Director Perianesthesia Care Services

Brown Medicine•Cranston, RI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Perianesthesia Care Services will oversee the integration and management of the Pre-Admission Testing (PAT) for Rhode Island Hospital & The Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital Hold & Prep, and Rhode Island Hospital Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) departments under a unified structure. This leadership role will ensure the seamless delivery of care across these three critical phases of the perioperative process, improving patient outcomes, enhancing clinical workflows, and promoting staff collaboration. The Director will be responsible for developing and maintaining clinical pathways, streamlining communication, and continuously optimizing patient care and operational efficiency. Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another. In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include: Instill Trust and Value Differences Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate In addition, our leaders will demonstrate an aptitude for: Ensure Accountability and Build Effective Teams Drive Vision and Purpose and Optimize Work Processes By applying core and leadership competencies, leaders help Brown University Health achieve its strategic goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited college or university.
Master’s degree in nursing or a related field such as healthcare administration or its equivalent. Consideration will be given to internal candidates who are matriculated in a Master's Degree program.
Licensure as Registered Nurse in the State of Rhode Island by the Rhode Island Board of Nursing or licensure as a Registered Nurse in accordance with the Nurse Licensure Compact agreement of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
American Heart Association BLS (Basic Life Support) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) certifications.
At least 5 years of experience in healthcare leadership, with a focus on perioperative services (Pre-Admission Testing, Hold & Prep, Procedural area. or PACU).

Nice To Haves

CNOR (Certified Perioperative Nurse)
CPAN (Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse) and/or CAPA (Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse)
NE-BC (Nurse Executive – Board Certified) or CENP (Certified in Executive Nursing Practice)
Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt) for process improvement and operational efficiency
Experience managing or overseeing multiple departments or clinical teams within a perioperative setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and direction for the combined PAT, Hold & Prep, and PACU departments.
Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of clinical managers, nurses, and support staff across all three departments.
Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and patient-centered care.
Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, hospital policies, and best practices across all areas of responsibility.
Serve as the primary liaison between departments and executive leadership to ensure alignment with hospital goals.
Develop and maintain standardized clinical pathways that ensure a seamless, efficient, and safe patient journey from pre-admission through to recovery.
Coordinate the integration of pre-admission testing, preparation for surgery, anesthesia handoff, and post-operative recovery, ensuring continuity of care at every stage.
Oversee patient flow, identifying opportunities to minimize delays, reduce bottlenecks, and improve overall perioperative efficiency.
Ensure patient safety, optimal clinical outcomes, and high patient satisfaction levels across all three departments.
Lead efforts to reduce handoffs and minimize communication gaps between departments, ensuring vital patient information is shared seamlessly across the care continuum.
Implement real-time communication systems for patient updates, status changes, and team coordination.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (e.g., surgeons, anesthesiologists, nursing staff, and allied health professionals) to improve clinical decision-making, streamline operations, and ensure timely responses to changes in patient conditions.
Oversee cross-training initiatives for staff across the PAT, Hold & Prep, and PACU departments to enhance flexibility and improve team collaboration.
Provide ongoing education and training to ensure staff remain up to date on best practices, policies, and technologies related to perioperative care.
Monitor and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs) such as patient wait times, patient satisfaction, complication rates, staff efficiency, case cancellations, and recovery times.
Take appropriate actions to address issues and identify opportunities for system-level improvement.
Lead efforts to continuously improve operational efficiency and clinical outcomes by identifying process inefficiencies and implementing corrective actions.
Establish a feedback loop with staff and patients to gather insights on opportunities for improvement and make data-driven decisions.
Work closely with various stakeholders such as physician offices and inpatient care units (e.g., ICU and surgical teams) to align perioperative processes and implement collaborative improvement initiatives, such as reducing day-of-surgery cancellations, enhancing patient education, improving handoff processes, direct inpatient to operating room initiatives, optimizing PAT scheduling, and improving surgical preparation and post-op outcomes.
Ensure adherence to all relevant regulatory standards, including but not limited to those set by The Joint Commission, OSHA, and local/state health authorities.
Manage accreditation processes for the perioperative services departments and maintain readiness for inspections and audits.
Oversee daily staffing needs, ensuring that shifts are properly filled and that staff levels are appropriate for patient volume.
Monitor patient flow from pre-admission through recovery, ensuring timely transitions and minimizing wait times.
Address any immediate operational issues or disruptions, such as delays in testing, patient transfers, or staff shortages.
Review daily clinical metrics, patient safety incidents, or any adverse events. Ensure corrective actions are taken when needed.
Performs other duties as assigned.