MHA is seeking to recruit a Director of the Center for Rural Health (CRH) to replace our current director who will be retiring effective August 31, 2017.
MHA is the state organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, healthcare networks, and their patients and communities. Over 100 hospitals, healthcare systems, networks and other providers of care and their 50,000 employees come together to form MHA.
Through its representation and advocacy activities, MHA ensures that members’ perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national and state health policy development, legislative and regulatory debates and judicial matters. Its advocacy efforts include the legislative and executive branches and include the legislative and regulatory arenas.
Founded in 1931, MHA provides education for state healthcare leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.
The CRH works collaboratively with the Rural Hospital Alliance (RHA), a 501 (c) (6) organization composed of 52 rural hospitals, to provide resources to Mississippi’s small and rural hospital constituency. They provide these hospitals with networking opportunities, resources for best practices in patient safety, quality, reimbursement, group purchasing, workforce, and education.
Opportunity and Summary of Position
Opportunity
The successful candidate will function as Director of the CHR and Director of (RHA). This position participates in rural health policy formulation for rural and critical access hospitals and advocates for programs and legislation that support this constituency. Further, the Director of CRH serves as a resource to the MHA Board of Governors on rural health issues. This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer of MHA.
Summary of Position
The principal duties and responsibilities of the incumbent include:
- Performs work at an advanced level by providing administrative coordination and complex technical assistance for the small and rural constituency of MHA.
- Serves as Director of the Rural Hospital Alliance (RHA), a 501-(c) (6) organization, and provides direction and technical assistance to 52 small and rural hospitals, including 32 certified Critical Access Hospitals (CAH). This position also directs the activities of the 41-member Rural Hospital Solutions (RHS) group purchasing organization. The members of RHA work together to address the unique needs and issues of rural hospitals and their communities. The Director supports their vision to: keep healthcare decisions local; improve access to healthcare services; improve quality and financial condition and ensure the sustainability of small and rural hospitals.
- Manages the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (FLEX Program) and administers the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP Grant). This position directs, organizes, develops, implements and evaluates the FLEX and SHIP programs. The incumbent acts as a liaison to facilitate problem resolution and assure compliance with federal and state regulations, laws, policies and procedures governing these programs.
- Identifies and prioritizes health care policy issues that affect small and rural hospitals in Mississippi. Works to integrate these issues into MHA’s policy development process and advocacy agenda.
- Serves as a resource to the MHA board, membership groups and staff regarding issues affecting rural hospitals. Serves as spokesperson or liaison on issues to governmental bodies and other interest groups, including the American Hospital Association (AHA) and National Rural Health Association (NRHA).
- Maintains relationships, communications and effective interactions with external groups and organizations that affect rural hospitals in Mississippi. These include, but are not limited to, the federal and state legislatures, local and regional governmental bodies, health regulatory agencies, trade associations, professional organizations, community groups, and health interest groups.
Candidate Qualifications
The ideal qualifications that the Search Committee is seeking include:
- Ten (10) years of professional experience in health/policy planning or participation in programs in hospital management, health, community organization, public administration or related human services fields. Three (3) years of this experience must be in planning or administration with responsibility for program planning and development.
- Five (5) years supervisory experience in a health care setting.
- Significant experience at the management level of a health care trade association, health care provider, health care policy organization, or related entity.
- Demonstrated leadership skills with a track record of success in managing multiple projects, grants or health care organizations.
- Very knowledgeable about rural healthcare delivery models (present, past and future).
- An understanding of the fundamentals of hospital and healthcare reimbursement methodologies.
- Well-established advocacy experience and skills, with a personal track record of interacting regularly and effectively with local, state, and national government officials, other healthcare organizations, and the media.
- A fundamental understanding of key policy issues faced by rural health facilities to include quality and patient safety issues, technology, collaboration with insurers, work force issues and trends with health system/physician alignment.
- Sound general and business management skills required.
Personal Characteristics
- Excellent organizational, planning, implementation abilities
- Excellent communication skills. Must have the ability to effectively communicate at all levels through written, verbal or electronic mediums.
- Character and integrity of the highest order.
- Mature, secure and balanced.
- Value centered and passionate about the mission of the MHA, RHA and the Center for Rural Health.
- Interpersonally skilled: Open; forthright; approachable.
- A leader in every respect: strategic; visionary; a personal example to others; evokes the best from everyone.
- Strong administrative skills.
- Thoughtful decision maker.
Education
Graduation from an accredited four year college or university with a Master’s degree in hospital administration, healthcare administration, public administration, public health, business administration, nursing, behavioral science or social science. Approved healthcare experience may substitute for educational requirements.
Timeline and Interview Process
The goal is to have the new Director for the Center of Rural Health selected by June 30, 2017 and in place by August 1, 2017. This will allow the successful candidate to have at least one (1) month of job specific orientation with the current Director.
Candidates’ resumes will be collected and presented to the Center for Rural Health Search Committee.
The Search Committee will choose a select group of candidates for in-person interviews. The finalists will be afforded an opportunity to visit MHA and meet with staff after which, a candidate will be selected by the Search Committee.
Procedure for Candidacy
Please direct all resumes via e-mail to:
Curnis Upkins, Jr.
Vice President Human Resources & Workforce Services
Mississippi Hospital Association
P.O. Box 1909
Madison, MS 39130-1909
Email: cupkins@mhanet.org
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