The Director, Transplant Services leads, directs, and manages high‑performance teams with accountability for operations, quality, regulatory compliance, customer service, financial stewardship, and strategic success of assigned transplant and advanced heart failure programs. Areas of responsibility are high volume, complex, and have significant strategic and financial impact on current and future success of Sentara hospitals.
This role provides operational and strategic leadership for Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programs (approximately 120 transplants annually) and the Heart Transplant Program (approximately 20 transplants annually). The Director also has oversight of the LVAD Program, Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS), and SHOCK Program, as well as living donor services related to kidney—and potential future segmental transplant opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
Directs daily operations of kidney, pancreas, and heart transplant programs, as well as LVAD/MCS and SHOCK services.
Oversees clinical and administrative teams including nurse coordinators, APPs, data analysts, financial coordinators, support staff, and other multidisciplinary roles.
Provides leadership for living donor program operations, including regulatory compliance, workflow optimization, and donor-focused care pathways.
Partners closely in a dyad leadership model with surgical and medical directors to ensure aligned clinical and operational decision-making.
Regulatory Compliance
Ensures full compliance with CMS Conditions of Participation, UNOS policies, OPTN requirements, and DNV requirements for VAD/MCS programs.
Leads preparation for regulatory surveys, audits, and program recertifications.
Oversees development, implementation, and monitoring of corrective action plans in response to regulatory findings or performance improvement needs.
Maintains policies and processes that support safe, compliant, high‑quality transplant and MCS operations.
Quality, Safety & Outcomes
Develops and leads quality improvement initiatives focused on patient outcomes, safety, and regulatory performance metrics.
Oversees the transplant quality team, performance analytics, and reporting of key outcome measures to internal and external stakeholders.
Partners with clinical leadership to ensure excellent outcomes, patient experience, and post‑transplant follow‑up.
Strategic & Program Development
Designs and executes growth strategies for kidney, pancreas, and heart transplant programs, as well as LVAD/MCS services.
Leads programmatic development, including creation of new clinical pathways, service expansion, best‑practice implementation, and innovation to advance transplant and advanced heart failure care.
Collaborates with physician leaders and senior executives to align program performance with market, system‑level, and service line strategies.
Supports referral development, outreach initiatives, and clinical program expansion.
Financial & Business Management
Oversees operational and capital budgets, financial modeling, and business planning for transplant and mechanical support programs.
Develops and manages pro formas, supports payer contracting, and guides resource allocation to ensure financial sustainability.
Provides oversight for transplant financial coordinators and financial clearance processes.
Collaboration & Communication
Builds and maintains strong relationships with transplant surgeons, transplant medicine specialists, cardiologists, nephrologists, APPs, nursing leadership, and administrative partners.
Coordinates with the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) for organ allocation, process efficiency, donor availability, and compliance.
Ensures effective communication across all phases of care, from referral to post‑transplant follow‑up.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
Master’s degree required (MHA, MBA, MSN, MPH, or related field).
Minimum 5 years of clinical management or healthcare leadership experience required.
Prior transplant leadership experience required.
Clinical experience in transplant medicine preferred, preferably heart or kidney.
Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in a complex clinical environment.
Demonstrated experience with financial modeling, pro formas, and business planning.
Successful track record leading within a dyad model with physician partners.
If the candidate is a nurse leader, an active and unencumbered RN license in Virginia or a Compact/Multi‑State license is required.
Preferred Competencies
Strong knowledge of CMS, UNOS, OPTN, DNV (for VAD/MCS), and other transplant‑related regulations.
Demonstrated ability to lead quality and performance‑improvement programs.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship‑building skills.
Ability to lead through influence and manage multiple high‑acuity clinical programs.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and business acumen.
