Head of Patient Access & Flow Operations

Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand; New Plymouth; Hybrid; NZD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a General Manager of Patient Access & Flow to provide strategic and operational leadership across Taranaki. This executive role oversees the Integrated Operations Centre, CCDM, and multiple support and emergency management functions to improve patient access, flow and outcomes.

You will drive workforce planning, capacity management and discharge planning while collaborating with clinical and operational leaders to optimise performance and equity

Qualifications

• Hold a relevant tertiary qualification in health management, business, nursing, allied health, public administration, or a related field.
• Have significant senior leadership experience (5+ years) within a complex healthcare, hospital, or operational services environment.
• Demonstrate proven success leading large multidisciplinary teams and diverse service portfolios.
• Bring experience in patient access and flow, hospital operations, demand, and capacity management, CCDM, emergency management, or related operational services.
• Demonstrate strong operational, financial and people leadership capability.
• Have experience leading service improvement, organisational change, and performance initiatives.
• Possess excellent communication, influencing, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Be highly adaptable and able to effectively manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and improving health equity outcomes for Māori.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic and operational performance of the Integrated Operations Centre and CCDM programme.
• Drive hospital-wide improvements in patient access, patient flow, capacity management and discharge planning.
• Lead Patient Support Services, including orderlies, cleaning services, patient transport, accommodation services, medical typing, call centre and mortuary services.
• Provide strategic oversight of the Resident Medical Officer Support Unit, ensuring effective workforce planning, recruitment, deployment and wellbeing.
• Lead Security Services and Emergency Management functions, strengthening organisational readiness, resilience and response capability.
• Manage business planning, workforce planning, financial performance and resource utilisation across a significant operational portfolio.
• Use data, operational intelligence and performance reporting to identify opportunities for improvement and drive service excellence.
• Work collaboratively with clinical and operational leaders to remove barriers to patient flow and improve patient outcomes.
• Build strong relationships across Health New Zealand, unions, regional partners, emergency services and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the strategic direction and operational success of Hospital and Specialist Services across Taranaki.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Healthcare operations

Workforce planning

Patient access

Capacity management

Emergency management

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification

Job description

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a General Manager of Patient Access & Flow to provide strategic and operational leadership across Taranaki. This executive role oversees the Integrated Operations Centre, CCDM, and multiple support and emergency management functions to improve patient access, flow and outcomes.

You will drive workforce planning, capacity management and discharge planning while collaborating with clinical and operational leaders to optimise performance and equity