Associate Director of Practice Operations

Welcome to Cherry Health - video about Cherry Health

OVERVIEW OF POSITION:

The Associate Director of Practice Operations is responsible for the operational leadership of an assigned health center, ensuring the delivery of professional, high quality clinical services. This position carries site level accountability for staffing, patient access, quality, safety, financial performance, and regulatory compliance.

The Associate Director translates system wide initiatives into site level execution and serves as the primary point of accountability for their assigned site or region. The Associate Director partners closely with the Director of Practice Operations and medical leadership to advance organizational goals. This position could require some travel to other Cherry Health locations.

Must adhere to the organizational Policies, Procedures, Code of Ethics, and all licensing and accreditation standards of the position.  Must represent Cherry Health’s mission, vision, and values in all actions and communications.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Site Leadership

• Serves as the operational leader for the assigned site, exercising sound judgment and decision-making within organizational policy and established budget parameters.
• Act as the primary on-site point of accountability for operational, safety, facility, and patient experience matters, escalating to the Director of Practice Operations and the Chief Operating Officer when necessary.
• Represent the organization’s mission, vision, and values, to staff, patients, and community partners.
• Anticipate operational needs and resolve day-to-day issues at the site level, partnering with central support functions as appropriate.
• Maintain a visible daily presence at the site and remain available outside standard business hours as operational needs require.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Supervise, coach, and evaluate site staff, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and engagement.
• Create staff schedules, prioritize tasks, and assign duties to ensure operational efficiency based on patient volume and workload.
• Train staff and assess competencies on a regular cycle, ensuring documentation is complete and current.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruitment, onboarding, retention, employee relations, and succession planning for the site.
• Plan and facilitate regular staff meetings to communicate organizational initiatives, performance results, and operational updates.

Operational and Financial Performance

• Assist in monitoring and managing the site budget, while implementing corrective action when performance varies from the plan.
• Partner with medical leadership to establish and monitor provider productivity expectations, patient access targets, template utilization, and schedule optimization.
• Monitor and act on key operational metrics including patient volume, cycle time, no show rates, revenue cycle indicators, and patient satisfaction.
• Ensure established workflows are followed at the site to integrate services, eliminate redundancy, and improve efficiency.
• Partner in facility operations, equipment, supplies, , and site level purchasing within approved authority.

Quality, Compliance, and Safety

• Monitor and address clinical and operational quality concerns within the practice.
• Conduct quality assurance activities through chart reviews, reports, meetings, observation, and performance monitoring.
• Identify and promptly address patient safety, employee safety, infection prevention, and environmental concerns.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures and applicable state, federal, licensing, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
• Participate in emergency preparedness planning and response.
• Promote a culture of safety and continuous quality improvement.
• Other duties as assigned

Clinical Support (where RN licensure is held)

• Oversee clinical workflows, medication management practices, and clinical documentation standards in partnership with medical leadership.
• Assess clinical staff competencies and support clinical skill development at the site.

Community Engagement & Strategic Patient Growth

• Cultivate and maintain active relationships with community stakeholders, local organizations, and residents to elevate clinic visibility and drive strategic patient acquisition.
• Design and execute targeted outreach initiatives to identify, educate, and enroll eligible community members in health center services, directly contributing to federal/organizational unduplicated patient count metrics

SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE / ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgment, and make decisions with limited direct supervision.
• Strong verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of the organization and with external partners.
• Experience in workflow assessment, process improvement, and program implementation.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills, including the ability to interpret operational and financial data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Working knowledge of health center financial operations, budgets, productivity, and revenue cycle fundamentals.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite and demonstrated experience with EMR and EHR platforms.
• Knowledge of state and federal laws, regulations, and codes governing healthcare treatment, including HRSA, Medicare, Medicaid, and other payer requirements.
• Ability to teach relevant skills and motivate staff to meet job expectations.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands.
• Flexibility and adaptability in responding to new challenges and organizational change.
• Willingness to work outside of normal business hours and to travel between sites as needed.

KEY VALUES:

• Collaboration
• Welcoming
• Innovation
• Integrity
• Professionalism

COMPETENCIES:

• Leadership
• Communication and Relationship Management.
• Business Acumen
• Collaboration

EDUCATION / LICENSES / CERTIFICATES:

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field is required.
• Masters degree preferred.
• A valid RN license in the State of Michigan is preferred.
• Basic Life Support / CPR certification is required.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to travel as needed is required.

EXPERIENCE:

• 7 to 10 years of experience in a medical clinic, with a minimum of 5 years in a supervisory or management role required.
• Experience leading a site or program that operates independently of a central administrative office is preferred.
• Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or community health center experience is preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job listed above will be considered.

Who we are:

Cherry Health, Michigan’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), operates in six counties across the state, is based in Grand Rapids. With a team of more than 650 health care professionals at 20 locations, Cherry Health focuses on removing barriers, expanding access, and delivering comprehensive quality health care services to underserved communities, regardless of an individual’s insurance status or ability to pay. We provide primary care, dental, vision, behavioral health, pharmacy services, substance abuse services, residential re-entry services, school-based health centers and more.

Our Mission: 

Cherry Health provides comprehensive, high quality healthcare for all.

Our Vision: 

Lives are transformed by creating a healthier community where every person has their best opportunity to thrive.

Our Values:

• Collaboration – Support the Cherry Health mission by encouraging teamwork to accomplish organizational goals.
• Welcoming – We create an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and comfortable contributing.
• Innovation – Embrace creativity to improve patient care and workplace efficiency while remaining curious and open to learning.
• Integrity – Uphold the highest ethical standards by being honest and trustworthy.
• Professionalism – Create a positive work environment where we care accountable for our decision, our action and the results.

Benefits:

Cherry Health has excellent benefit offerings dependent on employment status.  Check out a sample of the benefits available to our team members below!

• Loan repayment through the NHSC and Michigan State Loan Repayment Program for select roles
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance for you and your family
• Generous Paid Time Off benefit – 4 weeks per year for full time
• Paid holidays - 8 full day paid holidays (Including Black Friday!) and 2 half day paid holidays!
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with generous employer match - $ for $ match up to 5% 
• MET and MESP 529 Savings Plans
• Pet Insurance!
• Employee Assistance Program  

Our policy is to offer all employees and applicants for employment equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, height, weight, sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, or any other protected category.