Director of Clinical Operations - ETSU Health

ETSU Health is hiring a Director of Clinical Operations. ETSU Health is a multi-specialty practice group located in Northeast Tennessee, and is affiliated with ETSU Health, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University. ETSU Health offers a competitive compensation package with salary based on education and experience. Our comprehensive benefits package includes: health, dental, vision, disability, critical illness, accident and life insurance. 18 days paid PTO and 10.5 paid holidays annually, and, a paid retirement plan with an employer matching program.

SUMMARY: Provides clinical leadership to support organizational operations, quality, regulatory compliance, and the development and management of policies and procedures. Reports to the Chief Medical Officer and collaborates closely with the Chief Operating Officer to promote safe, efficient, and high-quality patient care delivery across all service lines.

Core Responsibilities

1. Clinical Operations Support

• Partner with CMO and COO to optimize workflow, staffing models, and resource allocation
• Evaluate nursing and clinical care delivery systems for efficiency
• Lead performance improvement initiatives across departments
• Monitor key operational metrics (throughput, staffing ratios, patient outcomes)
• Oversees supply and vaccine ordering, medical supply inventory management and purchase requisitions
• Oversees vaccine storage and handling, including temperature monitoring; serves as a point of contact for vaccine refrigeration issues during and after business hours
• Lead system-wide communication efforts around workflow updates, EHR changes, policy revisions, and operational impacts.

2. Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation

• Lead organizational readiness for surveys (scope of practice rules, federal, state and local regulations)
• Interpret and implement regulatory requirements into practice
• Conduct internal audits and risk assessments
• Collaborate with compliance/legal teams to mitigate regulatory risks
• Oversee regulatory corrective action plans and follow-up monitoring

3. Policy & Procedure Management

• Develop, review, and standardize clinical and operational policies
• Ensure policies align with evidence-based practice and regulatory standards
• Maintain the lifecycle of nursing and clinical workflow policies, including creation, revision, approval, and dissemination.
• Partner with department leaders to ensure implementation and adherence
• Establish governance structure for nursing and clinical policy approval and oversight

4. Quality & Patient Safety

• Work with CMO and Population Health department on quality initiatives and clinical outcomes
• Monitor patient safety indicators and adverse events
• Lead root cause analyses and develop improvement plans
• Monitor, track, and trend adverse patient events (including near misses)
• Proactively identify and minimize patient risks, and support continuous quality improvement initiatives
• Promote a culture of safety and high reliability

5. Nursing Leadership, Staff Education & Professional Development

• Provide cross-functional leadership support to nurse supervisors and practice administrators, without direct supervisory responsibility or reporting relationships
• Partner with Human Resources to support the development of clinical onboarding materials and competency validation processes, offering clinical expertise and guidance
• Deliver targeted education on clinical standards, patient safety, and quality improvement
• Partner with leaders and HR on workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning
• Align education with regulatory, compliance, and accreditation requirements
• Promote staff engagement, retention, and continuous professional development

6. Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Act as liaison between administration and care delivery teams
• Coordinate with CMO to support physician-nursing alignment on clinical protocols
• Participate in leadership meetings and committees

7. Data, Reporting & Performance Metrics

• Provide clinical input to quality, compliance, and analytics teams; define requirements and interpret data (no responsibility for report/dashboard development or enterprise compliance)
• Ensure clinical priorities are accurately reflected in performance metrics and reporting

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Required

• RN license (active, unrestricted)
• Minimum of 3 years of progressive leadership experience
• Strong knowledge of regulatory/accreditation standards
• Experience in policy development and clinical operations

Preferred

• MSN, MHA, or related advanced degree
• Epic certification

Please apply online at: www.etsuhealth.org/resources/employment.php

EOE / AA/M/F/Disability/Vet ETSU Health participates in E-verify

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Clinical Healthcare: 7 years (Preferred)
• Practice Management: 2 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person