Director-Respiratory

Catholic Health•Bethpage, NY

14h

About The Position

Under administrative and medical direction, the Director plans, organizes, directs, and supervises the Respiratory Therapy Department. The role coordinates and evaluates technical staff functions in accordance with the New York State Hospital Code and applicable regulatory requirements to support optimal patient care. The Director also helps develop departmental goals and objectives that contribute to the hospital's strategic plan, and provides leadership and oversight of respiratory therapy and laboratory operations, with a focus on quality patient care, regulatory compliance, staff competency, and effective resource utilization.

Requirements

Graduation from an AMA-approved Respiratory Therapy program.
Bachelor's degree or higher in Clinical Laboratory Technology, Biology, Chemistry, or Physical Sciences from an accredited institution.
Current Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
Current New York State Respiratory Therapist license.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification; American Heart Association certification only is accepted.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.

Responsibilities

Evaluate departmental needs and identify opportunities for operational improvement.
Prepare the annual departmental budget for Administration, keep operations within the approved budget, and justify budget variances as needed.
Serve as a liaison between Respiratory Care Services, hospital administration, and other departments to address concerns and resolve cardiopulmonary services issues.
Develop and recommend new services, policies, and procedures.
Facilitate effective communication among respiratory staff, patients, physicians, and other hospital personnel.
Collect, analyze, and coordinate departmental statistics, quality-improvement data, and performance indicators.
Identify indicators to monitor the quality, effectiveness, and appropriateness of respiratory care services.
Ensure appropriate staff training, orientation, and in-service programs are developed and implemented.
Ensure staff competency is evaluated and monitored in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Perform all aspects of respiratory care when necessary.
Oversee departmental workflow, including staffing, workload distribution, equipment availability, and resolution of operational issues.
Participate in continuing education, orientation programs, clinical evaluations, infection-control initiatives, and other educational programs.
Maintain responsibility for staff scheduling and payroll.
Ensure completion of annual mandatory in-service requirements, employee evaluations, and competency assessments.
Manage the distribution of staff assignments.
Maintain responsibility for 24-hour departmental call coverage.
Manage rental equipment, including ordering, tracking, and returns.
Order supplies and medical gases based on inventory reconciliation.
Collect and maintain data required by regulatory agencies and Performance Improvement initiatives.
Ensure staff respond appropriately to cardiac arrests and STAT situations.
Maintain respiratory care equipment and ensure proper operation.
Identify, tag, and remove malfunctioning equipment from service and report major equipment issues to Biomedical Engineering.
Demonstrate competency in oxygen cylinder safety and handling.
Demonstrate competency in arterial blood gas puncture and analysis.
Perform arterial punctures and blood gas analysis as required.
Perform additional Lead Therapist functions as needed.
Perform other related duties as assigned.