Director, Respiratory

Job Summary: The Director, Respiratory Therapy manages, coordinates and supervises the functions of the Respiratory Therapy Department, Pulmonary Labs and Sleep Lab, including planning and scheduling, performance evaluations, quality control, problem solving and training of respiratory techniques to respiratory staff and students.

Responsibilities:

·         Develops polices and procedures for the implementation of respiratory therapy techniques and for the use of respiratory therapy equipment in accordance with approved standards and medical center policy.

·         Consults with physicians, nurses and other staff on respiratory therapy issues, to plan and schedule needed service and resolve problems.

·         Meets regularly with the Medical Director of Pulmonary Medicine and other medical directors as required to consult on practice issues and department focus.

·         Reviews data of service delivery statistics to evaluate the distribution of workload, staffing and scheduling requirements and to evaluate productivity.

·         Insures of implementation of administrative hospital policies and procedures, particularly in the area of personnel, staffing, requisitioning of equipment and supplies, records maintenance, reporting, budgeting, communication, etc.

·         Organizes the work of the Respiratory Therapy Department to ensure implementation and compliance tp regulatory requirements of the New York State Health Department and Joint Commissions standards as they apply to respiratory therapy.

·         Conducts staff meetings to communicate and discuss with staff new developments, new techniques, changes in policy and procedure to insure understanding and uniformity of services provided.

·         Enforces safety rules and regulations as they apply to respiratory therapy.

·         Conducts periodic quality assurance reviews and performance appraisals to insure compliance with department objectives.

·         Reviews and approved the purchase of new equipment and inventory to meet the demands of patient needs including insuring adequate supplies of oxygen and other therapeutic gases.

·         Serves on committees to provide expertise on respiratory therapy issues ad to facilitate interdepartmental communication.

·         Oversees the placement and practice of respiratory students placed through clinical affiliations with the Medical Center.

·         Implements policies, practices and standards for assigned areas that comply with the Medical Center policies and regulatory requirements.

·         Monitors and evaluates quality improvement activities for the grants area and collaborates with other departments for quality improvement initiatives.

·         Prepares department's operating and capital budget in conjunction with senior leadership. Assists with monitoring departments budgets and expenses.

·         Oversees the management of the Human Resources functions for the department staff. Assures appropriate levels of staff recruitment, performance, training and development for department staff.

·         Collaborates with Information Systems staff to maintain current systems and plans for existing system upgrades to enhance productivity and efficiency of the operating system.

·         Promotes and provides quality costumer service and proactively identifies and resolves customer issues.

·         Assures all protocols, policies and procedures are in compliance with the Medical Center's policies and procedures, collective bargaining agreements, the Joint Commissions on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), New York State Health Department, and all other applicable regulatory bodies.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Experience: Minimum of seven years experience as a Respiratory Therapist, three of which must have been as the supervisory level, in a large tertiary academic hospital or healthcare facility.

Education: Bachelor's degree in health care related field required, Master's degree in health care related field preferred.

Licenses / Certifications:  Possession of a valid license and current registration, issued by the New York State Education Department, as a Respiratory Therapist. BCLS and ACLS certifications required, ACLS instructor preferred.