Chief Clinical Officer at Washington Regional Medical System

Organization Overview, Mission, Vision, and Values

Our mission is to improve the health of people in the communities we serve through compassionate, high-quality care, prevention, and wellness education. Washington Regional Medical System is a community-owned, locally governed, non-profit health care system located in Northwest Arkansas in the heart of Fayetteville, which is consistently ranked among the Best Places to live in the country. Our 425-bed medical center has been named the #1 hospital in Arkansas for five consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. We employ 3,400 team members and serve the region with over 40 clinic locations, the region’s only Level II trauma center, and five Centers of Excellence - the Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute; Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute; Washington Regional Women and Infants Center; Washington Regional Total Joint Center; and Washington Regional Pat Walker Center for Seniors.

Position Summary

The Chief Clinical Officer is the senior executive accountable for clinical strategy, quality, safety, and performance of the organization. The CCO ensures care delivery is safe, effective, evidence-based, patient-centered, and aligned with the organization’s strategic, operational, and financial objectives. Serving as the senior clinical leader, the CCO partners with executive leadership, clinicians, and the Board drive clinical excellence, improve outcomes, and lead enterprise-wide transformation and innovation.

Essential Position Responsibilities

Clinical Strategy & Leadership

• Develop, communicate, and execute the organization’s clinical vision and enterprise clinical strategy.
• Align clinical priorities with organizational goals, growth plans, and transformation initiatives; translate strategy into measurable clinical performance objectives.
• Serve as the senior clinical advisor to the President & CEO and the Board, providing perspective on clinical risk, quality, outcomes, and emerging care delivery trends.

Quality, Safety & Outcomes

• Provide executive leadership for clinical quality, patient safety, and outcomes improvement, including prioritization, resourcing, and performance management.
• Establish, monitor, and report system clinical performance metrics, benchmarks, and dashboards; ensure timely action plans and sustained improvement.
• Drive standardization and consistent delivery of evidence-based care, reducing unwarranted variation and advancing best practices across the enterprise.
• Oversee clinical risk management and patient safety programs, including event review/learning systems and high-reliability practices.

Clinical Operations & Integration

• Partner with Operations and Finance to improve clinical efficiency and effectiveness, supporting access, throughput, staffing models, and stewardship of resources.
• Support service line strategy, clinical program development, and care model redesign, ensuring clinical quality, sustainable operations, and strong patient experience.
• Advance clinical integration across inpatient, ambulatory, virtual, and population health settings to improve coordination, continuity, and outcomes.

Clinical Workforce & Engagement

• Provide leadership to physicians, nurses, and other clinicians; strengthen engagement, alignment, and a culture of collaborative practice.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and transparency in performance expectations and results.
• Develop clinical leaders and support succession planning through coaching, education, and structured leadership development.

Regulatory, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with applicable clinical regulations, accreditation standards, and professional guidelines; maintain readiness for surveys and reviews.
• Oversee clinical policies, protocols, and standards of care to ensure consistency, currency, and alignment with evidence and regulatory expectations.
• Support medical staff governance and credentialing/privileging processes, as applicable, in partnership with medical staff leadership and compliance.

Transformation & Innovation

• Lead enterprise clinical transformation, including value-based care, digital health, care redesign, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Translate clinical requirements into operational and technology initiatives (e.g., analytics, EHR optimization, decision support) that improve quality, access, and clinician efficiency.
• Evaluate the clinical impact of innovation, partnerships, and new services; inform decisions with evidence, outcomes, and financial/operational considerations.

Qualifications

Required

• Active or previously active clinical license (e.g., MD, DO, PA, NP, RN, PharmD) with eligibility to practice in Arkansas as required by the role.
• Minimum 10–15 years of progressive clinical and leadership experience, including enterprise-scale responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading clinical quality, patient safety, and performance improvement with measurable outcomes.
• Strong working knowledge of healthcare regulation, accreditation, compliance, and clinical governance.
• Proven ability to partner with executive leadership and the Board, influence at scale, and drive alignment across multidisciplinary stakeholders.

Preferred

• Advanced degree (MBA, MHA, MPH, or similar).
• Prior executive role (e.g., CMO, Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Medical Director, Chief Nursing Officer, or comparable).
• Experience within large, complex healthcare organizations and/or multi-site operations.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide transformation, growth, and innovation initiatives.

Professional Skills

• Clinical credibility and professional integrity.
• Strategic and systems thinking.
• Financial and operational acumen.
• Executive communication and influence.
• Change leadership and stakeholder alignment.
• Data-driven decision-making.