What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Information Officer (CIO) position at Sarah Bush Lincoln?
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) position at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System is open due to the planned retirement of the current CIO following a long and successful tenure with the organization.
The CIO serves as the organization’s senior technology leader, responsible for setting the strategic direction of enterprise information systems and ensuring alignment with organizational growth, clinical excellence, and operational performance. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role operates with significant autonomy as a trusted advisor to executive leadership.
The CIO will assess the current IT environment, define and execute a forward-looking strategy, and drive technology optimization across a growing, multi-site healthcare system. The CIO will also promote a collaborative philosophy of partnership with hospital leadership and physicians, focused on identifying mutually beneficial solutions in support of shared goals.
Sarah Bush Lincoln is a regional health system supporting approximately 3,700 employees across a network that includes an acute care hospital, a critical access hospital, a stand-alone surgery center, a regional cancer center, a hospice house, and more than 65 clinics.
The CIO oversees a comprehensive IT function supporting over 400 applications, including enterprise platforms such as Oracle Health (Cerner) and Workday, as well as a complex, multi-site infrastructure.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Enterprise IT Strategy & Planning: Leads development and execution of a multi-year IT strategy aligned with organizational priorities
- IT Assessment & Resource Alignment: Evaluates current capabilities and aligns IT resources with organizational needs
- Capital Planning & Prioritization: Develops and manages IT capital and operating plans with strong prioritization
- Systems Optimization & Integration: Oversees improvement and integration of enterprise systems across sites
- Infrastructure, Operations & Security: Ensures secure, reliable, and scalable IT operations
- Clinical & Operational Partnership: Strengthens relationships with clinicians and operational leaders by promoting a philosophy of partnership with hospital leadership and physicians, grounded in collaboration and a commitment to identifying mutually beneficial solutions that drive organizational success.
- Growth, Integration & Expansion Support: Leads IT planning for acquisitions, new construction, and expansion
- Team Leadership & Performance: Leads IT team performance and development
Requirements
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in information technology, including significant leadership responsibility within a healthcare provider organization
- Prior experience operating at the enterprise level, leading an IT function supporting a complex, multi-site healthcare system
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic IT plans aligned with organizational growth and operational priorities
- Proven ability to prioritize resources and investments in environments with competing demands and constrained capacity
- Experience supporting hospital expansion, new construction, or facility development, including IT planning and integration
- Demonstrated success leading organizations through growth, integration, and change
- Master’s degree required
Ideal Candidate Experience
- Experience in a healthcare provider environment
- Enterprise IT leadership experience with regional health system
- Strong background in strategic planning and execution
- Demonstrated resource prioritization experience
- Proven success strengthening clinician and operator relationships
- Experience supporting hospital expansion or new construction
- Ability to lead through growth, integration, and change
Knowledge & Skills
- Strategic IT planning and execution
- Regional healthcare system with multi-site technology experience
- Resource prioritization and decision-making
- Strong stakeholder alignment and communication
- Understanding of enterprise systems and infrastructure
Leadership Attributes
- Self-directed leader with a strong sense of accountability and ownership
- Collaborative and relationship-oriented, with the ability to build trust across clinical and non-clinical teams
- Forward-thinking, proactive, and solutions-oriented, with a practical approach to execution
- Proven ability to lead effectively through growth and organizational change
- Skilled in developing high-performing teams and empowering leaders