Chief Ambulatory Officer

UAB Medicine; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

UAB Medicine seeks an executive leader to direct the ambulatory enterprise across academic and community settings. Lead strategy, operations, quality, and growth initiatives aligning with the system’s priorities and patient access goals.

The role requires a master’s degree in a related field and a minimum of ten years of ambulatory leadership experience within a multi-hospital or academic health system. Strong governance, financial stewardship, and collaboration skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or a related field.
• Ten years of related experience.
• Experience with service lines, ambulatory operations, and working in a matrix environment.
• Experience leading ambulatory integration, growth strategy, and operations across a multi-hospital health system and/or academic medical center environment.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes a comprehensive enterprise ambulatory strategy.
• Establishes governance structures, operating standards, and performance metrics.
• Identifies and executes ambulatory growth opportunities including market entry and acquisitions.
• Partners with leadership to optimize ambulatory care delivery models.
• Develops long-range ambulatory network plans and drives enterprise alignment.
• Oversees ambulatory services to ensure compliance and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Collaborates with Access Center and community providers to extend footprint.
• Reports on quality metrics, wait times, and improvement plans.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Ambulatory ops

Budget management

Communication

Team leadership

Project management

Healthcare knowledge

Education

Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field

Job description

General Responsibilities

Serves as the executive leader responsible for the strategic direction, operational performance, and growth of UAB Medicine's ambulatory enterprise across academic and community care settings. Provides leadership for ambulatory operations, patient experience, quality, clinical performance, and network development to ensure a coordinated, high-performing system of care. Partners with the Chief Clinical Officer for Ambulatory, Hospital CEOs, physician leaders, and the Health System COO to align ambulatory services with organizational priorities, service line strategies, and long-term growth objectives. Oversees the development and execution of initiatives that expand patient access, optimize site-of-care delivery, strengthen provider integration, and enhance the patient experience across the continuum of care. Ensures ambulatory services operate in compliance with regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and financial stewardship expectations while advancing UAB Medicine's mission as a leading academic health system.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Develops and executes a comprehensive enterprise ambulatory strategy that aligns academic and community-based ambulatory services across UAB Medicine.
2. Establishes governance structures, operating standards, performance metrics, and accountability mechanisms that drive an integrated ambulatory network across UAB Medicine.
3. Identifies, evaluates, and executes ambulatory growth opportunities, including new market entry, physician workforce planning, clinic and practice acquisitions, joint ventures, ambulatory site development, ambulatory surgery strategies, and expansion of specialty and primary care services.
4. Partners with physician and administrative leadership to optimize ambulatory care delivery models that advance health system growth, improve access, and strengthen care coordination across the continuum of care.
5. Develops long-range ambulatory network plans that support the strategic priorities of a large public academic health system and its community hospitals.
6. Oversees ambulatory services that are associated with the UAB Medicine footprint, inclusive of the community provider-based clinics, and drives enterprise-wide alignment, integration, and performance across all ambulatory care settings.
7. Collaborates with the Access Center and resources that support the ambulatory footprint.
8. Aligns UAB community-based practices ensuring streamlined operations, consistent standards, efficient resource utilization, and a unified patient experience.
9. Evaluates, prioritizes, and leads implementation of new business and growth opportunities that expand the ambulatory footprint, improve market presence, and advance strategic objectives. Ensures ambulatory operations are in compliance with all laws and regulations governing healthcare delivery and rules of accrediting bodies and proposes changes when required.
10. Collaborates with operational, physician, and executive leadership on enterprise service line strategy and growth initiatives across inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory settings, with accountability for ambulatory network expansion and optimization.Collaborates with the Chief Physician Executive on recruitment activities for both HSF and community physicians.
11. Participates as a member of the senior leadership team in a variety of committees.
12. Participates in development of health system goals, plans, and policies. Assists in continual review of hospital short-and long-term goals.
13. Maintains knowledge of current health-related legislation, developments in managerial theory and practices, improvements in healthcare delivery systems, and other related practices and systems.
14. Reports out regularly on ambulatory operations to hospital and system leadership on quality metrics, wait times, and action plans for resolving.
15. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or a related field and ten (10) years of related experience required. Experience with service lines, ambulatory operations, and working in a matrix environment required. Experience leading ambulatory integration, growth strategy, and operations across a multi-hospital health system and/or academic medical center environment required. Work experience may NOT substitute for education requirement.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Approximately four (4) to ten (10) direct reports.

Budget Responsibilities

Management of funds with signatory and/or budget authority.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Ability to manage various financial aspects

Ability to problem solve

Ability to train others

Ability to work independently and as a part of a team

Interpersonal skills

Leadership skills

Presentation skills

Prioritization skills

Process improvement and quality skills

Project management skills

Written and verbal communication skills

Why Work at UAB Medicine

We are UAB Medicine, Alabama's largest and most comprehensive health system, recognized nationally for delivering world-class patient care, pioneering research, and cutting-edge medical education. We proudly serve more than 1.2 million patients each year - from every county in Alabama, all 50 states, and many countries around the world. Our network spans numerous hospitals, emergency departments, more than 67 other sites of care, and a team of over 3,100 physicians. Our key facilities include UAB Hospital - ranked the No. 1 hospital in Alabama by U.S. News & World Report and home to the state's first ACS-verified Level I adult trauma center and only Magnet-designated hospital - along with UAB Hospital-Callahan Eye and five UAB St. Vincent’s hospitals serving central Alabama.

UAB Medicine offers careers across a wide range of practice environments, from our internationally renowned academic medical center and award-winning community hospitals to our primary and specialty care clinics across the state. Whether you’re seeking the fast-paced learning environment of a tertiary care setting or the close-knit environment of a community facility, there’s a place for you on our team where you can become part of a mission-driven organization committed to delivering life-changing care. With nearly every medical specialty represented and unlimited opportunities for growth, you’ll find the right fit for your skills and career goals. We care for you by offering comprehensive, industry-leading benefit packages to support the individual preferences and circumstances of our diverse staff.