational ethics discernment, spiritual care practices and chaplaincy standards, community health trends and community needs assessments and implementation plans, and is adept at leading ministry leadership formation.

The incumbent will participate in the executive leadership teams of the hospital(s) they are assigned and will support the physician enterprise leadership structure within the communities served by their assigned hospitals.

Key Responsibilities include:

Operations Accountability:

• In collaboration with board members, administration, professional and other staff, provides operations leadership, functional expertise, and consultation integrating the CSH Mission into the plans, policies and processes that affect the organization’s operations, goals and strategic transformation.
• Plans, directs and evaluates the operations/services of the assigned functional areas to ensure that all activities are conducted in a timely and cost-effective manner and in accordance with organizational values, professional standards, internal policies/standards/procedures and/or applicable regulatory requirements; oversees religious practices, chapel functions and para-liturgical events, and ensures the application of consistent practices relating to the function across the organization; identifies appropriate measures for evaluating effectiveness of activities/ services, and reports on key performance indices and other significant benchmarking metrics to CSH/VMFH Leadership as required.
• Directs, leads, integrates and evaluates mission initiatives within their assigned hospital(s), clinics, and other care sites.
• Collaborates with other members of the NW Region mission integration council on shared market and regional priorities, including the development and implementation of strategies and plans to advance the NW Region’s operational integration of Mission Integration’s five functional areas: Mission, Ministry Formation, Ethics, Spirituality & Spiritual Care, and Community Health Outreach.
• Collaborates with the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Programs in visioning services integral to the development of the overall System.
• Collaborates with key administrative and medical staff to ensure integration of the CSH mission, vision and values into organizational culture, decision-making, operations and practice. Works with facility and physician enterprise executives and leaders to establish annual mission strategies aligned with local strategic plans and overall market priorities.
• Accountable to local market, facility and physician enterprise leadership and prepares regular accountability reports for leadership within their geography of influence. Collaborates in the development and presentation of accountability reports to senior leadership and governance regarding key areas of mission integration: organizational identity, spirituality and culture, ethical principles, formation and community health and the common good.
• Supports the ongoing development and implementation of programs and initiative intended to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) priorities and outcomes at the local, market, and regional levels.

Staff Management and Development:

• Plans, manages and evaluates the work of assigned staff in accordance with the content, spirit and intent of applicable internal/external regulations and standards for human resource management; identifies adequate staffing levels for appropriate coverage to meet budgetary and operational objectives; ensures that employees are qualified and properly trained to perform assigned job duties; holds regular staff meetings and keeps employees appraised of all matters relevant to successful job performance; makes employment decisions, establishes performance standards and evaluates employee performance; educates, guides, counsels and develops staff and addresses performance management concerns and technical issues elevated by subordinates as beyond their scope of authority.

Short- and Long-Term Planning:

• Participates, as a key member of the management team for the assigned function, in short- and long-term planning activities, including the development/implementation of plans/projects to address current and future needs to support achievement of business objectives.

Performance/Quality Improvement:

• Monitors and assesses current operations/services to identify opportunities and provide recommendations to the Regional Chief Mission Officer/SVP Mission Integration for performance/process improvements initiatives; implements approved changes and ensures that staff receive the necessary on-site training and consultation to enhance their understanding of quality/performance improvement initiatives.

Procedures Development/Implementation:

• Develops, implements and evaluates new/revised standards, policies, procedures, guidelines, training materials and/or general communications in support of assigned functional area(s) to ensure consistency with the philosophy/values of the organization and compliance with applicable regulatory/accreditation requirements; ensures that all functional activities are fully documented in accordance with the standards and practices of the organization; ensures that employees understand and apply internal guidelines appropriately.

Budget Administration:

• Determines resources needed to accomplish the performance objectives of the functional area and oversees activities and resources in a manner that is fiscally-responsible and in accordance with VMFH policies and standards; prepares annual operating budget, exercising effective cost control by monitoring and adjusting expenses as needed to stay within budget; approves expenditures within defined scope of responsibility; identifies negative variances and develops action plans to document, address and effectively resolve in a timely manner; keeps Senior Vice President apprised of all issues with potential for budgetary impact.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Interprets and ensures compliance with applicable internal/external legal and regulatory agreements, standards and requirements; keeps abreast of changing regulatory requirements/regulations, professional standards and competitive industry practices impacting assigned functions, as well as organizational initiatives/changes with potential to impact current operations; monitors impact on existing activities and identifies/implements effective response/solution while maintaining acceptable service levels and work quality.

Education/Work Experience Requirements:

• Masters degree, preferably in Mission Integration, Theology, Health Administration, Pastoral Studies, or other equivalent subjects, and a minimum of three years of progressively responsible health care management experience that would demonstrate attainment of the requisite job knowledge/abilities.
• Master’s degree in a directly-related field is strongly preferred, and may be substituted for an equivalent portion of the experience requirement.

Job Knowledge/Abilities:

• Knowledge of, and commitment to, the promotion, philosophy and mission of the health care ministry of the organization.
• Knowledge of the tenets and principles of Catholicism, including familiarity with a diversity of faith traditions and spiritualities.
• Knowledge of the principles, standards and practices of health care ethics and Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERD).
• Knowledge of the content, intent and application of regulations, policies, standards, operations and requirements applicable to the business function(s) under designated scope of authority.
• Knowledge and understanding of Catholic social teachings and their implications for Catholic health care.
• Knowledge of the principles, standards and guidelines relating to organizational and clinical ethics and related case reviews, policies and education.
• Knowledge of VMFH policies, standards and requirements applicable to resource/expense control, employee supervision/evaluation and performance management.
• Ability to effectively cultivate and integrate spirituality into the workplace and the continuum of care, extending into local communities.
• Ability to effectively oversee religious practices, chapel functions and para-liturgical events as required by the responsibilities of the position.
• Ability to demonstrate effective supervisory skills, including developing clear performance expectations, hiring, coaching, conflict management, evaluating, resolving performance problems, and group facilitation.
• Ability to initiate, understand and maintain effective pastoral relationships with persons from diverse spiritual and religious traditions.