The Director of the Emergency Department, reporting to the CNO, organizes, plans, and administers the day-to-day operations of the Emergency Room at Valencia County Hospital. This role is responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective, and timely emergency clinical services within established productivity and budget standards. The Director manages departmental personnel, capital and operating budgets, regulatory compliance, and serves as a visionary leader to develop and grow the service line. This position acts as a vital liaison between the Emergency Department, administration, physicians, EMS agencies, patients, families, and the local community.
- Ensure delivery of safe, evidence-based emergency nursing care.
- Monitor patient flow to reduce wait times and improve throughput.
- Oversee triage processes and Emergency Severity Index (ESI) compliance.
- Coordinate care with inpatient units, ICU, surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, and ancillary departments.
- Develop staffing plans based on patient census and acuity.
- Ensure emergency preparedness and disaster response readiness.
- Monitor emergency department capacity and diversion status.
- Plan, organize, and administer work in the Emergency Department by establishing services, policies, and procedures in accordance with hospital goals.
- Ensure continuous, accurate, timely, and cost-effective emergency services are provided to all patients.
- Interpret organizational and departmental policies for staff, analyze and resolve conflicts, and maintain a cohesive work environment.
- Assure that the work environment is safe and that staff have the necessary, functional equipment and supplies to achieve high-quality clinical outcomes.
- Conduct routine clinical rounding on newly admitted or presenting patients in the Emergency Department to directly address patient and family concerns.
- Develop, implement, and monitor the Emergency Department's annual operating, personnel, and capital budgets.
- Perform ongoing analyses to evaluate and recommend equipment and supplies for purchase, lease, or rental within budget and group purchasing contracts.
- Control overtime and agency staffing costs.
- Collaborate closely with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to review major expenditures and complete appropriate capital justification forms.
- Manage department staffing grids to optimize productivity standards while maintaining patient safety and high-quality care.
- Monitor revenue cycle opportunities affecting emergency services.
- Direct and oversee all Emergency Department operations.
- Develop departmental strategic goals aligned with the hospital's mission.
- Foster a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and excellence.
- Lead department managers, charge nurses, educators, and clinical staff.
- Participate in hospital leadership committees.
- Collaborate with the Chief Nursing Officer and medical leadership on organizational initiatives.
- Lead departmental meetings and communicate organizational priorities.
- Complete annual performance evaluations and conduct individual review sessions semi-annually to foster professional growth and improve work performance.
- Lead quality improvement initiatives.
- Monitor department performance indicators including:
- Door-to-provider time
- Left Without Being Seen (LWBS)
- Length of stay
- Patient satisfaction
- Sepsis compliance
- Stroke metrics
- STEMI metrics
- Trauma response times
- Medication safety
- Infection prevention
- Analyze quality data and implement corrective action plans.
- Participate in Root Cause Analyses (RCA).
- Lead Performance Improvement (PI) projects.
- Identify opportunities for workflow efficiencies, departmental cost savings, and enhanced patient safety.
- Review chart audit results regularly to identify compliance gaps and training opportunities.
- Educate staff on National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) and Core Measure metrics, ensuring full compliance in daily practice.
- Actively engage staff in the decision-making process to drive employee satisfaction and engagement.
- Patient Satisfaction: Achieves and maintains department patient satisfaction targets.
- Throughput Metrics: Minimizes Front-End times (Door-to-Provider) and optimizes Total Length of Stay (LOS) for discharged and admitted patients.
- Left Without Being Seen (LWBS): Maintains LWBS rates below the national/organizational benchmark.
- Patient satisfaction (HCAHPS/Press Ganey or equivalent)
- Nurse turnover and vacancy rates
- Overtime and labor productivity
- Staff engagement scores
- Falls and medication errors
- Hospital-acquired infection rates
- Sepsis bundle compliance
- Stroke and STEMI response times
- Trauma quality indicators
- Budget Compliance: Manages department operational, labor, and capital expenses within approved limits.
- Staff Retention: Meets or exceeds annual nursing and support staff retention targets.
- Regulatory & Quality Standards: Achieves 100% compliance with Core Measures, chart audit requirements, and CIHQ/CMS surveys.
Salary range: $100,000 - 115,000.00
Valencia County Hospital is a new 15-bed acute care facility currently under construction in Los Lunas, NM. Owned by Valencia County and operated through a joint venture between Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) and Lovelace Health System, this startup represents a vital investment in rural healthcare and a unique opportunity to build clinical excellence from the ground up.
Required
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Education & Experience Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required.Graduate from an accredited school of nursing is required. Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN), Healthcare Administration (MHA), or a related field is preferred. Minimum of 5 years of progressive clinical management/leadership experience at the Clinical or Director level managing a clinical or emergency unit is required.
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Competencies Clinical Leadership: Ability to demonstrate solid progressive nursing leadership and operational oversight. Communication: Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills across all levels of the organization. Problem Solving: Advanced organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage stressful environments. Patient Advocacy: Empathy and commitment to addressing patient/family concerns and elevating satisfaction metrics
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Knowledge Emergency nursing clinical practices and specialty trauma/emergency training. Critical Access Hospital (CAH) regulations and CMS conditions of participation. Healthcare budgeting, productivity metrics, and capital expenditure analysis. National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs), Core Measures, and Emergency Department metrics (e.g., left without being seen, door-to-provider times). State and federal regulations governing emergency medical care (EMTALA, HIPAA, OSHA).
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Technical Skills Proficiency with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems specific to Emergency Departments. Experience with automated staffing and scheduling software tools. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel for budget tracking, Word for policies, PowerPoint for staff in-services). Familiarity with hospital Incident Command Systems (HICS) and disaster management platforms. Competency in interpreting business intelligence data, clinical dashboards, and quality reporting metrics.
Preferred
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Certifications: Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of New Mexico. Advanced clinical certifications specific to emergency nursing (e.g., CEN, TNCC, ACLS, PALS) are highly preferred.
Required
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Bachelors or better in Nursing
Preferred
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Masters or better in Nursing or related field
Required
Preferred
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Cert Emerg Nurse
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PALS
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ACLS
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TNCC
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
