Director of Hospice Services

Cedar Valley Hospice • Waterloo, IA

1d

About The Position

Cedar Valley Hospice is the premier hospice agency serving 15 counties with offices in Waterloo, Grundy Center, Independence, and Waverly. At Cedar Valley Hospice you will work with the best team of clinicians, administrative staff and managers, utilizing highly regarded practices to provide optimum customer service to our patients and their families. As a not-for-profit organization, we believe “compassionate care” is not just a phrase spoken, but rather a way of living and working every day to help support clients and their families. Our mission exemplifies the organizations focus on providing the best care possible for clients at home or wherever they reside. The Director of Hospice Services provides operational leadership and oversight for the day-to-day delivery of hospice care across all service settings. This role ensures high-quality, compassionate, and compliant care through effective management of interdisciplinary teams, coordination of clinical services, and alignment with organizational standards. Working closely with the Chief Clinical Officer (CCO), the Director of Hospice Services supports clinical excellence, regulatory compliance, staff development, and continuous quality improvement. The Director plays a key role in fostering a collaborative team environment while ensuring the consistent delivery of patient- and family-centered hospice care.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred.
• Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license required.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive clinical experience with at least 3 years in a clinical management role required.
• Strong knowledge of hospice regulations including CMS Conditions of Participation.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing interdisciplinary teams.
• Strong clinical leadership and operational management skills.
• Ability to lead interdisciplinary teams in a collaborative environment.
• Knowledge of hospice regulations, documentation standards, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and staff development abilities.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to balance compassion for staff and patients with accountability and performance expectations.
• Commitment to mission-driven, patient- and family-centered care
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, and move throughout the workday for extended periods of time.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, documentation review, electronic medical records, and use of office and mobile technology.
• Ability to occasionally lift, push, pull, or carry materials such as clinical files, laptops, training materials, or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds .
• Ability to walk short to moderate distances within office locations, healthcare facilities, and other clinical environments.
• Must be able to navigate stairs, uneven surfaces, and varying environments when visiting clinical sites or supporting staff in the field.
• Local travel by car is required; occasional regional and overnight travel may be necessary for meetings, conferences, or regulatory activities.
• Sufficient visual, auditory, and verbal abilities to review and interpret clinical documentation, quality and compliance data, and regulatory materials; conduct meetings and staff coaching; participate in interdisciplinary team discussions; and communicate effectively with patients, families, providers, staff, and regulatory agencies.
• Standard business hours with flexibility required to support clinical operations, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, or availability outside of normal hours during surveys, urgent clinical situations, or organizational needs.
• Part of the admin on call rotation.
• Ability to perform effectively in a senior clinical leadership role involving high-stakes decision-making, regulatory accountability, and oversight of complex patient care situations.
• Must demonstrate emotional resilience, sound clinical judgment, and professionalism when supporting staff, addressing patient or family concerns, and navigating end-of-life care dynamics.
• Frequent interaction with interdisciplinary clinical teams, clinical managers, medical directors, executive leadership, and external partners.
• Requires a professional clinical presence, adaptability across settings, and the ability to lead, coach, and support staff and managers in both structured and unstructured environments.
• Pre-employment/post-offer physical, TB, and drug screen required.

Nice To Haves

• CHPN certification preferred or willingness to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the daily operations of hospice clinical services including nursing, hospice aides, social work, and spiritual care teams.
• Takes a leadership role in surveys and any governing body audits.
• Ensures timely and coordinated delivery of hospice services across care settings including patient homes, facilities, and hospice home as applicable.
• Works closely with clinical managers to support efficient scheduling, appropriate staffing levels, and workload management.
• Ensures care delivery aligns with hospice philosophy, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies.
• Addresses operational barriers to care delivery and supports problem-solving within clinical teams.
• Provides direct supervision to hospice clinical managers responsible for interdisciplinary team operations.
• Supports effective interdisciplinary team (IDT) functioning including collaboration, communication, and patient-centered care planning.
• Ensures regular IDT meetings occur in accordance with regulatory requirements and organizational standards.
• Coaches leaders and staff to strengthen teamwork, accountability, and professional growth.
• Promotes staff engagement, retention, and a supportive team culture in emotionally demanding work environments
• Ensures hospice services comply with all federal and state regulatory requirements including CMS Hospice Conditions of Participation.
• Partners with the Director of Quality, Education and Compliance to support quality improvement initiatives, audits, and performance monitoring.
• Monitors clinical documentation, patient care practices, and outcomes to maintain regulatory and organizational standards.
• Participates in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) initiatives and supports corrective actions when needed.
• Addresses clinical concerns, risk issues, and patient safety events in collaboration with the CCO
• Provides leadership, mentorship, and support to hospice clinical managers and team members.
• Identifies staff training needs and partners with clinical education resources to ensure competency and compliance.
• Supports leadership development among clinical supervisors and emerging leaders.
• Reinforces standards for professional practice, documentation, and patient care excellence.
• Works collaboratively with the Chief Clinical Officer and other clinical leaders to implement strategic initiatives related to hospice services.
• Partners with the Medical Director and providers to support high-quality, coordinated patient care.
• Supports the admissions and intake process to ensure timely and appropriate hospice enrollment.
• Collaborates with operational departments to support referral relationships and census growth through excellent clinical service delivery
• Monitors productivity, staffing patterns, and operational efficiency within hospice services.
• Assists the CCO in budget planning and responsible resource utilization.
• Supports efforts to maintain appropriate census levels and service capacity through strong clinical operations.

Benefits

• Cedar Valley Hospice provides an excellent benefit package including: a family friendly work environment, generous paid time off, and quality benefit options including a 401k plan.
• Public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees