System VP Operations, Medical Specialties and Behavioral Health

Description

Job Description

PeaceHealth is seeking a System VP Operations, Medical Specialties and Behavioral Health in Vancouver, WA…

The System VP Operations, Medical Specialties and Behavioral Health (Specialty Behavioral Health Programs such as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and partnership with imbedded Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultants) will serve as the enterprise executive leader accountable for the strategic direction, operational performance, access, growth, and financial sustainability of PeaceHealth's systemwide medical specialty departments and behavioral health services, with a primary focus on ambulatory medical specialty care and behavioral health access models. This role is responsible for designing and executing an integrated access, capacity, and performance strategy across medical specialty clinics, outpatient procedural environments where applicable, and behavioral health services. Sys VP Operations – Medical Specialties and Behavioral Health ensures medical specialties and behavioral health function as critical enablers of PeaceHealth's ambulatory ecosystem, referral network, care integration strategy, and patient access commitments. Provides enterprise governance and establishes standardized operating models that align specialty clinic access, care coordination, and behavioral health integration, ensuring consistent execution while enabling regional flexibility to meet market and community needs. Will drive measurable improvements in time to consult, specialty capacity utilization, behavioral health access, care coordination, and site of service optimization across ambulatory settings. Leads systemwide performance across ambulatory medical specialty access, behavioral health access, referral to visit timelines, continuity of care, quality, patient experience, and workforce sustainability, while partnering closely with medical directors, behavioral health leaders, regional and local operators, and system executives. Ensures that quality and performance improvement activities meet their target conditions. Responsible for adhering to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and standards for their areas and to be continuously ready for any survey on those regulations or standards.

Essential Functions

• Translates PeaceHealth’s system strategy into a clear medical specialty and behavioral health operating roadmap, aligned to long‑term growth, access, quality, and financial objectives.
• Integrates ambulatory specialty services and behavioral health access models into a cohesive, systemwide approach to care delivery and access.
• Designs and implements a standardized operating model for medical specialties and behavioral health that balances system consistency with regional accountability.
• Anticipates evolving specialty demand, behavioral health access needs, and care integration opportunities, empowering leaders to drive coordinated strategic and operational change.
• Ensures sustained improvement in access and capacity KPIs across medical specialties and behavioral health, including time‑to‑consult, referral turnaround, visit availability, continuity, and no‑show reduction.
• Develops, recommends, and implements enterprise access strategies and policies that optimize specialty and behavioral health capacity across ambulatory settings.
• Drives standardization of specialty referral and intake pathways, specialty clinic scheduling and template design, and behavioral health access models (integrated, collaborative, and specialty).
• Partners with behavioral health leadership to ensure access models support clinical appropriateness, continuity, and regulatory requirements.
• Champions centralized intake, referral management, and digital access tools supporting both specialty care and behavioral health services.
• Develops operational goals and objectives for ambulatory medical specialties and behavioral health services, implementing strategies to improve access, throughput, quality, and financial performance.
• Analyzes and monitors performance through ambulatory and specialty dashboards, ensuring enterprise visibility into access, capacity, and outcomes.
• In partnership with medical specialty and behavioral health dyads, leads enterprise performance improvement initiatives and operational integration efforts.
• Strengthens coordination between primary care, specialty services, and behavioral health to improve patient flow, continuity, and experience.
• Leads enterprise review cadences and holds regional leaders accountable for access performance, quality outcomes, and financial results.
• Maintains accountability for the financial performance of medical specialties and behavioral health across ambulatory settings, including margin, productivity, staffing efficiency, and cost management.
• Partners with finance, strategy, and operations leaders on medical specialties and behavioral health capacity planning, workforce optimization and demand alignment, and site‑of‑service and care model evolution.
• Ensures resources are deployed to maximize access, support care integration, and deliver sustainable financial performance.
• Oversees recruitment, development, and retention of ambulatory medical specialty departments and behavioral health operational leadership teams.
• Establishes clear performance expectations and accountability structures aligned with system goals.
• Provides timely feedback and performance management to sustain consistent execution across highly specialized service lines.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION

• Master's Degree: Hospital Administration, Business Administration or Healthcare.
  
  

Required Experience

• Minimum of 10 years healthcare leadership experience in a large group practice, integrated health system, managed care organization, with extensive experience preferred leading in a primary care and/or urgent care environment.
• Significant experience in healthcare systems with acute and ambulatory delivery models.
• Proven track record in strategic planning, financial management, and achieving operational excellence.
• Experience with proven positive outcomes regarding financial sustainability initiatives and demonstrated successful completion of quality improvement projects with desired outcomes.
• Experience with managing complex programs and projects, specifically with a focus on customer service, service excellence and patient experience activities.
• Experience driving change and innovation within a complex healthcare environment.
  
  

Required Skills

• Must understand the use of evidence in decision making within acute and ambulatory care environments.
• Business acumen and negotiating skills in a highly complex, matrixed environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, high integrity, and ability to develop relationships with key stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, understanding the needs of different audiences and stakeholders.
• Collaborative leader with a demonstrated track record in working with all levels of management and skilled in managing team dynamics.
• Competencies in team building, conflict management, problem solving, and critical thinking.
• Ability to manage complex functions and activities and deal with highly sensitive and confidential matters.
• Ability to engage multiple constituencies with dignity and respect.
• Understanding, commitment, and role model to PeaceHealth’s mission, values, and leadership model.
• Extensive knowledge of ambulatory regulatory compliance relating to both state and federal healthcare guidelines and requirements.
  
  

The salary range for this job opening at PeaceHealth is $271,600 – $363,200 . The hiring rate is dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to education, training, work experience, seniority, etc.

PeaceHealth is committed to the overall wellbeing of our caregivers: physical, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual. We offer a strong total rewards package. Benefits include 403b retirement plans with employer base and matching contributions, 457 plans, medical/dental/vision coverage, unlimited time off, employer-paid life and disability with buy-up options, wellness benefits and expanded EAP and mental health programs.

See How PeaceHealth Is Committed To

For full consideration of your skills and abilities, please attach a current resume with your application. EEO Affirmative Action Employer/Vets/Disabled in accordance with applicable local, state, or federal laws.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Lifting

• Consistently operates computer and other office equipment.
• Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Sedentary work.
  
  

Environmental Conditions

• Predominantly operates in an office environment.
• Some time spent on site in medical/hospital setting.
  
  

Mental/Visual

• Ability to communicate and exchange accurate information.
• The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading.