Description:
Job Title: Director of Cardiopulmonary Services
Reports To: Chief Nursing Officer
Description:
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The Director of Cardiopulmonary Services provides strategic, operational, clinical, and financial leadership for the Cardiopulmonary Services Department, including Respiratory Therapy. The Director is responsible for ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, evidence-based respiratory care across the continuum of care while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and accreditation standards.
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As a member of the hospital leadership team, the Director collaborates closely with physicians, nursing leadership, ancillary departments, and executive leadership to improve patient outcomes, enhance operational performance, and support the organization’s strategic goals.
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In the rural hospital environment, this position serves as a working director who provides direct patient care when operational needs require while leading departmental growth, quality improvement, financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and workforce development.
Essential Job Functions:
Department Leadership
Provides overall administrative and clinical leadership for all Cardiopulmonary Services including:
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Respiratory Therapy
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Sleep Disorders Center/Sleep Laboratory
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Pulmonary Function Testing
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EKG/ECG Services
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Home Sleep Apnea Testing Program
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Respiratory Equipment Management
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Pulmonary Education Programs
Responsible for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating all departmental operations.
Develops annual departmental goals aligned with this hospital’s strategic plan.
Clinical Operations
Provides oversight of respiratory care services throughout the hospital including:
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Emergency Department
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Intensive Care Unit
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Medical/Surgical Unit
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Labor & Delivery
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Nursery
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Surgery/PACU
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Outpatient Services
Ensures evidence-based care for neonatal, pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients.
Maintains clinical protocols consistent with current standards from:
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American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
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American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)
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American Heart Association (AHA)
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
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Arkansas Department of Health
Provides clinical consultation to physicians and nursing staff regarding respiratory and sleep-related patient care.
Sleep Laboratory Oversight
Provides administrative and operational leadership for the Sleep Disorders Center including:
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Diagnostic Polysomnography
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CPAP/BiPAP Titration Studies
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Home Sleep Apnea Testing
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PAP Therapy Management
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Patient Education
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Quality Assurance
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Scheduling
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Equipment Oversight
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Accreditation Readiness
Ensures compliance with all AASM standards and CMS documentation requirements.
Financial Management
Develops and manages the annual operating and capital budgets.
Responsible for:
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Productivity management
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Labor expense control
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Overtime reduction
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Supply utilization
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Capital equipment planning
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Revenue optimization
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Charge capture accuracy
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Contract management
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Cost reduction initiatives
Regularly reviews departmental financial performance and develops corrective action plans as needed.
Human Resources Management
Responsible for all personnel functions including:
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Hiring
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Orientation
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Competency validation
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Performance evaluations
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Employee coaching
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Progressive discipline
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Staff retention
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Succession planning
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Scheduling
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Continuing education
Develops a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
Quality Improvement & Patient Safety
Leads departmental quality initiatives and monitors performance indicators including:
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Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE)
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COPD Readmissions
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Oxygen Stewardship
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Sepsis Compliance
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Sleep Study Quality Metrics
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Documentation Accuracy
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Patient Satisfaction
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Employee Safety
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Equipment Performance
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Clinical Outcomes
Utilizes quality improvement methodologies to improve departmental performance.
Regulatory Compliance
Ensures departmental compliance with:
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CMS Conditions of Participation
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Arkansas Department of Health regulations
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Arkansas Respiratory Care Practice Act
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OSHA Standards
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HIPAA
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AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines
Maintains department readiness for regulatory surveys.
Physician Relations
Develops collaborative working relationships with:
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Emergency Physicians
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Hospitalists
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Anesthesiologists
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Surgeons
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Primary Care Providers
Assists with protocol development and evidence-based practice implementation.
Equipment Management
Responsible for oversight of:
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Mechanical Ventilators
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Transport Ventilators
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High Flow Nasal Cannula Systems
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BiPAP/CPAP Devices
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Aerosol Delivery Systems
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Airway Equipment
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Blood Gas Analyzers
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Pulmonary Function Equipment
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Sleep Diagnostic Systems
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PAP Download Software
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Oxygen Delivery Equipment
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Respiratory Monitoring Equipment
Coordinates preventive maintenance with Biomedical Engineering.
Direct Patient Care
Maintains clinical competency and provides patient care as operational needs require, including:
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Respiratory assessment
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Mechanical ventilation management
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Airway management assistance
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Emergency response
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Code Blue participation
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Intubation assistance
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Oxygen therapy
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Aerosol therapy
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Patient education
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PAP therapy education
Serves as department’s primary clinical resource.
Leadership Responsibilities
Provides leadership in:
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Strategic Planning
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Service Line Development
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Physician Engagement
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Employee Engagement
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Community Outreach
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Workforce Development
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Regulatory Readiness
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Clinical Excellence
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Financial Stewardship
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Operational Improvement
Represents Cardiopulmonary Services on hospital leadership committees
Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications
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Graduate of an accredited Respiratory Therapy program.
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Current Arkansas Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) license.
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Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
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Current BLS certification.
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Current ACLS certification.
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Current PALS certification, or within (6) months of hire.
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Current NRP certification, or within six (6) months of hire.
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Minimum five (5) years of progressive respiratory therapy experience.
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Minimum three (3) years of healthcare leadership experience
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Bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy, Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Business Administration, or related healthcare field required.
Preferred Qualifications
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Master’s degree preferred.
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Experience in rural healthcare.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Demonstrated knowledge of:
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Critical Care Respiratory Therapy
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Mechanical Ventilation
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Pulmonary Diagnostics
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Budget Management
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Healthcare Finance
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Quality Improvement
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Regulatory Compliance
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Leadership Principles
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Electronic Medical Records
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Productivity Management
Ability to:
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Lead multidisciplinary teams
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Build strong physician relationships
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Analyze operational and financial data
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Manage multiple priorities simultaneously
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Resolve conflict effectively
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Develop policies and procedures
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Present information to executive leadership and the Board of Directors
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Coach and mentor employees
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Maintain confidentiality and professionalism
Performance Expectations
Performance will be measured through achievement of departmental goals including:
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Clinical Quality Outcomes
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Patient Safety Metrics
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Budget Performance
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Labor Productivity
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Overtime Management
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Staff Retention
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Employee Engagement
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Patient Satisfaction
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Physician Satisfaction
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Regulatory Compliance
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Survey Readiness
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Documentation Accuracy
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Revenue Integrity
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Department Growth Initiatives
Rural Hospital Leadership Expectations
As a leader in a rural healthcare setting, the Director of Cardiopulmonary Services is expected to:
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Serve as a visible, hands-on leader while maintaining clinical competency.
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Function as a working director by providing direct patient care during staffing shortages, high census, emergencies, and after-hours situations.
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Support emergency preparedness, disaster response, and hospital-wide clinical initiatives.
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Collaborate with executive leadership on strategic growth opportunities, including expansion of pulmonary rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and tele-pulmonology services.
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Promote a culture of accountability, service excellence, innovation, fiscal responsibility, and patient-centered care.
Safety-Sensitive Position
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This position is designated as safety-sensitive because the employee provides and oversees direct patient care, responds to medical emergencies, operates and manages life-support and respiratory care equipment, administers respiratory treatments, and makes clinical and operational decisions that may directly affect patient safety.
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The Director of Cardiopulmonary Services must maintain the ability to perform all assigned duties safely, reliably, and without impairment.
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The employee is required to comply with all Johnson Regional Medical Center policies regarding workplace safety, fitness for duty, medication disclosure when applicable, substance use, drug and alcohol testing, and reporting of any condition that could impair the safe performance of essential job functions. Failure to meet these requirements may result in removal from duty and further action consistent with hospital policy and applicable law.
