Open Healthcare Leadership Positions

Director, Respiratory Therapy

Lee Health

Lee Health is seeking a skilled Director of Respiratory Therapy for their Gulf Coast Medical Center, responsible for 80-bed ED and 66 Critical Care beds leading a team of over 100 staff members.

Position Open

The Opportunity

Accountable for the management of departmental operations of Respiratory Care Services at the specific acute care hospital to which assigned. This will include an 80-bed ED and 66 Critical Care beds leading a team of over 100 staff members. This department includes advanced robotic pulmonary procedures within the state-of-the-art Pulmonary Lab. Responsibilities include financial, strategic development, and staff development and planning. Directs, delegates and facilitates activities of the Respiratory Care staff. Develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures. Coordinates the management of all areas within Respiratory Care Services and Pulmonary Rehabilitation if present in the facility.

Duties and Responsibilities

Accepts overall accountability for departmental operations.
Plans, develops, recommends for approval, and implements long and short-term departmental goals, policies, procedures, and budgets that are consistent with the system’s mission values and strategic plans.
Recommends and facilitates the purchase of capital equipment.
Interviews, hires, orients, coaches, evaluates assigns work, and disciplines staff, or delegates these duties to appropriate designee.
Coordinates Performance Improvement activities for department.
Provides support and is a role model for an environment conducive to professional practice.
Plans, coordinates, and implements staff development.
Demonstrates or assures clinical competence in all areas of patient care for population services.
Assures maintenance of department records, reports, projects and staff licensure.
Provides or assures that the appropriate interventions are implemented to maintain high quality operations.
Facilitates and collaborates with all members of the specific acute care facility and with the health care system.
Participates in department-related committees, task forces, and activities, or delegates to appropriate staff.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

Education

Bachelor’s degree and master’s are required.

Experience

5+ years in a leadership role with similar size and scope.
Minimum of 5 years clinical experience including 2 years’ experience in all intensive care/critical care areas.

Licenses/Certification

Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) licensure from the State of FL.
Basic Life Support (BLS) from the American Heart Association.
Credentialed by the NBRC as a Registered Respiratory Therapist.

Special Skills

Additional

The Ideal Candidate

We are seeking a candidate with a proven track record in leading large groups in a pulmonary division within a large and busy trauma center. The ideal candidate will have proven success in collaborating with other leaders across a health system and helping to elevate and develop the clinical staff in their department. The successful candidate will have experience expanding the patient and staff engagement scores and developing and maintaining strong relationships with other departments in the hospital.

Strong communication skills are essential, as the role involves collaborating with and supporting multiple physician leaders.

Key attributes we value include strategic thinking, experience implementing current clinical evidence-based practices, analytical, physician relations, and robust financial acumen.

More About the Organization

13681 Doctors Way

Fort Myers,

Florida

33912

Lee Health consists of four adult hospitals, Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Rehabilitation Hospital, and Lee Health Coconut Point. We’re also home to the Lee Health Regional Cancer Center, Home Health, Skilled Nursing, Behavioral Health, a physician group with more than 90 practice locations, community healthcare for the underserved, urgent care, and much more.

But the heart of our award-winning health system? Our nearly 15,000 dedicated employees.

Excellence. Education. Safety. Compassion. Empathy. Respect. These are just some of the words that describe how we approach each day. We believe in one another and the patients and families we serve.

Growth Opportunities

Lee Health believes in growth, education, and advancement. We have opportunities in numerous residency programs, earn-as-you- learn programs, educational opportunities including tuition reimbursement and grants. We also encourage an open environment and culture, transfers, and promotions.
Lee Health has been part of the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area since 1916,

and we have grown and evolved right along with our population. Through all the area’s changes, one thing never wavers: Our dedication to empowering lives through care and compassion.

Our hospitals:

Gulf Coast Medical Center (GCMC), located in the heart of Fort Myers, is newly renovated and expanded. Home to our Level II Trauma Center, GCMC also includes cancer services, the Neuroscience Institute, orthopedics, general surgery, and a 24/7 ER. Licensed Beds: 624 Annual patients: 47,000
Lee Memorial Hospital, a mainstay for more than 100 years, has a rich history of serving our community: Orthopedics, neuroscience, OB/ GYN, 24/7 ER, behavioral health, surgery, and the Rehabilitation Hospital – a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation facility. Number of Acute Beds: 368 Patients Seen Annually: 50,000+
Cape Coral Hospital serves our largest city with a wide range of services at a 40-acre campus including women’s health, family birth suites, 24/7 emergency care, rehab, surgery, urology, a certified diabetes program, and a Healthy Life Center – one of Lee Health’s modern health and wellness facilities.
Health Park Medical Center, part of a comprehensive campus that includes outpatient, primary care, pediatrics, and Golisano Children’s Hospital, is Lee Health’s primary location for our cardiac program and a designated Chest Pain Center. HPMC also houses a 24/7 ER, women’s health, rehab, and a high-risk OB unit—one of only 11 in the state. Number of Beds: 460 Number of Patients Seen Annually: 55,000+
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida The only children’s hospital between Tampa and Miami, Golisano Children’s Hospital – a seven story 292,000-foot facility that opened in 2017—features a specialty ER designed for kids and their families. Other services include a Level-III NICU, Pediatric ICU, surgery, cancer care, and so much more. Number of beds: 128 Patients Seen Annually: 30,000+

As the largest hospital in the Lee Health system, Gulf Coast Medical Center houses a Level II Trauma Center, the Neuroscience Institute, orthopedic, oncology and cardiology services, and much more.

An accredited, comprehensive stroke center features minimally invasive catheter procedures to treat stroke patients.

Since 2017, Gulf Coast Medical Center has undergone an extensive expansion, adding three stories and 268 patient beds, including additional ICU beds and an inpatient unit for cancer care.

4 stars in CMS Quality Star Rankings
Top 250 Hospital nationwide according to Healthgrades
“A” grade for patient safety by The Leapfrog Group
American Heart Association/American Stroke Association “Get with The Guidelines” Gold Plus Stroke Center designation
American College of Cardiology Best Hospitals, as featured in U.S. News & World Report
Only Level II Trauma Center between Bradenton and Miami
Seventh floor part of the Regional Cancer Center, a national-level program that unites top cancer experts around Southwest Florida to provide care for our community
Gulf Coast Medical Center was rated a 4-star facility by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Key Facts

Number of Patients Seen Annually: 209,828
Number of Licensed Beds: 699
Number of Private Rooms: 584
Number of Stroke Beds: 90
Number of ED Beds: 70, Including 4 Trauma Bays and 8 Fast-Track Rooms
Number of Operating Rooms: 22
Number of Skilled Nursing Unit Beds in Building Adjacent to Hospital: 75

ENA Lantern Award

Gulf Coast Medical Center is 1 of 29 hospitals to receive the ENA’s Lantern Award in 2022. This year, the emergency departments at both Golisano Children’s Hospital of SWFL and Gulf Coast Medical Center received the accolade. They’re recognized by ENA for their exceptional and innovative performance in emergency care.

Leadership

Darcy M. Allen, MBA, BSN, RN

Chief of Operations and Nurse Executive

Darcy Allen is an accomplished healthcare executive and transformational leader of clinical operations. As Chief of Operations and Nurse Executive at Gulf Coast Medical Center, she works in partnership with the Chief Physician Executive to provide leadership in support of Lee Health’s mission, vision, values, objectives and goals. She is also responsible for the Patient Experience Program for the System. She succeeds in building teams by listening, learning and leading. Allen previously served in the same role at Lee Health’s HealthPark Medical Center and Lee Memorial Hospital.

Allen’s healthcare career began as a charge nurse in Honolulu, Hawaii. She moved to San Francisco to provide nursing care to patients at UCSF, San Francisco General and Kaiser Permanente, advancing progressively from staff nurse to Senior Director of Nursing. At Inova Medical Center in Fairfax, Virginia, she was Assistant Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer.

Allen holds a Master of Business Administration in healthcare administration, a Bachelor of Science in nursing and an Associate Degree in nursing. She has earned many honors for her achievements including the Daisy Foundation National Nurse Leader Award and Healthcare Executive Leadership Award for Patient Experience. She was also selected to participate as a speaker at three National Patient Safety conferences.