Associate Director Time-Critical Disease Programs

Ohio State University; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Paid time off

Retirement plan contributions

Job summary

Ohio State University is seeking an Associate Director, Time-Critical Disease Programs to provide enterprise-wide leadership for Trauma, Burn, Emergency General Surgery, Stroke, STEMI, and Vascular Emergency Programs. The role ensures reliable, high-quality care across the ED, inpatient units, and regional partners, with a focus on accreditation and performance improvement.

The position collaborates with clinical leaders to expand time-critical care capabilities, improve patient access and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; clinical degree preferred.
• 6 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare operations.
• Experience with time‑critical programs (trauma, stroke, cardiac) preferred.
• Academic medical center or complex tertiary/quaternary environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise-wide leadership for Trauma, Stroke, STEMI, and related programs.
• Ensure timely, high-quality, evidence-based care across ED, inpatient, and regional partners.
• Oversee program performance, accreditation readiness, and patient access.
• Collaborate with physician and service line leaders to align priorities.

Skills

Leadership

Healthcare Operations

Strategic Planning

Stakeholder Alignment

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Health Care, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

Job Title:

Associate Director Time-Critical Disease Programs

Department: Health System Shared Services | Health System Nursing Administration

Scope of Position

The Associate Director, Time-Critical Disease Programs provides enterprise-wide strategic and operational leadership for a portfolio of highly specialized, high-acuity, time-sensitive clinical programs requiring seamless coordination across the emergency department, inpatient and procedural services, diagnostic areas, nursing, medical staff, pre-hospital providers, and regional healthcare partners. The Associate Director oversees the operational and programmatic performance of the Trauma Program, Burn Program, Emergency General Surgery Program, Comprehensive Stroke Center, STEMI Program, and Vascular Emergency Program.

The position is accountable for the integration, performance, and continuous advancement of these programs, ensuring the delivery of timely, high-quality, evidence-based, and reliable care while maintaining compliance with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and certification requirements.

The role has accountability for daily program operations, quality and performance improvement, accreditation and regulatory readiness, patient access and flow, program development, and strategic growth.

The Associate Director works across clinical and operational boundaries to identify barriers, align resources, standardize processes, and establish sustainable systems that support high-reliability care and continued program growth.

The Associate Director reports to the Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Emergency Services and Women and Infants, with matrixed accountability to the Director of Patient Flow for patient access, throughput, capacity management, transfer performance, and system-level coordination. The position also partners closely with relevant physician and service line leadership to ensure alignment of clinical, operational, and strategic priorities.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Time-Critical Disease Programs provides enterprise-wide strategic, operational, and programmatic leadership across a portfolio of high-acuity, time-sensitive services, including Trauma, Burn, Comprehensive Stroke, STEMI, Emergency General Surgery, and Vascular Emergencies. The role is responsible for integrating the clinical, operational, and strategic components of these programs to ensure reliable, coordinated, and evidence-based care across the continuum—from pre-hospital recognition and activation through timely access, definitive treatment, inpatient care, and post-acute transition.

The Associate Director is responsible for ensuring effective and efficient entry into the OSUWMC clinical enterprise, coordinating high-quality and compliant care, advancing program performance, and developing strategies to support sustainable programmatic growth. The role translates clinical and operational priorities into measurable performance improvement, establishes systems to reduce variation and delay, and ensures that program infrastructure and resources evolve with patient demand and regional needs.

A central focus of the position is to strengthen and expand OSUWMC's role as a regional destination for time-critical disease through improved clinical outcomes, high-reliability care delivery, operational excellence, and strategic partnerships with pre‑hospital EMS agencies, referring hospitals, and other regional healthcare organizations. This includes strengthening referral and transfer pathways, improving regional access to definitive care, developing EMS and community partnerships, and identifying opportunities to expand the reach and capabilities of the programs.

This position reports directly to the Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Emergency Services and Women and Infants, with matrixed accountability to the Director of Patient Flow and partnership with relevant physician and service line clinical leadership. The Associate Director serves as a key integrator across physician leadership, nursing, patient flow, hospital operations, quality, and regional partners to drive program excellence, regulatory and accreditation readiness, quality and performance improvement, operational reliability, and strategic growth within a complex academic medical center environment.

Minimum Qualifications For Hire

• Bachelor's Degree in Health Care, Business Administration, or related field.
• Clinical degree preferred.
• 6 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare operations required.
• Preferred demonstrated experience in one or more time‑critical programs (trauma, stroke, cardiac, surgical services).
• Preferred experience in an academic medical center or complex tertiary/quaternary environment preferred.

Additional Information

• Location: University Hospital - Rhodes Hall (0354)
• Position Type: Regular
• Scheduled Hours: 40
• Shift: First Shift

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

Company Culture and Benefits

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability.

• Medical, dental and vision coverage, with Ohio State paying a significant portion of the cost.
• Paid time off, including sick and vacation time and 11 holidays.
• State retirement plan or an alternative retirement plan, both with generous employer contributions.

As Buckeyes, we accomplish more together. No matter your role, you’ll be part of creating what people need now: pathways to education, research and health care. Working at Ohio State means you’re part of a team with a strong sense of community and an unwavering commitment to excellence — and, of course, incomparable Buckeye spirit. We bring out the best in people, help each other succeed and learn together. By joining Ohio State, you become part of a top‑20 public university with one of America’s leading academic health centers. We’re a team of dedicated colleagues with access to boundless resources that support you.