Rural Hospital Operations Leader

WVU Medicine; Clarion (IA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

WH Wheeling Hospital Inc. in Clarion, PA seeks a Director of Operations to lead day-to-day hospital and service line operations, drive strategic initiatives, and ensure safe, efficient, patient-centered care while maintaining financial stewardship.

The role partners with hospital leadership, medical staff, and system leaders to optimize throughput, quality, and patient experience across emergency, inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, and ancillary services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, nursing, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience.
• Experience managing hospital or healthcare operations.
• Experience leading teams, managing budgets, and improving operational performance.
• Strong understanding of healthcare regulatory, quality, and patient safety requirements.
• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Nursing, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership for assigned hospital departments and services.
• Develop and implement operational plans that support hospital and system strategic priorities.
• Monitor operational performance, productivity, staffing, access, patient flow, and service quality.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary variation, and optimize resources.
• Establish and monitor departmental goals, performance measures, and accountability.
• Participate in hospital leadership meetings and contribute to enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Partner with nursing, medical staff, and clinical leaders to ensure effective coordination of patient care.
• Support efficient patient flow across emergency, inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, and ancillary services.
• Identify barriers to timely access and develop solutions to improve throughput and patient experience.
• Promote a culture focused on patient safety, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Respond to operational issues and facilitate timely resolution of patient and staff concerns.
• Participate in development and management of departmental operating budgets.
• Monitor expenses, productivity, staffing levels, and other financial indicators.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial performance while maintaining quality and patient safety.
• Ensure appropriate utilization of equipment, facilities, supplies, and human resources.
• Support capital planning and business cases for operational needs.
• Lead, coach, and develop department leaders and employees within areas of responsibility.
• Promote employee engagement, accountability, teamwork, and retention.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruitment, workforce planning, performance management, employee relations, and leadership development.
• Ensure appropriate staffing models and workforce practices are implemented.
• Build strong relationships with physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and other clinical professionals.
• Promote adherence to applicable federal, state, accreditation, and health system standards.
• Support readiness for regulatory and accreditation surveys.
• Monitor quality, safety, patient experience, and compliance metrics.
• Partner with Quality, Risk Management, Infection Prevention, and other system resources to address identified opportunities.
• Participate in performance improvement and patient safety initiatives.
• Develop effective working relationships with the medical staff and physician leadership.
• Partner with physicians to identify and address operational challenges.
• Support recruitment and retention of providers and key clinical staff.
• Serve as an ambassador for the hospital within the local community.
• Help identify opportunities to expand services and improve access to care for the rural population.
• Participate in hospital strategic planning and service-line development.
• Evaluate opportunities to expand or enhance services based on community needs, market conditions, and financial considerations.
• Assist with implementation of system initiatives and operational integrations.
• Lead or participate in special projects designed to improve hospital performance.

Skills

Leadership

Operational leadership

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Patient-centered care

Education

Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business administration, nursing, or related field

Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Nursing, or related field

Job description

WH Wheeling Hospital Inc. in Clarion, PA seeks a Director of Operations to lead day-to-day hospital and service line operations, drive strategic initiatives, and ensure safe, efficient, patient-centered care while maintaining financial stewardship.

The role partners with hospital leadership, medical staff, and system leaders to optimize throughput, quality, and patient experience across emergency, inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, and ancillary services.