Note: This position reports to an Executive Vice President.

At Houston Methodist, the Chief Executive Assistant position is a highly skilled professional responsible for performing complex assignments and supports an Executive Vice President (EVP), in an administrative capacity performing many high-level tasks, including managing information technology, making travel arrangements, and creating presentations or proposals. This position maintains the EVP's schedule, and plans appointments, board meetings, conferences etc. The Chief Executive Assistant position receives and handles inquiries, complaints, and requests related to departmental activities from department heads, local and state officials, the media, and the general public. This position attends meetings and keeps minutes and is responsible for handling highly confidential documents, protecting an organization's confidential information, communication and information management, and events. As the Executive has a participative role in community activities, the Chief Executive Assistant position acts as a liaison to internal and external contacts in a manner that promotes the professional image of Houston Methodist and extension of executive leadership, interacting with all levels of the organization.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Works collaboratively with stakeholders to foster a climate of open communication, problem-solving, mitigation of conflict and resolution efforts. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement on department scorecard.

• Provides proactive and creative recommendations on how to meet goals and handle identified risks and deviations. Maintains assigned executive vice president's calendar. Schedules/coordinates meetings, conferences and WebEx/conference calls, special events, appointments and keeps executive informed of schedule change prior to meeting or appointment.

• Screens inquiries from employees, vendors, public officials, the media and the general public addressed to the EVP; gathers appropriate material from the EVP and other administrative staff to respond to inquiries and routes more complex inquiries along with support documentation to department leadership, as appropriate.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reads, sorts and analyzes incoming correspondence, memos, submissions, emails, abstracts, protocols, and reports in order to determine their significance and plan their distribution. Composes, proofs, types, and distributes letters, memos, reports, spreadsheets, presentations and related outgoing materials.

• Prepares agendas and makes arrangements for committee, board, and other meetings. Records, maintains, and distributes minutes of executive and/or Board meetings. Attends meetings in order to record minutes.

• Conducts research, compiles data, and prepares papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees and boards of directors.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures documentation (agendas, minutes, presentations, etc.), is complete, timely, accurate, and in accordance with standards and policies, in order to ensure a successful outcome.

• Handles highly confidential documents, protecting an organization's confidential information, communication and information management. Performs data monitoring/maintenance for the department with minimal supervision. Ensures quality and timely execution of deliverables. Coordinates deadlines related to multiple deadlines including but not limited to reports and presentations.

• Organizes and expedites the flow of work through the executive offices in a timely manner to assist in alleviating the executive workload. Participates in performance improvement activities to support department/entity goals.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks. Utilizes time efficiently and helps other team members.

• Assists in the preparation and tracking of annual operating budget. Efficiently and cost effectively schedules and coordinates travel arrangements. Initiates financial documentation and check requests as necessary on invoices, business expenses and other items requiring payment. Initiates office equipment service calls and follows up to ensure that required maintenance/repairs are performed in a timely manner.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and assumes responsibility of own learning needs and seeks continuing education opportunities to meet those needs. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management.

• Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and activities. Follows up on action items to ensure completion of assignments.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

• Secondary level education preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Seven years experience supporting senior management

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• N/A

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Professional level verbal and written communications skills

• Ability to organize a daily workload by priorities, frequently and quickly shift tasks

• Must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced quickly changing environment

• Exhibits sound, good judgment and critical thinking skills

• Ability to create graphs and spreadsheets

• Possesses excellent customer service skills

• Ability to be versatile and adaptable to all situations

• Proactive approach to problem-solving with strong decision-making skills

• Ability to take and transcribe dictation is preferred

• Demonstrates ability to work alone or with a team

• Use of personal computer and related software (such as Microsoft, Excel and PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and Publisher

• Proficient in spelling, punctuation, grammar and other English language skills

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Houston Methodist (HM) is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers.  HM consists of eight hospitals: Houston Methodist Hospital, its flagship academic hospital in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, and seven community hospitals throughout the greater Houston metropolitan area.  HM also includes an academic institute, a comprehensive residency program, a global business division, numerous physician practices and several free-standing emergency rooms and outpatient facilities.  Overall, HM employs over 25,000 employees.   Houston Methodist is supported by a wide variety of business functions that operate at the system level to help enable clinical departments to provide the best patient care and service in a spiritual environment.

In 2019 Houston Methodist and its physicians treat more than 6,333 international patients from more than 76 countries. Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services’ consulting and education divisions also provide advisory services and training and development to health care organizations around the world.