Director Informatics and CNIO - Houston Methodist

Houston, TX 77246

About the Job

At Houston Methodist, the Director Informatics and Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO) position is responsible for serving as the strategic liaison for health Information Technology (IT) efforts representing nursing needs. This position coordinates and collaborates with administrative teams, clinical leaders, information technology, financial and quality/regulatory/risk management among others in the development of high quality and innovative clinical information systems that assist the nurse in the delivery of care.

The Director position responsibilities include overseeing the activities of the department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position is accountable for employee engagement, adequate staffing levels, budget development and compliance, staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, 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.

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Directs, develops and implements strategic and operational/high level projects and processes either through independent/highly autonomous work or through the facilitation of work teams to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives.
Oversees management of 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. Directs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees.
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 regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes.
Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals. Drives the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.
Collaborates with administration, medical staff, and IT leaders to translate clinician requirements into coordinated specifications for new clinical solutions. Interfaces with nursing staff to ensure clinical technologies are meeting needs and seeks out ideas for innovative enhancements to improve nursing workflow.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Oversees department operations, designated projects, schedules and activities as needed to ensure that goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to 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 department.
Develops clinical systems strategies and roadmaps in collaboration with senior nursing, medical informatics, and operational leaders. Ensures effective two way communication with stakeholders. Partners with clinical and IT leaders in evaluating the effectiveness of technologies and workflows that impact clinical users. Defines health IT requirements for nursing and other disciplines.

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 staff maintenance of credentials and competencies, per accrediting/ licensing agency and/or department guidelines as applicable.
Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring and improving the department workflow and enhancing operations, using peer-to-peer accountability and identifying solutions via collaboration. Implements process improvements utilizing tools such as lean principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.
Responsible for employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs 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.).
Assesses evolving patient care delivery models, hospital operations, human resource processes, healthcare finance and payment models impacting the continuum of care.
Ensures nursing practices and corresponding policies and procedures related to health IT follow appropriate practice acts DMV/Joint Commission requirements and other applicable standards.
Ensures quality improvement efforts are consistent with promoting informatics research, regulatory bodies, and guidelines as well as evidence-based practice that supports positive clinical outcomes.
Provides critical analysis and evaluation of health IT and recommends revision of clinical systems, processes, and workflows to ensure achievement of positive patient outcomes. Facilitates and maintains standards of care that inform evidence-based practice, quality of care, patient safety and clinician workflows.
Provides leadership over disaster planning and recovery strategies consistent with principles of high reliability. Implements downtime readiness procedures and internal reporting regarding system response time and service level agreements for connectivity and operational effectiveness of health IT.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Develops and manages department 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 department projects. Ensures staffing plans and schedules meet department needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.
Creates department 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 department specifications.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department, entity or system operations by leading unit projects and/or other department/ system-directed activities. Proactively leads 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 on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and MDP.
Acts as a change agent in the identification, development, planning, implementation, and value measurement of informatics strategies to support quality patient care and professional practice.
Promotes advancement of clinical analytics and business intelligence to assist in evaluating patient outcomes to support research and operational improvement. Also promotes the use of health IT to improve patient safety by designing, developing, implementing and educating on decision support tools.
Stays abreast of industry trends and best practices and cascades throughout the organization.

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 nursing, healthcare informatics, business administration or healthcare administration required
Doctor of Nursing Practice or PhD in nursing or informatics preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

Ten years experience in IT or nursing to include five years of people management experience in a healthcare environment and three years of informatics experience

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Source : Houston Methodist