Chief Health Officer

Chicago Public Schools•Chicago, IL

9h•Onsite

About The Position

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people. CPS aims to provide a world-class learning experience that prepares students for success in college, career, and civic life, guided by values such as student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. The Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) focuses on eliminating health-related barriers to learning and advancing health equity in Chicago by providing education, programs, and activities to improve student quality of life and decrease health disparities. The Chief Health Officer (CHO) reports to the Chief Education Officer (CEdO) and collaborates with the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). The CHO serves as the lead health and medical authority for CPS, providing critical leadership for OSHW and overseeing a large team. The CHO also works with the Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) to oversee the CPS School Nursing Unit, which has over 600 employees and a budget of over $50M, aiming for a full-time nurse in every school. This position promotes the district’s Healthy CPS initiative, aligning it with CDPH’s Healthy Chicago 2025 framework, and guides health and wellness policy, health data management, student access to healthcare services, and family enrollment in public health benefits to create a culture of health across the district and city. This is a full-time, exempt position paid on a salary basis.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Nursing from an accredited school of nursing, or a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree from an accredited school of medicine required
Current Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) Licensed Physician and Surgeon licensure without a history of discipline required; must be unrestricted to practice medicine in the State of Illinois, or an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse license with full practice authority.
Board certification or board eligible in Pediatrics or Family Medicine.
Minimum of fifteen (15) years of experience practicing medicine and/or public health leadership
Minimum of ten (10) years of dynamic and effective results-oriented senior leadership experience, preferably in a large urban school district
Minimum of five (5) years clinical experience while holding an unrestricted license
Previous experience building and leading high-performing teams to achieve ambitious goals with strong outcomes
Superior clinical credibility with a strong knowledge of urban public health and school health issues.
Ability to articulate a vision, set high standards, and effectively inspire and guide team members to success.
Ability to build and lead large-scale complex programs, projects, and change management initiatives.
Ability to coach directors and managers toward excellence, and build the capacity of content area teams.
Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups, including internal and external partners, to ensure the entire system operates in the most effective manner possible to support schools and principals.
Demonstrated ability to execute large-scale initiatives, while simultaneously managing continuity, change, and transition.
Exceptional writing, verbal, and interpersonal skills, including public speaking.
Knowledge of operations, budget and finance, management, and organizational development.
Successful history of creating partnerships with public agencies.
Knowledge of Illinois medical information release procedures and laws.
Knowledge of HIPAA and FERPA rules, regulations, and compliance.
Knowledge of OSHA regulations for bloodborne pathogens.
Proficiency with electronic medical records and systems.
Expertise in grant writing and reporting.
Proficiency with the use of computers and software, including, but not limited to, Google platforms, Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Additional education in public health or related fields strongly preferred (e.g., MPH, MPP).
Experience with multi-year strategic planning and budgeting preferred
Bilingualism preferred.

Responsibilities

Chart the OSHW vision, articulate and promote its mission, and provide leadership and guidance to OSHW’s leadership team and programming.
Collaborate with other CPS offices, including Social Emotional Learning, Nutrition Support Services, Safety and Security, Innovation and Incubation, and Network Support to implement Healthy CPS priorities and other initiatives to improve student health and well-being.
Partner with CDPH to prioritize and integrate public health priorities into school health programming, policies, and activities.
Oversee the development of school-based public health infrastructure and practices to address child health and health inequities with the leadership of school nurses and engagement of stakeholders from the school community, in partnership with CDPH.
Develop and oversee the implementation of a coordinated research and data analysis agenda regarding the health of school-aged children to inform a larger health agenda with city and district partners.
Guide the strategy and implementation of school-based health services delivered in partnership with CDPH, including oral, vision, and sexual health programs.
Provide clinical, medical, and subject matter expertise in response to public health incidents and emergencies, in coordination with CDPH.
Manage Intergovernmental Agreements with the city and state related to health policy, finance, and regulatory requirements.
Serve as district spokesperson and subject matter expert on health policy, public health guidance, and clinical decisions.
Represent and advocate for key district health challenges and priorities among CPS senior executive leadership, CPS Board Members, Network and school leaders, health systems and academic research partners, philanthropies, and in the media.
Sign and assume responsibility for standing medical orders on behalf of CPS, based on professional medical judgment, and serve as the prescriptive authority for the Board for certain medical devices and medications requiring the order of a professional licensed to practice medicine.
Build strategic relationships engaging internal and external stakeholders, partners, and academic institutions to execute multi-level strategies that target complex school health issues.
Set and lead achievement of key priorities for OSHW through the district’s strategic planning process.
Supervise the development, implementation, and evaluation of policy-related initiatives, including immunization, food allergy management, mental health, sexual health education, and chronic disease management.
Develop strategic collaborations within the district as well as with city agencies, community-based partners, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders that identify opportunities to address health-related barriers to learning for all students.
Oversee the identification of and efficient use of resources to support OSHW activities.
Oversee the OSHW operations and fiscal activities, including budgeting and reporting.
Implement and monitor organizational performance standards related to health and wellness policy compliance.
Ensure effective communication of district health and wellness priorities to all stakeholders.
Other duties and workstreams as assigned.