Director of Rehabilitation Services

Catholic Health•West Islip, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Rehabilitation Services works within a hospital environment and collaborates with physicians, nurses, administrators, patients, families, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams. The role requires regular interaction across inpatient units, outpatient areas, administrative offices, and other clinical departments. The role will require travel to offsite locations (Outpatient Pediatric Rehab Facility and Outpatient Audiology Center). The position involves balancing administrative responsibilities with visibility and engagement in patient care operations to ensure the delivery of high-quality rehabilitation services. The Director of Rehabilitation Services provides executive leadership, operational oversight, and strategic direction for the hospital’s rehabilitation department. This position is responsible for ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and patient-centered rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, orthotics and audiology services. The Director oversees departmental operations, clinical quality, regulatory compliance, financial performance, workforce development, and program growth while supporting the hospital’s mission and commitment to excellence in patient care.

Requirements

Master's or Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, or a related rehabilitation field.
Current New York State License and Registration in the applicable rehabilitation discipline.
BLS (AHA) Certification required.
Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive clinical experience in hospital acute care, with at least 2–3 years in a leadership or management role.
Demonstrated knowledge of hospital operations, rehabilitation regulations, accreditation standards, and healthcare reimbursement systems.
Strong knowledge of rehabilitation regulations, including inpatient acute care and outpatient pediatric services for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology; to also include orthotic and audiology services.
Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Experience with EPIC or other electronic medical records (EMR) and rehabilitation documentation systems.
Experience directing multidisciplinary rehabilitation services within an acute care hospital or health system.
Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, healthcare providers, and staff.
Experience with budget management and staff productivity measures.
Experience with program development, strategic planning, quality improvement, and operational performance management.
Knowledge of value-based care initiatives, patient outcomes measurement, and rehabilitation service line growth.

Nice To Haves

Advanced leadership certification or healthcare management experience, preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership, direction, and supervision for rehabilitation services staff, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, therapy assistants, therapy aides, orthotists, audiologists and administrative support personnel.
Oversee the delivery of inpatient rehabilitation services, as well as outpatient pediatric rehabilitation services and outpatient audiology/hearing aid dispensing services to ensure high-quality, evidence-based patient care.
Develop, implement, and evaluate rehabilitation programs and services that promote quality patient care and positive clinical outcomes, as well as align with hospital goals, patient needs, and community healthcare demands.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, accreditation, and hospital regulatory requirements, including Joint Commission standards and applicable payer guidelines.
Manage departmental operations, including staffing plans, productivity, scheduling, workflow optimization, and resource allocation.
Develop and manage the rehabilitation department budget, monitoring expenses, revenue performance, and financial goals.
Recruit, hire, orient, mentor, and evaluate rehabilitation team members while promoting professional growth and staff engagement.
Establish and monitor clinical quality metrics, patient outcomes, safety initiatives, and performance improvement programs.
Collaborate with physicians, nursing leadership, care coordination teams, and other hospital departments to support effective patient transitions and interdisciplinary care.
Establish departmental goals, policies, and procedures that support organizational objectives.
Ensure accurate clinical documentation, coding, billing practices, and compliance with reimbursement requirements.
Monitor patient satisfaction results and implement initiatives to enhance the patient and family experience.
Promote a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the rehabilitation department.
Stay current with healthcare trends, rehabilitation best practices, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies.
Represent Rehabilitation Services on hospital committees, leadership teams, and quality improvement initiatives