Associate Director Advance Practice- Full Time NP/PA

Advocate Health•Winston-Salem, NC

6d•$51 - $77

About The Position

The Area Director of Advanced Practice-SL is the primary APP leader for a defined service line or specialty within a geographic area. The role provides clinical, operational, and workforce leadership across the specialty’s sites and venues of care, supporting strong performance in quality, utilization, productivity, access, patient and clinician experience, and cultural alignment. Working in close partnership with the Area specialty administrative dyad, the Area Director shares accountability for day-to-day operations, clinical performance, and APP workforce management. The role contributes Area-specific insights and performance context to Divisional Service Line strategy, and translates divisional priorities into local action while escalating Area needs, risks, and opportunities. This position is established based on the specialty’s span of control, clinical complexity, strategic importance, and impact on Area performance; it is not required for every specialty. The role leads performance improvement, workforce planning, site-based APP leaders, growth initiatives, cross-functional coordination, and deployment of evidence-based practices. It also supports the organization’s academic and learning health mission and ensures compliance with applicable policies, regulations, accreditation standards, and the Code of Ethical Conduct. The schedule is Monday through Friday, with 30% administrative work and 70% patient care. The work environment includes a normal office environment, and the role operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Requirements

For APRNs: Master’s degree required.
For physician assistants: Graduation from an accredited Physician Assistant program and a Master’s degree required.
For APRNs: Current Registered Nurse licensure in the state of practice and approval to practice as a Nurse Practitioner in the state where work is performed.
For APRNs: Must have or be eligible for a DEA license.
For APRNs: Certification in the area of practice from a nationally recognized certifying body required.
For physician assistants: Approval to practice as a Physician Assistant by the Medical Board in the state of practice and where work is performed.
For physician assistants: Must have or be eligible for a DEA license.
For physician assistants: Certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants required.
Minimum of 5 years of clinical practice experience.
Minimum of 3–5 years of progressive APP leadership, management, or supervisory experience.
Ability to lead specialty clinical and operational performance across Area sites and venues, including access, quality, utilization, productivity, and experience.
Ability to use dashboards and analytical thinking to identify trends and variation and drive sustained improvement.
Ability to influence effectively within an Area specialty dyad and across stakeholders without direct authority.
Ability to lead and develop site-based or assistant APP leaders and support engagement, retention, and succession planning.
Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Nice To Haves

For APRNs: Doctorate of Nursing Practice preferred.
For physician assistants: Clinical or leadership doctorate preferred.
For APRNs: Board certification preferred according to population served.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary APP leader for the specialty within the Area and align APPs and site leaders with Area, Divisional, and enterprise priorities.
Partner with the administrative dyad to oversee specialty operations across Area sites and venues, including access, throughput, utilization, productivity, quality, and patient experience.
Lead Area-level clinical quality, safety, utilization management, productivity, and variation-reduction efforts; escalate issues and drive corrective action.
Review and interpret performance dashboards, analyze trends, develop action plans, and drive sustained improvement.
Provide APP leadership for culture, professionalism, engagement, and disciplinary matters in partnership with Medical Group leadership and HR.
Lead Area-level APP workforce planning with the administrative dyad and Divisional partners, including recruitment needs, onboarding support, retention risks, and succession planning.
Directly lead, mentor, and oversee the performance of site-based or assistant APP leaders within the specialty.
Contribute Area-specific market, growth, access, workforce, and operational insights to Divisional Service Line strategy.
Support implementation of Divisional and Service Line strategies within the Area, adapting execution to local market and operational context as appropriate.
Partner with Area and Market leadership to identify and advance specialty growth opportunities aligned with Divisional priorities.
Support evaluation and integration of new sites, practices, or providers within the Area specialty footprint.
Coordinate care between the specialty and other clinical services whose patients or workflows interface with the specialty.
Collaborate with Quality, Operations, Finance, Access, and Growth partners to develop integrated Area-level solutions.
Promote evidence-based practice, education, and adoption of best practices across Area sites; participate in Divisional or enterprise pilots and innovation initiatives as appropriate.
Ensure compliance with applicable policies, regulations, accreditation standards, and the organization’s Code of Ethical Conduct.
Model ethical, professional leadership and accountability for APPs within the Area specialty.