Executive COO - Academic Medical Center & Safety-Net

SUNY Downstate; New York (NY); On-site; USD 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn seeks a full-time Vice President and Chief Operating Officer to lead hospital operations, care delivery, and enterprise performance. Reporting to the CEO, the COO will drive patient access, quality, workforce, and financial results across SUNY University Hospital at Downstate.

The role guides clinical service line strategy, capital projects, and operations alignment with the academic mission and community needs to ensure safe, high-quality,

Responsibilities

• Provide executive oversight of hospital operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality clinical and support services across the enterprise.
• Direct the operational management of inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory, perioperative, and support service functions.
• Establish and maintain an effective operating model that aligns operational priorities with the hospital’s mission, strategic plan, and academic objectives.
• Ensure operational alignment across clinical departments, administrative functions, and academic programs.
• Share accountability for overall hospital financial performance, including operating margin, cost management, and resource utilization.
• Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to align operational strategies with financial goals, including revenue optimization and expense management.
• Develop and implement performance management systems, including dashboards and KPIs, to monitor operational, financial, and quality outcomes.
• Drive measurable improvements in efficiency, productivity, and throughput across all areas of the organization.
• Lead enterprise-wide initiatives to improve patient access, patient flow, length of stay, throughput, and care coordination.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making, operational best practices, and process improvement methodologies.
• Benchmark performance against peer academic medical centers and implement best practices to enhance competitiveness and outcomes.
• Partner with physician leaders, department chairs, and administrative leadership to optimize clinical service line performance, growth, and market positioning.
• Support strategic growth and operational advancement in priority service lines, including cardiology, oncology, perioperative services, and ambulatory care.
• Strengthen integration across inpatient, outpatient, and community-based services to improve continuity of care and patient outcomes.
• Collaborate with the CEO and executive leadership to support the implementation of major capital investments and facility modernization initiatives.
• Lead operational planning and readiness efforts for new facilities, expanded programs, and clinical services.
• Ensure operational alignment with construction, regulatory, and transition timelines for capital projects and hospital expansion efforts.
• Foster a high-performing, engaged workforce aligned with the hospital’s mission, values, and performance expectations.
• Partner with Human Resources and clinical leadership on workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and leadership development strategies.
• Promote collaboration and alignment among physicians, nurses, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Support labor relations strategies and workforce engagement in a complex, unionized healthcare environment.
• Support and advance enterprise-wide initiatives to improve quality outcomes, patient safety, and patient experience.
• Ensure operational systems and processes support best practices in clinical care delivery and high reliability principles.
• Maintain readiness for regulatory and accreditation requirements, including state and federal agencies and accrediting bodies.
• Promote accountability for quality, safety, and service outcomes across all operational areas.
• Partner with executive leadership to implement and optimize enterprise systems, including electronic medical records and operational technologies.
• Support digital transformation initiatives that enhance clinical workflows, data integration, operational efficiency, and patient access.
• Leverage data analytics to inform decision-making and improve organizational performance.
• Work closely with university leadership to strengthen alignment between hospital operations and academic, teaching, and research programs.
• Collaborate with external partners, community organizations, and civic leaders to improve healthcare access and care coordination.
• Represent the hospital in operational partnerships, regional collaborations, and external engagements as appropriate.
• Driving measurable improvements in operational performance, efficiency, and financial sustainability
• Strengthening patient access, throughput, and care coordination across the continuum of care
• Supporting large-scale facility modernization and enterprise operational transformation
• Enhancing clinical service line performance, growth, and integration
• Advancing a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence
• Supporting the CEO and executive leadership in achieving strategic, academic, and community-focused priorities
• Demonstration of leadership competencies in strategic execution, analytical decision-making, change leadership, collaboration, and communication

Job description

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn seeks a full-time Vice President and Chief Operating Officer to lead hospital operations, care delivery, and enterprise performance. Reporting to the CEO, the COO will drive patient access, quality, workforce, and financial results across SUNY University Hospital at Downstate.

The role guides clinical service line strategy, capital projects, and operations alignment with the academic mission and community needs to ensure safe, high-quality,