At Houston Methodist, the Sr Director Laboratory Services position is responsible for the operational oversight and business expansion of laboratory services throughout Houston Methodist. In partnership and conjunction with the medical leadership of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, this position is responsible for the overall strategic vision and leadership for all Laboratory and Pathology services across the organization and the continuum of patient care, ensuring the Laboratory strategy and goals are in alignment with the institutional and organizational strategic areas of focus. The System Director Laboratory Services position maintains effective and collaborative relationships with the executives across the organization to maximize the success of the laboratory, hospitals and ultimately the organization. This position will provide oversight for design and operation of the entire laboratory process throughout the system, ensuring it is efficient and safe for the patients we serve, and will represent the laboratory in key internal/external committees and forums.

The Sr Director position has a direct report to a VP level or above and directs work that has a significant impact on the organization and strategic goals. This position leads or directs key programs; large scope (i.e., system-wide, TMC, or all community hospitals). The scope for the Sr Director position involves setting the strategic vision and administration and has responsibility for multiple budgets (operational and capital) and/or directs work that has significant financial implications including high-level oversight of the activities within the assigned functional area(s), ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence, and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. In addition, the Sr Director position is accountable for employee engagement, adequate staffing levels, budget development and compliance, and developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also ensures training, monitoring and operations initiatives are implemented which secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations. The Sr Director position may serve in lieu of an entity director for the assigned functional area(s). This position may also have direct reports to include director-level employees.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

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

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

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Sets the strategic vision and administration and is responsible for multiple budgets (operational and capital) and/or directs work that has significant financial implications including high-level oversight of the activities within the assigned functional area(s), ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence, and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives.

• Directs, develops, and implements strategic and operational/high-level projects and processes through independent/highly autonomous work or through the facilitation of work teams to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives.

• Oversees and ensures development for staff to meet overall objectives in terms of quality, service, and cost effectiveness. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Provides a functional area oversight guidance and directs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees.

• Reviews metrics for the function on a holistic basis. Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.

• Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting function leadership meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all direct reports, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes. Ensures information pertinent to function operations cascades appropriately to each entity.

• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's functional area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals. Drives the promotion of teamwork within and between entities and departments; participates and/or leads system function process improvements as needed.

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with the key hospital leaders, medical staff members, and other patient care leaders to ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of Laboratory Services. Works with Department of Pathology and Genomics to make sure clinical and operational processes are aligned.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees functional area department operations, designated projects, schedules, and activities as needed to ensure that system goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to function leadership and staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.

• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the functional area.

• Coordinates the flow of information (internal and external) and communication throughout the laboratory to ensure the appropriate individuals and medical directors are involved in all matters.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines. Responsible for ensuring leaders in the functional area stay abreast of staff maintenance of credentials and competencies, per accrediting/licensing agency and/or department guidelines as applicable.

• Establishes and maintains a functional area alignment of policies, processes, and goals. Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring and improving the system-wide workflow and enhancing operations, using peer-to-peer accountability and identifying solutions via collaboration. Designs and implements functional area process improvements utilizing tools such as lean principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.

• Responsible for ensuring leaders in the functional area stay abreast of employee compliance to policies and procedures and perform associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., licensure/certification compliance, focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).

• Ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements.

• Working with medical leadership, confirms that HM employs a sufficient number of laboratory personnel with the appropriate education, certification and either experience or training to provide appropriate laboratory management and performance of all other laboratory personnel job functions and activities as defined by departmental and organizational policies, regulatory board or agency rules, regulations and statutes, and accreditation and professional organization standards.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides input on the development and management of operational and capital budgets, approvals, and ongoing maintenance of the department(s), ensuring operation in a cost-effective manner. Proactively identifies and plans for capital needs related to current equipment and future system projects. Ensures staffing plans and schedules meet system needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.

• Creates functional area strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to functional area specifications.

• Performs vendor management functions and oversees contract negotiation, contract development, and conformance to contract procedures and evaluation of expenditures.

• Identifies, develops, implements and revises as needed physical facility, equipment, information systems, and/or other non-personnel needs to effectively support laboratory services and programs.

• Identifies areas within the lab that can drive efficiency and best practices through standardizations. Identifies opportunities where centralization within the lab can add value and labor efficiencies.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies, designs, and ensures implementation of innovative solutions for the functional area. Proactively participates in task forces and committees. May represent HM at assigned community or professional organization meetings.

• Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures. Partners effectively with stakeholders as appropriate.

• Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates My Development Plan (MDP) on an ongoing basis. Conducts conversations with direct reports on their development and MDP.

• Promotes the Education and Research programs of the organization, including accredited residencies and undergraduate laboratory programs.

• Continually monitors the healthcare environment and landscape to identify future growth and business expansion opportunities within the laboratory to enhance revenue, provide the highest quality care for our patients and/or maximize operational efficiencies in conjunction with the Department of Pathology and Genomics. Implements and maximizes the use of automation and technology; and expands and optimizes laboratory expertise in areas throughout the patient experience to provide the highest quality patient care in a timely manner.

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

• Master's degree in business management or related field

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Five years of laboratory experience, to include experience in a large hospital

• Five years of people management experience

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• N/A

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• MT - Medical Technologist (ASCP) OR
• MLS(ASCP) - Medical Laboratory Scientist (ASCP) OR
• DLM(ASCP) - Diplomate in Laboratory Management (ASCP) OR
• Categorical certification by Board of Certification (ASCP); or equivalent certification based on educational requirements and examination

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing 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 about activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization

• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved

• Possesses strategic vision with the ability to execute at a system level

• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills

• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences

• Extensive knowledge of regulatory and accreditation agency requirements that impact functional area; stays abreast of industry changes

• Demonstrates highly effective communication skills-strong written communications and platform presentation abilities

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace

• Capable of leading teams/facilitating groups, building consensus and garnering highest confidence in professionalism and work product by senior leadership

• Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities; highly responsive and solution/action oriented

• Proficiency in spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software

• Maintains a positive and supportive attitude and demeanor

• Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information

• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead large groups of laboratorians/technicians within a health system

• Must possess excellent time/project management skills and demonstrate ability to coordinate efforts of peers and other laboratory, nursing, administrative and medical staffs

• Capable of translating and simplifying a complex lab situation to a larger audience

• Skill in planning, organizing and delegating functional activities

• Skill in coaching, counseling and developing the functional and managerial skills of others

• In depth knowledge of laboratory techniques, operations and procedures

• Demonstrates critical thinking skills by devising and applying innovative solutions

• Ability to work independently and collaborate with teams; seeks and expands on original ideas, enhances others' ideas, and contributes own ideas about the issues at hand

• Probes for and provides information to clarify solutions

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

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

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* Yes

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

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

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.