Chief Operating Officer - East Market

Essentia Health•Duluth, MN

12d•$412,672 - $619,008•Onsite

About The Position

Essentia Health is hiring an operations executive for its East Market, which includes nine hospitals across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, along with connected clinics, post-acute services, and EMS operations. This is the largest operating portfolio in the system and reports to Essentia’s system Chief Operating Officer. The East Market COO is responsible for the market’s performance and collaborates daily with the system Chief Operating Officer, peer operations executives, and physician leaders. This role is ideal for someone with experience managing multiple hospitals, who has a track record of delivering both quality and margin, and who excels at leading through physicians, labor partners, and frontline teams.

Requirements

Ten or more years of senior health care operations leadership in a complex system, with at least five years at the executive level.
Demonstrated results at scale in finance, operations, and clinical quality.
A history of making decisions that prioritized the larger organization over their own unit.
Proven physician partnership that yielded tangible results.
Experience leading in a union environment, including through negotiations and challenging situations.
Strong communication skills, being equally credible with frontline staff and a governing board.

Nice To Haves

Operating experience across tertiary, community, and critical access settings.
Proficiency in Lean or a comparable improvement discipline, with practical application.
Multi-year change leadership experience while maintaining steady daily performance.
A track record of developing leaders who have advanced in their careers.
A leadership style that aligns with a mission-driven organization.

Responsibilities

Run daily operations for the East Market’s hospitals, clinics, post-acute services, and EMS.
Accountable for the market’s performance, including financial results, productivity, quality and safety, patient experience, and growth.
Develop common operating practices with peer operations executives across the system.
Lead alongside physician and advanced practice leaders, achieving clinical and operational results collaboratively.
Manage labor relations, fostering durable and constructive relationships with unions in partnership with the Chief Human Resources Officer.
Oversee major construction projects within operating hospitals and clinics, ensuring they are completed safely, on schedule, and within budget.
Drive care delivery towards value, focusing on access, affordability, and reliable follow-up after discharge.
Build the leadership bench by hiring, developing, and retaining the operators responsible for the market.