Chief Operating Officer- University Hospital - UH Administration - University Hospital

USA Health•Mobile, AL

About The Position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is the senior operational executive responsible for University Hospital’s day-to-day performance. Reporting directly to the CEO – Adult Hospitals, the COO ensures that the hospital operates safely, efficiently, and effectively while advancing the adult hospital enterprise’s strategic priorities. The role provides integrated leadership across clinical, ancillary, support, and administrative operations, translating enterprise strategy into reliable facility-level execution in partnership with nursing and physician leaders, enterprise Executive Directors, and system leaders. The COO identifies and resolves operational barriers that cross departments or service lines, ensures consistent implementation of enterprise standards while accounting for legitimate facility-specific needs, and maintains awareness of hospital conditions including census, capacity, emergency department demand, procedural activity, staffing, patient flow, and operational constraints. The position is accountable for the hospital as an integrated operating system and for measurable performance in areas including quality and safety, patient experience, patient flow, capacity, workforce productivity, financial results, operational reliability, and regulatory readiness. The COO leads facility throughput and capacity performance; partners with finance and operational leaders on budgets, productivity, and resource use; promotes safety, high reliability, and continuous improvement; and develops a high-performing facility leadership team. The role also works closely with physicians and enterprise service-line leaders to improve care processes, support recruitment and program development, and implement strategic growth initiatives. The COO maintains key relationships with the CEO – Adult Hospitals, facility nursing executive, medical staff and physician leadership, system-wide service-line and function directors, and HR, IT, facilities, and other system leaders. Matters involving competing priorities or unresolved accountability are escalated to the CEO – Adult Hospitals. The role requires completion of mandatory department, educational, and hospital requirements; adherence to current infection-control and safety standards; regular and prompt attendance; and the ability to work the defined schedule and overtime as required. Employees in regular positions working at least 20 hours per week (0.50 FTE or greater) qualify for benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, nursing, public health, or a related field from an accredited institution, as approved and accepted by the University of South Alabama.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible healthcare leadership experience, including substantial operational leadership responsibility within a complex hospital or health system.
Demonstrated experience leading complex hospital operations, managing multidisciplinary teams, improving operational performance, and partnering effectively with physicians and clinical leaders.
Ability to work the defined schedule and overtime as required.
Regular and prompt attendance and adherence to current infection-control and safety standards.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, nursing, public health, or a related field.
Experience within a tertiary, academic, high-acuity, or multi-hospital environment.
Comparable combination of education and experience may substitute for the stated education and experience requirements.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior facility operations leader and ensure integrated execution across the hospital.
Provide executive oversight of daily hospital operations across clinical, ancillary, and support functions.
Monitor census, capacity, emergency department demand, procedural activity, staffing, patient flow, and operational constraints.
Identify and resolve operational barriers requiring coordination across departments or service lines, and ensure effective escalation of significant concerns.
Establish operating routines and accountability mechanisms, and align hospital resources with patient demand and organizational priorities.
Translate adult hospital enterprise strategy into facility operating plans and partner with enterprise Executive Directors to implement standardized processes and initiatives.
Ensure appropriate adoption of enterprise standards while identifying facility-specific operational requirements; address performance and practice variation with enterprise leaders.
Serve as the principal link between enterprise functional strategy and facility-level execution.
Lead facility throughput and capacity performance with the Executive Director of Bed Capacity Management & Patient Flow.
Drive multidisciplinary accountability for emergency department boarding, admission flow, bed turnover, discharge progression, and length of stay; lead the facility response to capacity constraints and surge conditions.
Escalate and resolve barriers to patient progression, and support coordinated patient movement between University Hospital and Providence Hospital when clinically and operationally appropriate.
Partner with the CEO and finance leadership to achieve operating and financial objectives; monitor labor, productivity, supplies, purchased services, and other major expenses.
Hold leaders accountable for budget performance and productivity, identify efficiency opportunities while maintaining quality, safety, and patient experience, and support annual operating and capital planning.
Evaluate the operational and financial implications of new programs, services, and investments, and ensure leaders understand how operational decisions affect financial performance.
Promote safety as an operational priority and partner with nursing, physician, quality, and safety leaders to improve outcomes and respond promptly to significant concerns.
Advance high-reliability and continuous-improvement principles and drive accountability for patient experience and service excellence.
Conduct regular leadership rounding and maintain a visible executive presence throughout the facility.
Develop the facility leadership team; establish expectations; coach and develop directors and other leaders; and partner with enterprise Executive Directors on leaders’ performance and development.
Promote employee engagement, retention, recognition, and professional development; foster collaboration across departments; and ensure succession planning for critical operational leadership roles.
Build strong relationships with medical staff leadership and physician stakeholders, address operational barriers affecting patient care, and support physician recruitment, program development, and strategic growth.
Improve operational processes affecting physician efficiency and satisfaction, and partner with physician leaders on patient flow, procedural capacity, quality, and service-line performance.
Support facility strategic growth initiatives; identify operational capabilities needed for new programs and increased volumes; participate in master planning and capital prioritization; and assess capacity, infrastructure, workforce, and support-service needs for expansion.
Maintain key relationships with the CEO – Adult Hospitals, facility nursing executive, facility medical staff and physician leadership, system-wide service-line and function directors, HR, IT, facilities, and other system leaders.
Escalate competing priorities or unresolved accountability to the CEO – Adult Hospitals.
Complete mandatory department, educational, and hospital requirements; follow current infection-control and safety standards; maintain regular and prompt attendance; and work the defined schedule and overtime as required.
Perform related duties as assigned.