Reporting to the Vice President, Clinical Operations, the Director, Family Support has primary accountability for the successful operation of the Family Support (FS) department. This role is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating family services strategies and performance indicators tailored to obtaining donor authorization and providing excellent family support. The Director also ensures regulatory compliance and financial sustainability. In addition, the Director serves as an organizational leader as a member of the Extended Senior Leadership Team (ESLT).
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Leadership Responsibilities
- Actively participates in the annual strategic and operations planning process as the accountable leader for Family Support and ensures implementation of annual departmental goals and objectives.
- Responsible in partnership with the Operations Directors team for development and implementation of the Organ Donation Services (ODS) strategic plan and ensures the initiatives are carried out to achieve optimal organ and tissue donation rates.
- Is responsible for operations of Family Support, including compliance with all current federal, state, and/or local laws and/or regulations, including those of the Center for Medicare Services (CMS), Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA), and the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) Standards.
- Develops and ensures consistent application and compliance with departmental policies and procedures all ODS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Policies (POLs), and Work Instructions (WIs).
- Ensures effective communication and collaboration with all employees, management, and senior leadership.
- Is responsible for strategy development and execution related to improving authorization rate and family support services.
- Ensures ongoing training, support and performance evaluation programs for family services team members.
- Participates in a strong collaboration with the Director team to achieve organizational objectives for organ and tissue donation outcomes.
- Participates on regional and national committees as appropriate.
- Works in concert with Quality Department and others to reduce risk and ensure quality processes are in place.
- Responsible for continuous process improvement. Develops measures of success and utilizes data reports to improve process and overall outcomes in relation to department performance.
- Responsible for on-going departmental audit preparation.
- Ensures effective collaboration with all LifeCenter Northwest Departments.
- Develops, manages, and leads the departmental budget. Routinely engages in processes to improve management of costs and potentially reduce costs and involved Family Support Managers as appropriate.
- Partners closely with Communications and Community Relations team on projects impacting family support, hospital partnerships and performance metrics.
- Manages and leads assigned staff to plan, organize, and monitor the implementation of effective family support strategies that will improve donation outcomes.
- Ensures effective implementation of departmental strategic initiatives.
- Monitors departmental Key Performance Indicators and guides the development of plans to maintain or improve performance.
- Manages ongoing performance feedback and personal development plans.
- Identifies areas of opportunities for staff development or improvement and initiates action to address with a strong focus on staff retention.
- Ensures completion of annual training needs of Family Support staff.
- Responsible for effective on-boarding of FS department team members.
- Provide effective coaching to engage, support, and motivate staff to realize their greatest potential in service of LifeCenter’s mission.
Supervision
- This position directly supervises the Family Support Managers.
Other Responsibilities
- The Director, Family Support will perform other related duties as required by the needs of the company and the senior leadership team.
- Participates in, and may lead, employee committees and events.
- Complies with applicable laws, regulations, and LifeCenter policies and procedures.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES
- In this capacity, and with the influence this position carries across the organization, this individual must actively foster an organizational culture based on collaboration, support, and constructive communication, i.e., organization skills, ability to work effectively under deadline constraints, effective written and verbal communication skills, judgment and problem-solving skills, education and training skills.
- Excellent knowledge of writing and editing standards, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary.
- This individual must demonstrate operating knowledge of computers with a demonstrable, intermediate level skill (at a minimum) with email, Word, Excel, and other comparable software programs.
- This position may require the ability to operate specialized equipment, such as audio-visual equipment.
BEHAVIORAL REQUIREMENTS
The employee in this position must uphold the core values of LifeCenter; these include:
- Integrity: We are trustworthy, reliable, respectful, and accountable.
- Collaboration: We work in partnership with others, seeking to understand and be understood, and finding common ground and shared goals to build upon together.
- Courage: We take personal responsibility and face challenges head-on.
- Service: Through professionalism and dedication, we honor our commitment to serve others and our obligation to be good stewards of the gift of life.
Physical Activities/Requirements
- This position requires the supervision of employees that may be in any part of LifeCenter Northwest’s donation service area.
- Travel is essential to this position; consequently, the employee must be prepared to travel by automobile and airplane.
- This position requires the manual dexterity sufficient to effectively operate phones, computers, and other office equipment.
- The individual must have the ability to speak clearly using the English language to accurately convey information and be able to hear at normal speaking levels both in person and over the phone.
- Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Generally, working conditions do not require exposure to hazardous materials nor extremes in health and safety hazards. Work is normally performed in an office or hospital setting as well as other business environments.
- This position is required to follow hospital immunization, health screening, and background check requirements. Immunizations and tests will be provided by LifeCenter as required.
- The employee is required to move up to 25 pounds with or without assistance.
ANTICIPATED WEEKLY TIME COMMITMENT
This position may require on-call availability, evenings or weekend work.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & JOB REQUIREMENTS
- A Bachelor’s degree in biological or social sciences or related field.
- Master’s degree preferred (e.g., Social Work, Psychology, Divinity, Health Care Leadership, Communications).
- A minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in the health care industry required.
- Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) experience is preferred.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a management position with proven leadership and supervisory skills preferred.
- Requires a valid driver’s license and access to an insured automobile or the ability to arrive and depart from work and work-related functions at expected times.
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or applicable medical or religious exemption, will be required as a condition of employment upon offer.
