Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Lifepoint Health•Tampa, FL

About The Position

POSITION SUMMARY: The Chief Administrative Officer provides executive oversight of day‑to‑day hospital operations, with primary responsibility for People Services, Quality, Facilities, Pharmacy, and other functional areas as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the Chief Administrative Officer collaborates closely with hospital and regional leaders to ensure safe operations, regulatory compliance, workforce stability, sound financial stewardship, and continuous performance improvement. This role oversees staffing, patient access and throughput, environment of care, and essential support services for individuals with acute psychiatric needs, including complex civil commitment populations, while partnering with clinical leadership to support the delivery of high‑quality, trauma‑informed, recovery‑oriented care. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: To perform this job, an individual must perform each essential function satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation. Provide executive oversight of daily non‑clinical hospital operations, with primary responsibility for Civil Commitment Services and other assigned departments, ensuring alignment with clinical priorities. Coordinate patient flow end‑to‑end—census management, admissions, transfers, discharges, and length‑of‑stay optimization—removing barriers to timely access and throughput. Lead daily operational oversight to identify barriers, mitigate risk, and ensure continuity of care in collaboration with clinical and ancillary teams. Serve as the primary operational liaison for Civil Commitment Services with courts, correctional facilities, state agencies, and external partners; oversee court‑ordered admissions and placement. Monitor Civil Commitment system performance and implement targeted improvement strategies to address system barriers. Ensure Civil Commitment‑specific compliance with regulatory, documentation, and reporting requirements, maintaining continuous survey readiness. Engage ancillary and support services to deliver safe, efficient, patient‑centered care and sustain reliable unit operations 24/7. Ensure safe, acuity‑based staffing models and contingency plans, partnering with People Services on staffing, scheduling, and workforce planning. Maintain full regulatory compliance and continuous readiness with state licensure, CMS Conditions of Participation, Joint Commission standards, and uphold HIPAA, EMTALA, OSHA, and environment‑of‑care requirements. Oversee Civil Commitment safety programs, including ligature risk mitigation, elopement prevention, contraband control, patient rights, and seclusion/restraint oversight, documentation, and reduction initiatives. Develop and manage operating and capital budgets, monitoring productivity, overtime, contract labor, and operational expenses. Use data, dashboards, and performance metrics to drive capacity management, quality outcomes, regulatory performance, and continuous improvement. Advance strategy and experience initiatives—support hospital and system growth, service‑line development, regional collaboration, referral partnerships, and population-specific programming. Always exhibit the company’s core values of champion patient care, do the right thing, embrace individuality, act with kindness, and making a difference together. Other duties as assigned. Additional Information: Access to and/or works with sensitive and/or confidential information. Exhibit a comprehensive understanding of healthcare regulatory and compliance (e.g., HIPAA). Skilled in the application of policies and procedures.

Requirements

Expertise in behavioral health.
Strong leadership and organizational skills.
Strong understanding of hospital business operations as it relates to budget, FTE oversight and management
Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team of healthcare professionals.
Commitment to improving patient outcomes and addressing disparities.
Proficiency in using technology, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Excellent listening skills and sound clinical reasoning.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Clinical Field, or related field from an accredited school required.
Four years of experience in a psychiatric or mental health setting required.
Seven years of experience in supervising and leading teams required.
De-escalation certification is required within 30 days of employment and prior to any patient contact.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree from an accredited school preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide executive oversight of daily non‑clinical hospital operations, with primary responsibility for Civil Commitment Services and other assigned departments, ensuring alignment with clinical priorities.
Coordinate patient flow end‑to‑end—census management, admissions, transfers, discharges, and length‑of‑stay optimization—removing barriers to timely access and throughput.
Lead daily operational oversight to identify barriers, mitigate risk, and ensure continuity of care in collaboration with clinical and ancillary teams.
Serve as the primary operational liaison for Civil Commitment Services with courts, correctional facilities, state agencies, and external partners; oversee court‑ordered admissions and placement.
Monitor Civil Commitment system performance and implement targeted improvement strategies to address system barriers.
Ensure Civil Commitment‑specific compliance with regulatory, documentation, and reporting requirements, maintaining continuous survey readiness.
Engage ancillary and support services to deliver safe, efficient, patient‑centered care and sustain reliable unit operations 24/7.
Ensure safe, acuity‑based staffing models and contingency plans, partnering with People Services on staffing, scheduling, and workforce planning.
Maintain full regulatory compliance and continuous readiness with state licensure, CMS Conditions of Participation, Joint Commission standards, and uphold HIPAA, EMTALA, OSHA, and environment‑of‑care requirements.
Oversee Civil Commitment safety programs, including ligature risk mitigation, elopement prevention, contraband control, patient rights, and seclusion/restraint oversight, documentation, and reduction initiatives.
Develop and manage operating and capital budgets, monitoring productivity, overtime, contract labor, and operational expenses.
Use data, dashboards, and performance metrics to drive capacity management, quality outcomes, regulatory performance, and continuous improvement.
Advance strategy and experience initiatives—support hospital and system growth, service‑line development, regional collaboration, referral partnerships, and population-specific programming.
Always exhibit the company’s core values of champion patient care, do the right thing, embrace individuality, act with kindness, and making a difference together.
Other duties as assigned.