Director, Weight Loss Bariatric Surgery Center

JOB SUMMARY

At Houston Methodist, the Director Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Center (WLBSC) position is responsible for all strategic initiatives and activities for the service line including, but not limited to, researching, planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating education and highly efficient and effective healthcare services for bariatric surgery, inpatient and outpatient diabetes education and medical weight management patients (and others as assigned) for the WLBSC. This position designs and organizes the Bariatric Center of Excellence by meeting the specific criteria as set by Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) for the department. The Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Center position ensures all performance metrics including quality, service, and safety, are met in area of responsibility. This position will oversee multi-site clinics with decentralized staff across the system.

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.

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Job responsibilities labeled EF capture those duties that are essential functions of the job.

PEOPLE - 20%

• 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. (EF)
• Oversees and manages multi-site clinics across the system with team members decentralized. (EF)
• In partnership with the bariatric surgeon group, develops best practices and facilitates Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) projects across the system (EF)
• 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. (EF)
• 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. (EF)
• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators. (EF)
• 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. (EF)

SERVICE - 20%

• 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. (EF)
• Designs and organizes the Bariatric Center by meeting the specific criteria as set by MBSAQIP for the department (forms, videos, educational materials, support group letters, data retrieval, and patient selection). (EF)
• Ensures a seamless access and patient journey through the program (EF)
• Sets priorities and goals in consultation with senior leadership and the physicians involved in the Bariatric Center. (EF)
• 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. (EF)

QUALITY/SAFETY - 20%

• 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. (EF)
• Actively leads and manages quality and outcomes initiatives for all programs in the Weight Management Center. Identifies standards and develops protocols for new techniques and for precepting new surgeons and their representatives. (EF)
• 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. (EF)
• 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.). (EF)

FINANCE - 20%

• In partnership with Financial Accounting/Medical Records, establishes standards for chart coding that ensures accuracy and maximizes reimbursement opportunities. (EF)
• 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. (EF)
• Partners with surgeon offices to ensure that patients meet criteria as set by the Bariatric Surgical Committee for patient selection. Assists with the insurance approval process and the insurance Request For Information (RFI) data process. (EF)
• 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. Develops long-range projections and financial plans, maintains appropriate analysis, and recommends necessary adjustments to service line at the system level. (EF)

GROWTH/INNOVATION - 20%

• Actively participates and takes leadership role in the development and on-going management of strategic planning and growth for the Weight Management Center and Bariatric Surgery Center. (EF
• Develops and implements new and innovative programs in alignment with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (EF)
• Maintains proactive awareness of the ever-changing environment of healthcare, carrying out extensive research, evaluating results, making recommendations on the best approach and initiatives to take to streamline its service line(s) and operations. (EF)
• 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. (EF)
• Determines innovative strategies to achieve the service line vision, implementing tactics to meet/exceed service line goals. (EF)

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 REQUIREMENTS

o Master’s degree in Nursing, Nutrition or other related field

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

o Five years of people management experience in a healthcare environment with three years experience with bariatric surgical clinical experience and/or a non-surgical weight management or wellness program; for HM employees, four years of people management experience with three years experience with bariatric surgical clinical experience