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In partnership with the CNE, administrative leaders, and physicians, this position provides strategic leadership and oversight in integrating comprehensive clinical operational plans for Children’s and Women’s Services. This position reports to the Chief Nurse Executive and to the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services Chief Administrative Officer through a matrix reporting structure. Direct reports to the ACNO include: Associate Director of Neonatal Services, Transport Services, Staffing Office, Simulation; Associate Director of Pediatric Acute Critical Care Services & Financial Services; Associate Director of Women’s Services; Associate Director Perioperative & Procedural Services; Associate Director, Patient Family-Centered Services; Nursing Practice Leaders and House Operations Managers.
The ACNO is responsible for assessing the environment, forecasting trends, transmitting values, communicating ideas, developing and implementing policies, managing and initiating innovative systems and programs that promote excellence in service, quality and safety for patient care delivery and that create an excellent place to work. This position provides nursing personnel with leadership, decision-making, and direction in patient care services and defined areas, ensuring nurses and other members of the patient care team feel empowered to serve as patient representatives/advocates.
The ACNO will work in close partnership with executives from the health system, hospital campuses, physician leaders and groups, and staff within Children’s and Women’s to develop comprehensive access to care including evaluation, planning and implementation of both inpatient and outpatient innovative care models which enhance the delivery of patient care quality and efficiency.
Along with the health system and hospital executive committees will establish key collaboration partnerships with physicians and administrative colleagues, community providers, and interest groups influencing and developing both internal and external constituencies to promote and coordinate the Children’s service line throughout the community and neighboring market areas.
Aligns the priorities of the patient care unit leadership dyads in collaboration with the medical or clinical directors of the Children’s and Women’s service line to assure the operational and clinical standards promote a center of quality care and work environment excellence.
Collaboration/Communication: Serve as liaison between nursing, patient care team, medical staff, and healthcare leadership. Engage and collaborate with interdisciplinary health care team members to identify opportunities for improvement, program development and capital budgeting. Communicate with external agencies and constituencies to address issues and answer questions. Serve as liaison among multiple clinical functions to support collaboration in identifying opportunities for improvement and program development.
1. Program and Patient Care/Services Delivery: Work across multiple clinical functions and with medical directors to implement best care practices and new models of care/service. Address implementation issues across clinical functions and with other departments.
2. Human Resources Management: In collaboration with departmental HR Representative(s) works across multiple clinical functions and with medical, collegiate and hospital leaders to ensure a consistent approach to HR management. Hold unit leaders accountable for high performance and high engagement by articulating expectations, monitoring performance and providing feedback consistently across areas of responsibility. Approve resource allocations and staffing models.
3. Operations, Standards of Care, Regulatory Compliance, Quality and Patient Satisfaction: Manage across multiple clinical functions to develop and monitor quality and service indicators. Oversee patient satisfaction and quality indicators. Assure that clinical services are in compliance with all applicable internal and external requirements.
Financial Management/Business Analytics: Develop strategy for budget priorities for multiple clinical functions and negotiate among them to address resource issues. Hold unit leaders and clinical leaders accountable for managing budget. Work with internal and external leaders to address and resolve budget issues. Seek methods to enhance revenue.
Comprehensive Expertise in Operational Execution (7-10 years’ experience)
We are looking for someone who is an excellent collaborator and understands how to work effectively with large groups in an academic medical center. This leader will have the ability to see the big picture when making decisions and understand how changes will affect the health system as well as their service area(s). The ideal leader will have the ability to use and interpret data when making decisions based upon logic and facts. We would prefer someone with nursing experience in both women’s and children’s but, will consider a strong candidate with experience in either department, who will fit in well with the culture of the organization. The preferred leader will have experience leading large projects, complex expansions, and building relationships across numerous groups and committees. This leader will report directly to the CNE with a dotted line to the CAO.
University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the children’s hospital at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and has been dedicated to meeting the health care needs of children and families since 1919. As Iowa’s only comprehensive children’s hospital, we provide care for children from birth to young adulthood. Services range from promoting wellness to the care of general childhood illness, surgery, traumatic injuries, life-threatening and chronic illnesses, and developmental disabilities. As part of an academic medical center, UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital also performs groundbreaking research to help solve the mysteries of childhood diseases, in addition to training the next generation of health care professionals.
In addition to children’s services, the women’s services at UI Hospitals and Clinics has a long history of meeting the health care needs of women in Iowa. Our world class OBGYN specialists provide care for patients at every stage of life. We emphasize preventive care and offer the widest range of treatment options, ensuring patients receive personalized care with the best outcomes. Our OBGYN clinical services include gynecology clinic, pregnancy care, infertility care, maternal-fetal medicine, midwifery and urogynecology. Our women’s health specialists also work closely with the experts at the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center to offer the most extensive cancer expertise available in Iowa.
Quick Facts
Our Philosophy
Quality and Safety
We measure the quality of your care by how well we meet your expectations and achieving the highest national standards of safety and effectiveness.
Honors and Awards
University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the country’s “Best Children’s Hospitals.” 2022-23 rankings:
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital has received annual recognition for pediatric health care since 2009. UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital ranks in U.S. News & World Report 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospitals | University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital (uihc.org)
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics was named one of the nation’s top hospitals for maternity care by U.S. News & World Report in 2022-2023, receiving a High Performing designation. U.S. News evaluated nearly 650 hospitals across the country that provide labor and delivery services and submitted detailed data to the publication for analysis. Only 297 hospitals received a High Performing designation, which is the highest award a hospital can earn in maternity care.
Nation’s Top Employer 2017
Forbes Magazine named University of Iowa Health Care as the Number 5 employer in the Health Care industry category and Number 14 employer overall in 2017.
Magnet
UI Hospitals & Clinics was the first hospital in Iowa to receive Magnet designation for nursing excellence, and one of only 55 nationally to be redesignated three times. This designation is valid for a four-year period, and was first received in 2004, with renewals in 2008, 2013 and 2018.
Level IV NICU
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is home to Iowa’s Level IV NICU, the highest designation possible as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This means we are equipped to care for the smallest and sickest infants. Our survival rates among all babies cared for in the NICU is more than 95 percent, which ranks among the best of any NICU in the country.
Level 1 Trauma Center
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the first and only hospital in Iowa to earn designation as a Level 1 Trauma Center for pediatrics from the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. This 2018 designation is valid for a three-year period and was first received in 2009-present.
Member, Children’s Tumor Foundation Neurofibromatosis Clinic Network
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in Iowa recognized as a member of the Children’s Tumor Foundation Neurofibromatosis Clinic Network. UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital first became a member in 2010 and membership has been renewed annually since.
Verified Burn Treatment Center
UI Hospitals & Clinics is home to the only burn treatment center in Iowa verified by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association. This verification is valid for three years.
Palliative Care Certification
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Palliative Care certification for the Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care program (2018). This two-year designation has been continued since it was first received in 2012. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality for an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
Intersocietal Accreditation Commission accredited Echocardiography Laboratories
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in Iowa accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories for pediatric transthoracic, transesophageal, and fetal echocardiography. This accreditation is valid for a three-year period, and we have been continuously accredited since 2004. IAC accreditation is a means by which facilities can evaluate and demonstrate the level of patient care they provide. The common mission of IAC is: “Improving health care through accreditation.”
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
The federal Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities has designated the Center for Disabilities and Development as Iowa’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. This designation is valid for a five-year period and was first received in 1972.
Cribs for Kids® National Gold Certified Safe Sleep Hospital
UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the first hospital in Iowa to be recognized as a Cribs for Kids® National Gold Certified Safe Sleep Hospital for demonstrating commitment to reducing infant sleep-related deaths by promoting and educating on best safe sleep practices. This certification was first received in 2016.
Certified Nurse-Midwifery Education Program
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is excited to offer the state’s first certified nurse-midwifery program at the University of Iowa. The inaugural first class of students will begin in the fall of 2023.
Center for Advanced Reproductive Care
The Center for Advanced Reproductive Care at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics reached a major milestone in July 2021, completing its 10,000th in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.
Established in 1987, it was the first IVF program in Iowa and has had a role in more than 6,000 births. Recognized as a national leader for single-embryo transfers, the center has achieved pregnancy rates consistently above the national average.
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