Executive Director, Department of Neurosurgery

Executive Director, Department of Neurosurgery

GENERAL SUMMARY:

The Executive Director serves as the lead department administrator (DA) of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Department of Neurosurgery (DONS) across Brigham sites.

The BWH DONS is where American neurosurgery was founded by Dr. Harvey Cushing in 1913. Since opening over 100 years ago, the department has maintained a strong commitment to state-of-the-art patient care and to the advancement of neurosurgical research and education. Today, the BWH DONS is one of the top neurosurgery providers in the country and has been consistently ranked as one of America’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report®. Our team consists of 25 nationally-acclaimed surgeons and physiatrists, 21 residents from Harvard Medical School, and over 150 department staff members. As a department, DONS performs over 20,000 clinical visits, 4,000 surgical procedures, and approximately 200,000 wRVUs across its network with the goal of substantial growth each year. The department also maintains a research portfolio with annual expenses exceeding $5MM. This multidisciplinary team is dedicated to providing patient-focused, world-class medical care for the entire spectrum of neurological diseases.

Reporting directly to the Chair of the DONS and the SVP of Clinical Services, the Executive Director functions as the DONS’s administrative leader for all matters related to clinical, research, education, and general administration for the DONS’s central operations and its sections, and within and as part of the structures of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital (BWFH), and the Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization (BWPO). The central leadership team within the DONS report directly to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will partner closely with the DONS’s chiefs, and work collaboratively with BWPO and hospital leadership.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The responsibilities of this position are broad, including management of DONS operations, programmatic/ strategic and project development, long-range planning, new business initiatives, personnel, finances, research operations and planning, education and training, billing, compliance, legal and regulatory issues, quality and safety issues, facilities and information systems, marketing, network development and development/fund-raising.

Specific responsibilities as follows:

Leadership

• In partnership with the Chair, determines the overall vision, mission, direction, goals, and objectives of the department. Directs the strategic planning process, establishes and achieves long range goals, and ensures the implementation of strategic business plans that are aligned with the Brigham’s vision, strategic plans, and goals.
• Serves as a critical member and senior leader for the department's administrative team(s). Establishes and maintains clear and precise communications with department leaders as to each area’s performance as required by standard practices. Communicates openly and collaboratively with other department administrators and hospital leaders.
• Works with the hospital leadership to evaluate and monitor performance of the department to support the delivery of services operational goals of cost containment, quality enhancement, developing a culture of safety, and patient experience.
• Plays a vital role in interacting with, influencing and developing both internal and external constituencies to promote BWH/BWPO throughout the community, regionally, nationally, as well as internationally.
• Serves as the liaison in collaboration with the medical staff and provides direction and support to the clinical and non-clinical staff for the department. Develops effective methods of communicating with faculty, trainees, and staff on a regular basis.
• Identifies, evaluates, and recommends new business ventures, affiliations, and partnerships consistent with the strategic business plans and the growth and market objectives of the department and the hospital. Works with departmental and hospital leadership and the (MGB) Office of General Counsel to prepare the necessary business plans and documentation. Manages the renewal of any such arrangements.
• Ensures healthy and collaborative administrative relationships within the department, the hospital, and the MGB system.
• Develops and implements policies and procedures consonant with the hospital’s policies in the areas of clinical practice management, grants management, and teaching/training. Interacts extensively with the Chair to assess administrative and financial needs of the department and to revise policies and procedures to meet changing needs of division.
• Evaluates, initiates, and implements various departmental systems and procedures, and revises as necessary to maximize efficiency.
• Serves as a resource for resolution of administrative questions, issues, and problems.
• Works with management staff and representatives from other departments to evaluate, initiate, and implement systems and procedures and revises as necessary to improve and maximize efficiency.
• Serves as an essential leader in the institution’s pursuit of service lines:
• Work with departmental and hospital leadership to continue to develop centers within the Neurosciences. Current centers within the Department of Neurosurgery include the Spine Center, Cerebrovascular & Stroke Center, Epilepsy Center, and the BW/DFCI Brain Tumor Center.
• Actively participate in the development, establishment, strategic planning and oversight of each Center in coordination with the departmental leadership, hospital leadership, and/or MGB.
• Oversight of Center Clinical and Research leadership to ensure Department and Brigham missions are met.
• Provide oversight and direction of the administrative infrastructure that supports each Center’s research and clinical missions in collaboration with other Center and hospital leaders.
• Continuously assesses and improves the efficiency of systems and processes.

Clinical Management

• Under the direction of the Chair, and in partnership with hospital clinical leadership and the DONS chiefs, oversees, or partners with hospital in the overall leadership of, the department’s ambulatory specialty clinics, the department’s inpatient services, community/satellite practices, and surgical practices.
• In collaboration with the Chair and senior DONS, hospital, and BWPO leadership, leads the evaluation, development, and implementation of strategies for the growth, management, and integration of clinical services throughout DONS and across hospital and network service settings.
• In collaboration with the Chief, support and ensure hiring and deployment of mid-level practitioners through development of a PA/NP care strategy. Reinforce a collaborative and high-functioning care environment in partnership with the Director of PA Education, ACNO, and Chief PA.
• Under the direction of the department's director of quality and the quality program manager, serves as the lead administrative resource for the DONS clinical quality program and supports hospital leadership in developing and implementing quality initiatives for the service, service line, hospital, and/or Brigham.
• In conjunction with the BWPO, oversees the department’s professional billing services, entailing ~$60 million in patient charges annually:
• Ensures that “front-end” procedures are coordinated and all services provided are monitored and tracked to ensure capture and timely submission for all services provided.
• Oversee activities of billing services to ensure timely/maximized collections.
• Ensures DONS billing compliance.
• Reviews billing analyses and reporting; prepares financial projections and monitors performance relative to projections.
• Coordinates with billing services to develop billing policies and procedures.
• Serves as principal DONS liaison to BWH/BWPO Compliance Office.
• Assures compliance with BWH, TJC, OSHA, DPH, and state and federal regulations. Leads the Department's involvement in compliance audits as directed.
• Participates in BWH/BWPO compliance initiatives.
• Develops and monitors departmental indicators set forth to meet quality goals.
• Ensures that the DONS conducts audits to ensure compliance with internal standards as well as state and federal guidelines.
• Reviews all DONS safety reports.
• Supports the development and coordination of care provision across sites and services for the service across Brigham. Plans, develops and implements service expansion of programs across sites and services. Coordinates with Network & Business Development in regards to expansion of sites and services with external entities.

Research Management

• Leads and maintains the department’s research administration infrastructure, including management responsibility for administrators and grant managers and support staff across ~15,000 square feet of research space.
• Works with the Chair regarding strategic research planning and growth in the context of advances in technology, science and the funding environment for the Department in collaboration with hospital leadership.
• Maintains an inventory of all research activities being conducted throughout the department.
• Oversees development and monitoring of research project budgets in collaboration with research administrators and principal investigators.
• Directs all matters related to the ongoing process of grant development, submission, review and notification via the supervision of the Department’s research administrator; discusses and resolves administrative problems that arise; supports the administrative planning for potential new sources of income for the Department.
• Oversees deficit resolution process for the DONS.
• Ensures that research administrators and investigators are conversant with institutional research policies and procedures, including appropriate application for and maintenance of necessary IRB or IACUC approvals, protection of intellectual property and compliance with MGB and HMS policies on Conflict of Interest.
• Serves as liaison to BWH accounts payable, payroll, purchasing, and other hospital departments. Represents particular needs of research studies and works to ensure that these needs are met. Works with outside vendors to obtain products and services necessary to the operation of the research group. Interacts extensively with the BWH SVP of Research and MGB research administration to ensure compliance with all hospital, government, and funding agency policies.
• Ensures that changes in research policies and procedures are appropriately communicated to administrators, staff, and principal investigators.
• Works with principal investigators to identify and support development of appropriate areas of research, including assistance with related recruitments and acquisition of required resources.
• Works collaboratively with Research Management and Compliance as necessary to ensure the appropriate fiduciary and regulatory responsibility of the research enterprise for the DONS.

Education Management

• In conjunction with the DONS Program Directors, directs the administration of the department’s joint residency program (21 residents), 5 sub-specialty fellowship programs (spine; cerebrovascular; pituitary; skull-base; image-guided), Harvard Medical School education programs, and continuing medical education programs.
• Ensures compliance with the requirements for accreditation organizations, all Mass General Brigham and Brigham policies. Collects required data in an ongoing fashion and anticipates and prepares the necessary documents and records for periodic reviews.
• Oversees financial management of training program, including implementing and ensuring compliance with professional billing activities as applicable.
• Participates in design and implementation of changes to the Training Program.
• Monitors and updates training affiliation agreements with outside institutions; maintains and fosters relationships with those institutions where our trainees rotate, and those institutions whose trainees rotate to BWH.
• Extends teaching mission to all levels of staff and encourages continuing education for both employees and self.
• Works collaboratively with the GME Office and Compliance as necessary to ensure the appropriate fiduciary and regulatory responsibility of the education enterprise for the DONS.

Organizational Administration

• Oversees the DONS’s faculty services, ensuring the highest performance of processing of all faculty/fellow appointments and related activities.
• Oversees DONS credentialing for BWH and HMS.
• Supervises/mentors DONS credentialing staff.
• Ensure that appropriate OPPE/FPPE process occurs within DONS.
• Ensures efficiency of DONS internal HMS promotions process.
• Oversees DONS information systems.
• Coordinates with MGB Information Resources Department to arrange for hardware/software installation.
• Explores, evaluates, and implements new technologies and develops DONS information systems resources as appropriate.
• Oversees the development and maintenance of DONS Internet and Intranet sites.
• Manages vendor contract negotiation and purchasing with respect to clinical and business information systems specific to the DONS.
• Ensures that annual COI processes for BWH and HMS are timely and complete.
• Serves as staff for search committees for DONS leaders and other high-profile DONS searches.
• Staffs, organizes, and sets agenda, and maintains minutes for weekly DONS Chair Meetings and the faculty meetings; conducts administrators’ meetings.
• Coordinates all DONS space planning, space allocation, renovation, etc.; ensures facilities compliance with TJC, OSHA, DPH, and BWH guidelines.
• Coordinates the development, preparation, and distribution of DONS publications and communications; coordinates the DONS’s quinquennial HMS clinical department review.
• Serves as the principal DONS liaison to other MGB and BWH hospital departments and services such as: Patient Care Services; Network Development; Marketing; Office of General Counsel; Development; Public Affairs and Communications; Research Management; Research Ventures & Licensing; etc.

Financial Management

• Maintains the solvency of all funds within the DONS. Examines, analyzes, and interprets financial reports for the purpose of giving advice, preparing statements and projections, and ultimately managing resources. Supervises the activities of subordinates who are responsible for being familiar with and approving all expenditures, assigning cost centers, monitoring compliance with budgets, and identifying and investigating potential problem areas and proposing solutions.
• Establishes and maintains a financial management system to allow accurate, detailed and up-to-the minute reporting of financial status and staffing distribution of all operating accounts, foundation accounts, departmental grants, special purpose funds, fellowships, etc. Prepares monthly DONS financial performance executive reports for review with the Chair.
• Manages the overall compensation plan for DONS faculty and communicates various aspects of compensation plan to faculty, working in conjunction with the Chair.
• Develops and monitors annual operating and capital budgets; organizes the annual budget submission process in collaboration BWH and BWPO budget offices.
• Approves all DONS capital purchases and tracks ongoing expenditures.
• Monitors all research, sundry, HMS, BWPO, and BWH funds within the DONS. Oversees these activities where appropriate.
• Reconciles monthly fund statements.
• Coordinates with Accounts Payable, Research Finance, Payroll, and other departments as needed for resolution of errors or identification of charges.
• Develops monthly status reports of research, BWH, and BWPO funds.
• Assigns expenditures to funds as necessary.
• Develops and tracks recruitment and/or retention packages for DONS faculty hires.
• Oversees and approves financial transactional activities (payroll, advanced authorizations, travel requests, EDCs, journal entries, check requests, etc.).
• Reviews all new hire letters for DONS faculty and recommends for signature by the Chair.
• Conceptualizes and performs a variety of financial analyses (physician recruitment, business/program development, etc.).
• Oversees expense management issues; performs comparative analyses; develops and implements strategies for cost containment.
• Works with hospital leadership and departmental leadership on planning for and assistance in fundraising efforts for research, education, and clinical activities for the service. Monitors donations and acknowledgements in collaboration with the Development Office.
• Oversees and ensures completion of physician TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1983) time reporting.

Human Resources Management

• Supervises/mentors 9 individuals directly or jointly; ultimately administratively responsible for ~200 faculty and staff within the DONS.
• Oversees DONS personnel issues.
• Approves (or delegates the approval of) all non-professional staff personnel transactions (hiring, salaries, promotions, job descriptions, etc.) for group practice, clinical unit, and administrative support personnel.
• Coordinates with Human Resources for the interviewing, hiring, and implementing institutional corrective action policy for all group practice, physician, clinical unit, and administrative support staff.
• Reviews workload issues to ensure appropriate staffing.
• Supports and ensures salary and wage equity for both faculty and staff.
• Reviews salary and wage issues; works with Chair to develop and implement pay-for-performance plans; ensures that all service performance evaluations are performed in a timely manner and in compliance.
• In conjunction with the Chair, ensures the support and maintenance of a diverse, inclusive, and professional environment amongst faculty, trainees, and staff.
• In conjunction with Human Resources leadership, serves as the DONS resource for issues related to professional and non-professional staff benefits.
• Using PeopleSoft Manager Self Service, initiates, approves and coordinates with Human Resources for approval of human resources changes (i.e. salary adjustments, salary distributions, training records, etc.), for all DONS senior staff and division administrators.
• Provides mentorship to senior staff, division administrators, and other DONS staff others as appropriate.
• Prepares performance reviews on direct reports. Takes corrective and disciplinary action as necessary to maintain the highest level of staff productivity and effectiveness. Terminate employees as necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned, appropriate, and/or required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and MBA or equivalent degree required.
• 8-10 years administrative/management experience required, preferably in an academic medical center setting.
• Experience supervising managers/directors required.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Outstanding organizational skills are necessary to manage many competing timetables and responsibilities and deadline pressures. The ability to delegate, effectively supervise, and plan for the timely and successful completion of short-, middle-, and long-term objectives is essential. The responsibilities of this position require detailed, concentrated effort and constant re-establishment of priorities as well as complex and sensitive decision-making.
• Truly outstanding interpersonal skills and a high degree of social facility in obtaining cooperation and support from a broad range of people are required. A demonstrated ability to interact with all members of the organization in ways that enhance understanding, respect, cooperation, and problem solving is essential.
• A successful track record of front-line management and the ability to provide support, direction, and development counsel to staff is required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are necessary to communicate effectively with a large and diverse constituency, including the DONS Chair, DONS Section Chiefs, senior DONS leaders, hospital and BWPO leaders and administrative staff, research faculty at all levels, research trainees and staff, representatives of other BWH offices, collaborating institution officials, granting agencies (NIH, industry and foundations), potential donors, representatives, and vendors. A good command of English language, including medical and scientific terminology, is critical.
• Excellent negotiation skills in complex and often sensitive multi-institutional situations are essential.
• Refined and formal project management skills, including strategy development, action planning, execution and development of monitoring tools, are required.
• The ability to work independently and accurately and concisely disseminate information in both written and verbal formats is required. The ability to independently resolve quickly most problems encountered is essential.
• Ability to manage multiple, competing priorities within the context of a complex and large organization; ability to operate in a matrixed environment is critical.
• Exceptional computer skills (including operating systems, word processing, database, electronic mail, Internet, and spreadsheets) are required.
• Demonstrated sensitivity, discretion, and judgment regarding confidential matters are essential.
• The ability to attend meetings outside of normal business hours is required.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Executive Director position is a strenuous and challenging senior-level position. As such, the Executive Director is expected to have the ability to work in a continuously stressful environment. Long hours in and out of the hospital are required, and early morning, evening, and occasional weekend work may be necessary to meet job expectations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

The Executive Director is administratively responsible for ~200 faculty and staff within DONS. Direct reports include:

• Chief PA
• Director, Practice Operations
• Practice Administrator
• Research Administrator
• Grants Administrator
• Finance Manager
• Education Manager
• 10-15 Project Managers/Administrative Assistants

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Executive Director is accountable for the financial performance of all BWPO, BWH, and HMS operations, programs, and cost centers related to the DONS.

BWH is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.