Chief Operating Officer

Role Overview

The Chief Operating Officer will work in close partnership with the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer to ensure the institution runs safely and effectively on a day-to-day basis. This leader will oversee a broad set of hospital departments and functions and will be directly accountable for performance across the Triple Aim: patient safety and quality, service, and financial results.

The position also calls for building and sustaining a care environment that delivers dependable patient outcomes, a service-minded workplace that engages staff, physicians, patients, and the wider community, and an operating model that meets financial targets efficiently. The COO is expected to follow ARH behavioral expectations and comply with all applicable laws, regulations, accrediting requirements, and internal policies across the hospital, region, and system.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead the hospital’s performance by creating and executing strategies that improve results across all Triple Aim dimensions.
• Strengthen patient safety and quality through a clinically sound, efficient, and outcome-driven culture.
• Maintain continuous readiness for accreditation and regulatory review, including compliance with standards from bodies such as Joint Commission, DNV, CMS, and OIG.
• Improve employee, medical staff, and patient engagement and loyalty through effective service culture leadership.
• Drive financial effectiveness by promoting disciplined, cost-conscious daily operations and meeting performance targets.
• Build productive relationships with both employed and independent members of the medical staff and other providers.
• Take part in strategic planning and support initiatives that enhance the hospital’s role and value in the communities it serves.
• Operate effectively within ARH’s matrixed structure and collaborate well with local, regional, and system-level resources.
• Demonstrate strong community citizenship through professional conduct and constructive relationships with community stakeholders.
• Adapt to policy, procedure, and responsibility changes as the hospital and system evolve.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership with the judgment to know when to guide, support, and listen.
• Comfort with change management and the ability to respond quickly and effectively.
• Capability to resolve and de-escalate conflict, even when directly involved.
• Confidence to question established practices in a thoughtful and constructive way.
• Willingness to work within regional and system-wide priorities, even when they are challenging.
• Ability to request support or resources when needed to meet goals.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills for complex situations.
• High energy, attention, and drive to carry out executive responsibilities.
• Skill in assembling the right team around a problem to deliver timely solutions.
• Calm, data-informed decision-making during difficult or crisis situations.
• Action-oriented mindset supported by evidence and expert input.

Education and Experience

The ideal candidate will hold a master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Hospital Administration, Business Administration, or another closely related discipline. In addition, the role requires at least 3 to 5 years of senior-level experience in a healthcare setting.

Additional Information

The expectations, policies, procedures, practices, standards, and reporting relationships tied to this role may change over time. The COO will remain responsible for adapting to those changes and carrying out the duties of the position accordingly.