Assistant VP of Clinical Services

Optalis•Novi, MI

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services (AVP Clinical Services – West Region) serves as a senior executive clinical operations leader responsible for oversight, accountability, regulatory compliance, quality outcomes, and clinical operational performance across assigned skilled nursing and long-term care facilities within the West Michigan region. This role requires a highly visible, hands-on leadership presence within assigned facilities and is not intended to function as a remote support role. The AVP is expected to routinely round in facilities, provide direct operational and clinical leadership support, hold Directors of Nursing and clinical leadership teams accountable, and intervene rapidly in facilities identified as high-risk, survey challenged, financially struggling, or operationally unstable. The AVP partners closely with the Vice President of Clinical Services, Regional Directors of Operations, Administrators, Human Resources, and interdisciplinary leadership teams to drive clinical excellence, survey readiness, staffing stabilization, and regulatory compliance while ensuring consistent execution of company standards and expectations. This position requires strong executive presence, decisive leadership, accountability management, and the ability to lead in high-pressure clinical and regulatory environments.

Requirements

Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Michigan
Ability to obtain Ohio licensure if required
Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in skilled nursing or long-term care
Minimum 5 years of multi-facility clinical leadership experience
Extensive knowledge of CMS regulations, Michigan LARA requirements, and long-term care survey processes
Proven success improving clinical outcomes and stabilizing underperforming facilities
Strong leadership, coaching, operational, and crisis management skills
Ability to travel extensively throughout assigned regions
RN License
CPR

Nice To Haves

Regional Nurse Consultant or Regional Clinical Director experience
Experience managing Five-Star improvement initiatives
Expertise in infection prevention and control
Knowledge of MDS, PDPM, reimbursement, and quality reporting systems
Demonstrated success with survey recovery and regulatory compliance initiatives
Experience supporting skilled nursing operational turnarounds

Responsibilities

Provide executive-level oversight of clinical operations across assigned facilities.
Analyze and monitor key clinical metrics, trends, Quality Measures (QMs), and Five-Star indicators.
Identify operational risks and implement corrective action plans with urgency.
Conduct routine clinical audits and operational assessments.
Review incidents, accidents, grievances, infection trends, rehospitalization data, falls, pressure injuries, and risk indicators.
Ensure compliance with company standards, CMS regulations, Michigan LARA requirements, OSHA standards, and applicable federal/state laws.
Hold facility clinical leadership accountable for execution and outcomes.
Lead ongoing survey readiness efforts across assigned facilities.
Conduct mock surveys, focused audits, and compliance reviews.
Provide direct support during state, federal, complaint, and infection control surveys.
Develop, implement, and monitor Plans of Correction (POCs).
Ensure facilities maintain continuous survey readiness, not reactive preparation.
Provide immediate intervention and action planning for facilities with Immediate Jeopardy (IJ), repeat citations, or poor survey history.
Maintain expert-level knowledge of CMS, Michigan LARA, infection prevention standards, and long-term care regulatory requirements.
Mentor, coach, develop, and hold Directors of Nursing and Assistant Directors of Nursing accountable.
Support onboarding, orientation, and leadership development of new DONs.
Provide direct intervention and operational leadership support in struggling facilities.
Assist with succession planning and leadership stabilization efforts.
Conduct routine leadership rounding and performance discussions.
Partner with HR and Operations regarding leadership performance concerns, corrective actions, and retention strategies.
Ensure clinical leaders maintain professionalism, responsiveness, accountability, and regulatory preparedness.
Partner with Operations, HR, and facility leadership to address staffing concerns and turnover trends.
Assist facilities with staffing stabilization strategies and agency reduction initiatives.
Support implementation of scheduling efficiencies and workforce accountability.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to improve operational alignment and communication.
Assist with clinical leadership recruitment efforts when necessary.
Ensure staffing practices support quality care delivery and regulatory compliance.
Lead and support quality improvement initiatives including but not limited to: Infection prevention and control, Falls reduction, Pressure injury prevention, Rehospitalization reduction, Antipsychotic reduction initiatives, QAPI program oversight, Clinical documentation improvement, Survey preparedness initiatives, Resident safety and risk reduction programs.
Track outcomes, monitor sustainability, and drive measurable improvements across assigned facilities.