Manager – Oncology Services

Major Responsibilities:
Growth & Business Development – Leads the planning, development, implementation, and sustainment of short and long range business and strategic plans for the medical center and off sites relevant to Oncology Services, including attaining the highest level of accreditation in areas of responsibility (i.e. Comprehensive Breast Center – NAPBC and ACR/ASTRO)

• Partners with business development, physician leadership, and executive leadership in identifying future growth potentials and avenues in planning for internal and external oncology services. Actively participate in hospital and system committees, meetings and projects related to oncology program growth. Responsible for leading the further development and implementation of the Oncology Navigation program, Comprehensive Breast Center, and Comprehensive Radiation Therapy Programs (including the design/implementation of enhanced oncology center and new technologies), which aligns with the Oncology Service Line and Center of Excellence Development efforts
• Keeps abreast of new trends in therapy, technology and business in order to ensure that programs provided by the departments are current with industry standards. Network and benchmark with professionals at local and national health care facilities for clinical standards and innovations that will enhance program capabilities and clinical outcomes.
• Develops business plans for strategic growth efforts and improvement efforts including proformas, financial feasibility studies, sensitivity analyses. Provides information/goals regarding the areas for consideration into the hospitals strategic plans. Creates capacity analyses and technology assessment tools to better facilitate the objectives of these plans. Identifies and reacts to opportunities for new and expanded services, analyzes the financial feasibility through a determination of potential revenues and offsetting costs.
• Research literature, identify best practices, engage physicians in planning activities and attend specialty workshops in order to identify future trends in healthcare and opportunities for growth.
• Regularly conducts site visits at top referral and potential referral sources. Solicits feedback from internal and external customers concerning services provided in order to improve and sustain optimal service. Participate in marketing and promoting oncology services in parallel to the oncology service line planning efforts.
• Responsible for achieving or exceeding year-over-year growth targets within each area of accountability. Tracks and monitors business volume in a proactive fashion (daily, weekly, and monthly reporting)
• Development and ongoing maintenance of collaborative relationships with department managers, directors, physicians, system wide contacts, and related external contacts in order to exceed program objectives. Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with physicians, system contacts as well as other hospital managers, directors and staff. Acts as a liaison between physicians and other hospital departments to help resolve and troubleshoot problems.
• Monitors impact of services on all other hospital services. Notifies other areas impacted by new, altered and/or expanded services in order that planning for those services can be accomplished. Develops and maintains various relationships with external clients/contacts to promote department and ensure department growth.
• Serves as the subject matter expert and key constituent in Oncology Service line planning efforts, including the regional planning teams, cancer committee, tumor board, women's center growth team.
• Participates and serves as a key leader in community outreach efforts relevant to programmatic growth (i.e. Making Strides for Breast Cancer, American Cancer Society events, etc.)

Operational Excellence – Responsible for organizing, directing, and planning the administrative, operational, and clinical activities of areas of responsibility in parallel to the Oncology Service line

• Create a non-punitive culture of patient safety adherent to national patient safety initiatives. Assures risk reduction and patient safety enhancement strategies. Monitors Midas system and responds to safety reports in a timely manner. Attends quarterly PI meetings and reports on ongoing PI measurements. Continuously monitors and produces PI reports and keeps processes sustained.
• Develops and implements policies/procedures and standards which follow quality management, Accrediting Organization, IDPH, CDC, OSHA and other regulatory agencies and guidelines as directed. Ensure compliance with IDPH, Accrediting Organization, IEMA and other licensing/accrediting bodies and agencies. Develops plan to achieve the highest level of accreditation in areas of accountability (i.e. Comprehensive Breast Center of Excellence – NAPBC and ASTRO/ACR Accreditation).
• Develop an annual plan to address quality improvement issues and achieves departmental goal(s) for clinical outcomes. Analyze and use benchmarkable data from internal and external sources to identify opportunities for improvement. Support staff in participation of quality improvement activities.
• Responsible for working collaboratively with physician partners and Medical Directors related to department and service line planning, patient safety, continuous improvement, safety, problem resolution, capital and strategic planning.
• Promote evidence based practice by supporting staff to develop and utilize clinical guidelines, clinical pathways and clinical care policies and procedures that are based on current research.
• Provides leadership on the various customer service, fiscal, human resources, capital and supply acquisitions, and short and long range plans. Serves as administrative representative to appropriate department meetings. Continues professional development and keeps abreast of industry developments.
• Responsible for providing leadership on the Cancer Committee, Tumor Board, Comprehensive Breast Leadership Committee (BPL Team), and ongoing service line development efforts. Participates on various operating and planning committees to ensure compliance with accrediting and regulatory bodies. Serves as a representative on hospital safety committee. Serves as a site representative in system wide Oncology Services planning and taskforces.
• Serves as the System Administrator for theMosaIQ Information System and PenRad. Oversees technology planning and deployment, assuring state-of-the-art technology, capital and space planning and optimization, and optimal utilization of Information Systems. Provide expertise for clinical and technical components of planning, delivery, and documentation, including electronic medical record, treatment, and evaluation of new technology.
• Ensure that processes are in place and followed consistently by all department personnel and physicians for patient care, documentation, billing, work flow, etc.
• Responsible for leading the further development and implementation of the Oncology Navigation program, which aligns with the Oncology Service Line and Center of Excellence Development efforts

Financial – Responsible for optimal financial leadership within areas of accountability

• Oversees inventory within department and assures cost-effective approach to supply management, par levels, consignment, etc.
• Conduct departmental meetings to improve communication of financial and operational information and strategic planning.
• Ensure appropriate use of IS systems to capture charges and monitor trends.
• Monitors budgets, investigates, reports on any variances, and implements corrective action plans. Maintains optimal levels of departmental productivity to volume within a competitive benchmark. Analyze monthly financial, operational and budget variance reports to assure that financial goals are achieved. Achieve financial goals for department.
• Uses process improvement best practices – Six Sigma, Lean, Change Acceleration Process (CAP) and other performance improvement methodologies to lead change and improve departmental efficiencies. Identify areas for improved operational efficiency and involve staff in the development of new processes as appropriate. Initiate cost containment activities as indicated by financial results.
• Achieves strong fiscal performance within organizational and Advocate Health Care expectations including productivity, service utilization, and expenses. Develops and implements improvement plans to maximize operational efficiencies (manage utilization, enhance revenues, decrease costs)
• Ensures that an up-to date charge master for the department is current and assures that charges are dropped appropriately on a daily basis.
• Ensures that all departmental expenses are processed appropriately, timely, and according to Advocate?s financial control policy and corporate compliance guidelines.
• Develops strategic and hospital capital budgets (maintenance and strategic capital), assuring that ongoing replacement occurs, new technology is assessed, and a master capital plan is developed. Participates in budget planning and advocate for appropriate fiscal and human resources to accomplish the work and goals of the department.
• Monitor productivity levels and workforce design to ensure proper resource utilization and role delineation.

Advocate Experience

• Round on patients and family members to identify and recognize associates and processes that are working well or require improvement.
• Champions and role models the Advocate Experience effort (best place for staff to work, physicians to practice, and patients to receive care) within Oncology Services and strives for continuous improvement. Serves as a key champion on the outpatient experience committee, participates in patient/physician/associate experience improvement efforts, and reports weekly on results to senior leadership. Meets or exceeds Advocate Experience expectations. Responsible for ensuring implementation and sustainment of best practices including customer rounding, pre and post visit phone calls, and Direct Report Rounding.
• Consistently review patient satisfaction data and reward and recognize associates who are achieving results.
• Review annual statistical data regarding the population served.
• Utilize evidence based practice to improve care processes, structures, and measurement of client-centered outcomes and satisfaction.
• Implement strategies to assure that associates understand when and how to implement service recovery and track service recovery issues to reduce their reoccurrence.
• Achieve goals established by system and site regarding patient satisfaction.

Human Resource Management and Organizational Effectiveness.

• Manage the recruitment and selection of high quality staff and maintain adequate staffing and appropriate work assignments. Monitor associate turnover and vacancy and develop and implement recruitment and retention strategies. In conjunction with Human Resources interviews, hires, develops and evaluates departmental management and other personnel; assures performance appraisals are completed on time within department. Partner with local community organizations and schools to attract students to careers in health professions.
• Foster a climate conducive to educational experiences for associates and students. Encourage staff to seek additional knowledge and skill by pursing formal education, certification, and other professional development opportunities and participation in professional organizations. Assist and support staff in developing and maintaining competency through orientation, internships, educational offerings, workshops, interdisciplinary professional meetings and self-directed learning. Maintain and analyze data to assure that staff development activities offered on the unit is of high quality and meet the needs of unit staff.
• Achieve goals established by system and site for associate satisfaction. Develop and implement action plan to address associate satisfaction on an annual basis and as needed.
• Consistently round on associates to role model positive behaviors, monitor morale, follow-up on organizational initiatives, reduce barriers between administration and staff and improve associate retention. Develop and implement methods to recognize associate accomplishments.
• Follow established processes for receiving and resolving employee complaints and concerns. Endorses wage increases, promotions, disciplinary actions and terminations of personnel consistent with hospital policies and procedures.
• Facilitate participation of staff in organizational policy formulation and decision making and support staff involvement in self-directed leadership activities at both the unit and house wide level.
• Involve staff in short and long term unit planning and analysis of needs of department associates. Ensures that program for orientation, on the job training, and continuing education is coordinated with other sections. Promotes cross-training and cross-coverage within sections.
• Provide supervision of associates and accept accountability for services provided. Conduct timely performance reviews of all staff, including peer review as a mandatory component of the evaluation process for all nursing staff. In tandem with departmental management, reviews staff performance regularly to determine competence, evaluate efficiencies and determine merit adjustments. Establishes short and long term goals to improve performance. In partnership with division management, conducts HML evaluations on staff and leadership to ensure that accountability systems are followed.
• Develop and mentor associates to create and support a professional practice environment. Acts as a change leader by proactively staying abreast of best practices in the industry and taking a forward position in instituting those changes. Promotes the highest moral and ethical standards by serving as a role model and leader by example of stellar performance. Establishes an environment of continuous learning and development for staff and managers. Develops mentorship and staff preceptor program.
• Model service and leadership consistent with departmental and organizational strategic goals. Tracks patient care census and department work flow to determine staff and scheduling needs. Holds management and supervisory staff accountable for staffing levels as appropriate to volume. Identify and advocate for adequate resources for associates so that desired outcomes are achieved.

Physician Partnership
Collaborate with physicians and members of other departments and disciplines in the development, implementation and evaluation of programs and services to meet the needs of the department population.

• Work closely with physicians to develop and implement strategies to resolve physician complaints and concerns.
• Partner with physicians in the development and enhancement of clinical programs.
• Consistently round for outcomes with physicians.
• Actively participate in physician meetings and committees as assigned.
• Coordinate physician demands with staffing workload and treatment time availability to ensure satisfaction of patients, associates and physicians.
• Ensure that physician activities and scheduling meets demands of department for documentation, staffing, and treatment planning.

Education/Experience Required:

• Bachelors Degree required
• (healthcare discipline preferred i.e. Radiology, Nursing, Radiation Therapy)
• Understanding of process improvement and patient satisfaction methods (i.e. lean, six sigma, Student)
• 5-7 years progressive leadership experience

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Organizational, planning and delegation skills
• Team building, leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to succeed in a changing environment and handle multiple responsibilities.
• Strong drive to achieve superior results
• Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint) ?Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Certified RTT or RTRT
• IEMA licensure in the state of Illinois

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Ability to work within a rapid changing environment.
• Ability to prioritize independently and respond to multiple simultaneous requests.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions and in difficult situations.
• Ability to recognize needs and behaviors of specific age groups of patients treated.
• Ability to travel frequently to corporate representing system wide meetings

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.