The Company Mercy Health With nearly a 200-year legacy, Mercy Health is the 6th largest Catholic health care system in the United States comprised of 32 acute care hospitals, 17 specialty hospitals, and more than 50,000 team members.
Mercy Health is an $9 billion, award-winning, not-for-profit and highly integrated Catholic healthcare system, headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri (the Greater St. Louis area), with operations spanning multiple states. Founded on a rich history of serving others and a mission to provide compassionate and exceptional quality of health care, the Sisters of Mercy opened their first hospital in 1871 – a 25-bed infirmary for women and children in St. Louis.
Mercy Clinics Mercy Health’s clinics treat chronic illnesses, diagnose and treat diseases in early stages, and help prevent suffering and poor long-term outcomes. Across four states, a team of more than 2,400 Mercy primary and specialty care physicians, more than 2,200 advanced practitioners, and supporting staff deliver health care services through more than 300 offices.
Mercy Hospitals Shorter hospital stays, fewer complications and better patient results are just a few metrics used to rank Mercy as one of the nation's top five largest health systems in the 2019 IBM Watson Health 15 Top Health Systems study. Mercy Health provides hospital care through 32 acute care facilities and 17 specialty hospitals.
Mercy Ministries Mercy serves various special needs, particularly for low-income patients throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Mercy ministries include the following:
Mercy Family Center is a behavioral health clinic for adolescents and their families, serving New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mississippi Health Advocacy Program in Jackson, Mississippi, focuses on improving health policies, practices and funding, especially for people experiencing poverty.
Mercy Ministries of Laredo provides primary health care services, a domestic violence shelter and an education center in Laredo, Texas.
Mercy’s Mission, Vision, Values and Charism Since its founding, Mercy has been a ministry committed to service and providing healthcare that is innovative, compassionate, and rooted in faith. Its mission, values, vision and charism guide Mercy’s leaders and co-workers in its continued dedication to service and excellence. These principles also drive a leadership team that encourages personal and professional growth along with building a diverse team to carry on the Mercy mission.
Mission As the Sisters of Mercy before us, we bring to life the healing ministry of Jesus through our compassionate care and exceptional service.
Vision We are the people of Mercy Health Ministry. Together, we are pioneering a new model of care. We will relentlessly pursue our goal to get healthcare right. Everywhere and every way that Mercy serves, we will deliver a transformative health experience.
Values
We cherish each person as created in the image of God.
We give only the best for those entrusted to our care.
We pledge to be in right relationship with one another, with a particular concern for people who are economically poor.
We seek out and put the needs of others first.
We wisely use our talents and resources to strengthen Mercy as a ministry of the Church.
Charism
Charism is a gift of grace freely given by God for the good of others.
Bias for action. We anticipate and respond to need; we get things done.
We have the courage to take risks; we are innovative, seeing what needs to be done.
We are welcoming and accepting, gracious and forgiving.
Right Relationships. We speak our truth with honesty, resolving differences; we hold each other responsible, working together.
Fullness for Life. We have a sense of joy and love of life, even during suffering.
Achievements
Earned the Excellence in Patient Experience Awardas the top large health system in the country for patient experience, a distinction made by NRC Health, a leader in building personalized healthcare solutions and data-driven insights.
Recognized as one of the nation’s “Most Wired”for the 19th time by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.
One of the country's top 10 most successful Accountable Care Organizations, improving the health of Medicare patients and saving the government $61 million in FY20 alone.
Received a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Afor billing ethics from Leapfrog, an independent national healthcare watchdog organization, and Money magazine.
Ranked one of the 25 largest U.S. health systems and the nation's sixth most extensive Catholic system.
Signed first-of-its-kind training affiliation agreement with the S. Air Force Reserve Commandto give Air Force medical reservists access to vital training at 12 Mercy hospitals.
Chosen by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute(PCORI) to pioneer projects that will more quickly move research results into clinical care so patients will benefit sooner.
Recognized by healthcare supply chain leader Global Healthcare Exchange(GHX) as a “Best 50” healthcare provider for supply chain excellence.
The Opportunity
Position: Chief Nursing Executive Location: Chesterfield, Missouri Reporting Relationship: The Chief Nursing Executive will report to the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. Website: https://www.mercy.net/
Purpose of the Position Mercy Health is conducting a search for the next Chief Nursing Executive (CNE). The CNE is responsible for organizing, planning, directing, and evaluating all nursing functions for Mercy Health. This executive sets the vision and strategy for all of nursing, identifies standards of practice, develops quality and safety improvement initiatives, and provides financial oversight/resource utilization to meet diverse clinical and business needs. The CNE will be accountable for enhancing the clinical practice environment across both inpatient and ambulatory settings that center on the patient, providing exceptional quality and safe care, and ensuring that all nurses practice at the highest scope of their licensure. The CNE will champion initiatives to advance care and quality outcomes across Mercy Health.
The CNE serves as the nursing expert for the Mercy Health system. They establish and nourish academic partnerships as well as a nursing labor strategy that generates a workforce pipeline that aids in nursing recruitment and retention initiatives. The CNE participates in and/or leads the implementation of a comprehensive educational platform for all levels of nursing practice in order to navigate clinical transformation and change in support of system goal attainment. This executive will provide leadership oversight of patient quality and safety processes, systems, and technology to steer synergies, clinical standardization, where appropriate, scalability, alignment, and accountability. The CNE will create a culture of excellence in support of Mercy Health’s mission, vision, values, and charism.
Key Responsibilities The CNE will be responsible for the following:
Lead the enterprise strategy of nursing through setting vision and strategy, developing and supporting the implementation of shared goals, and monitoring and evaluating outcomes.
Responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of nursing practice throughout the Mercy Health system to be delivered consistently and safely with regional nursing leadership deploying and executing strategies locally.
Address professional practice needs of nurses throughout the full continuum of care; develop and promote effective care coordination models to partner with community resources and ensure optimal health for patients outside of the hospital setting.
Focus on research of best nursing clinical practices and delivery systems throughout the country to design and execute evidence-based patient care delivery models to promote continuing advancements in nursing care, technology, patient outcomes, and patient experience across Mercy Health.
Create and implement initiatives that elevate and innovate the care delivery model for nursing practices across the Mercy Health system.
Ensure standardization of quality, accreditation, regulatory, compliance, and patient safety efforts through consistent system-wide implementation and monitoring.
Coordinate system strategies around workforce development, training, transformation, and coordinates with the greater nursing leadership team on how strategies are deployed and executed in various geographies.
Ensure a practice environment that enables the implementation of nursing best practices that are consistent throughout the system and aligned with Mercy Health’s broader quality improvement efforts and strategic initiatives.
Works to consistently innovate nursing practices that provide exceptional patient care and operational performance.
Develop initiatives and work collaboratively with others to promote exceptional patient experience and patient safety outcomes.
Serve as a functional leader and content expert for current trends in clinical nursing care, patient safety, and quality to assure Mercy Health stays proactive and innovative in its care delivery model.
Ensure standardization of quality, accreditation, regulatory, compliance, and patient safety efforts through consistent system-wide implementation and monitoring.
Collaborate with all system and local facility leaders to proactively identify strategies that improve the patient care experience and enhance the value proposition of delivered services.
Work collaboratively with dyad/triad partners of patient safety and patient experience stakeholders to ensure goals are being met system wide.
Establish and nourish nursing academic partnerships that mutually benefit outcomes for schools and Mercy Health.
Develop external affiliations and advise executive leadership of educational offerings and/or community initiatives.
Partner closely with Human Resources on workforce development and planning. Design alternate care staffing models and an efficient workforce pipeline that responds to the growing clinical needs of the organization, and resource utilization that aids nursing recruitment and retention initiatives.
Recognize generational differences and implement retention strategies for a multigenerational workforce.
Ensure nurse leaders have been educated and are held accountable to productivity measures.
Implement programs and services that strengthen team member engagement for nurses. Create opportunities for nurses to lead in quality, performance improvement, and evidence-based practice projects.
Serve as the Mercy Health resource in terms of providing consultation in areas affecting nursing practice and care models, quality performance, regulatory compliance, clinical outcomes, and process improvement.
Collaborate with system executives, market leadership, and other key stakeholders to appropriately utilize clinical data, informatics, and business analytics in the expansion of care initiatives, clinical integration, workforce development, process improvement, and standardization of nursing practice.
Participate in the strategic planning process to ensure nursing goals and objectives are in alignment with facility/market initiatives to meet diverse clinical needs.
Represent Mercy Health clinical care locally, regionally, and nationally through health care, professional organizations, and the media. Serve on a number of internal and external committees through participation/memberships in pertinent professional organizations, associations, seminars, and advocacy groups, as needed.
Performs other duties as assigned.
The Candidate Experience and Professional Qualifications The ideal CNE candidate is expected to be a highly respected nurse leader possessing dynamic leadership skills and administrative expertise, and to lead in a manner that supports and contributes to the success and unity of Mercy Health and the communities it serves. They will exemplify the qualities of leadership, collaboration, communication, and fairness. In addition, the CNE will have:
At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience as a proven nurse leader within a complex hospital and/or health system. Experience as a CNE/CNO in a multi-hospital, complex environment is preferred.
Experience as a nurse leader in quality, patient safety, and care management.
Strong operational and financial acumen with the ability to lead and partner around a vision for superior patient-centered care that includes continuous improvements in care coordination, quality, safety, and cost-of-care reductions.
Proven ability to build internal and external relationships, with a demonstrated track record of working successfully with physicians and physician leaders, diverse management teams, community, and system leaders.
Experience working in a highly matrixed environment, demonstrating successful partnership with system and entity senior leadership team(s), clinical leaders, and other key stakeholders to advance organizational objectives.
A “systems thinker” who demonstrates innovation and an understanding and appreciation for nursing practice across the full continuum of care.
Advanced communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to convey complex information in a confident, clear, concise, and compelling way.
An individual who is known to be a highly effective leader; one who can sit at the executive table to both relate and engage with interdisciplinary teams of clinicians, specifically bedside caregivers.
Strong executive presence and political savvy, including communication skills that enable appreciation for other’s perspectives and offers compelling insights and recommendations.
Extensive knowledge of health care issues, trends, legal and regulatory compliance, and clinical integration with emphasis in service line development and nursing operations.
A courageous and innovative individual with a “can do attitude” that can inspire an organization to do its best even in difficult circumstances.
A proactive leader and problem solver regarding the health care economics facing health systems today.
Exhibits strength of character and is viewed as a trusted, ethical and highly visible and effective leader within the organization.
Experience in a role requiring growing business, driving optimal performance and delivering results.
Education
A master’s degree in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a master’s degree in a related healthcare field.
Eligible for RN licensure in the state of Missouri.
Apply To ensure full consideration, inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically in confidence to Kait Hasler at Kait.Hasler@KornFerry.com
