Position Description: Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Opportunity

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead The Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, the largest pediatric hematology/oncology program in the nation.  The Center records nearly 30,000 out-patient visits each year and treats more than 100 patients per day. 

The program represents approximately a third of the business of the hospital and enables the research and clinical faculty to treat children and young adults with many forms of cancer and blood diseases.  The Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases is a Center of Excellence and the pediatric component of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Norris Cancer Center at University of Southern California.

Our highly prestigious client, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has retained the firm of Reilly & Associates to conduct a search for the Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases.

Overview of the Hospital

Our highly prestigious client, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) located in Los Angeles, California was founded in 1901. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has treated the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. 

The hospital treats more than 55,000 patients a year in its Emergency Department.  It admits more than 11,750 children a year to the hospital, and nearly 50 percent of those admissions are children under four years of age.  There are more than 282,000 visits a year to its 29 outpatient clinics and laboratories and more than 10,500 visits at community sites through its Division of Adolescent Medicine.  CHLA is able to offer the optimum in multidisciplinary care, with 33 pediatric subspecialties and dozens of special services for children and families.

Training programs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles include 250 medical students, 80 full-time residents and 65 fellows, who collectively reflect the diversity of the patient population and the city of Los Angeles.  CHLA has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California for more than 70 years.

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is the only hospital in Greater Los Angeles affiliated with the Children’s Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for pediatric hospitals throughout North America.

The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, affiliated with the highly prestigious Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, is the fastest growing, largest and most productive pediatric research center in the western United States.  The base of knowledge at The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is widely considered to be among the best in pediatric medicine, as it is one of the few freestanding research centers in the nation to combine scientific laboratory inquiry with patient clinical care dedicated exclusively to children.

Reporting Relationship

The Administrative Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases has a matrix reporting relationship to the Vice President for Clinical Programs and Professional Services, the Medical Director and Co-Director of the Cancer Center. The Medical Director of the Center is the Division Head for Hematology-Oncology and the Co-Director is the Division Head for Bone Marrow Transplant and Research Immunology.

Management

The style of management and the organizational culture of excellence are deeply rooted in teamwork.  This position is part of a team of Director-level management staff who report directly to the VP for Clinical Programs and Professional Services.  This team of directors is extraordinarily focused, with a commitment to achieving the goals of the Hospital as they relate to patient care, teaching and research programs. 

The commitment of the management team to the mission, which is “Children”, is outstanding and highly effective in keeping the management and staff focused on the big picture.  To complement other Administrative Directors throughout the Hospital, an individual must be able to blend their individual success into that of the entire team and to share in the commitment and the satisfaction of taking care of very sick children. 

Center Overview

The Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases is the largest pediatric hematology/oncology program in the nation.  The Center records nearly 30,000 out-patient visits each year and treats more than 100 patients per day.  The program represents approximately a third of the business of the hospital and enables the research and clinical faculty to treat children and young adults with many forms of cancer and blood diseases.

Position Description

The Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases will be responsible for all aspects of Center operations including financial management, clinical operations, clinical research and research administration in addition to fundraising, marketing and program planning. The Administrative Director directly supervises seven members of the Center’s management team: Finance Manager, Operation Manager – Clinical Operations, Operations Manager – Clinical Research, Nursing Administrator, Administrative Manager - Personnel/Payroll, and Program Administrator – Fellowship Training.  The Administrative Director is also responsible for ensuring the professional development of all staff (nursing, technical, administrative and support personnel), ensuring patient and staff satisfaction and collaborating with medical leadership on care delivery models which are financially viable.

He or she will play a key role in achieving the Center’s objectives re: network development and access to care in addition to continuing to be a leader in cancer treatment and research.  The successful candidate will be an “administrative leader" with the ability to adopt the vision of the Cancer Center.

The Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases will oversee the activities of the Center, comprised of 60 faculty members and approximately 300 CHLA staff.

Qualifications

A qualified candidate will have a MBA or MPH and 5-7 years in a leadership role in Healthcare Administration.  An Oncology background is preferred, but not a requirement.  The successful candidate will have the ability to manage a complex, multidisciplinary operation for an academic program.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the daily operation of the Center
• Responsible for implementing decisions, policies and procedures made in collaboration with the Center leadership
• Responsible for the budgeting and financial management of the Center
• Develop Management Reports for senior management and other key decision makers
• Oversees the outpatient activities for Hematology-Oncology, Radiation Oncology and BMT working closely with the Operations Manager, Nurse Manager and Medical Director.
• Builds integrated clinical systems with ancillary departments (e.g. laboratory, radiology and anesthesiology)
• Monitors Dashboard. Initiates appropriate follow-up to continuously monitor patient care volume and associated billing and collections activities.
• Collaborating with the administration/physicians on a model of care delivery and financial accountability
• Develops an action plan for managing growth
• Manage the space of the Center
• Responsible for personnel management of the program, including hiring and firing, in consultation with Human Resources
• Set-up clear expectations for staff members and provide feedback to enhance staff performance
• Ensure compliance pertaining to grants and contracts and other sources of funding

Personal Characteristics

The Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases needs to possess the patience, self-confidence and communication skills necessary to work with the clinical, research and administrative staff as well as faculty members of the Center.

First and foremost, this individual needs to be a team player, be a superb communicator. It is imperative that he/she be skilled in bringing together the staff functions in a spirit of harmony and with a single-minded purpose.

A hands-on leader.  The successful candidate will have a proven record of accomplishment of strong leadership skills to ensure that the improvement process within the department continues, that priorities are established and the goals are met.

The successful candidate will be a person who possesses a strong work ethic.  An action-oriented personality that deals with specifics within a broad conceptual framework will be most effective in this position.  This individual will have an appropriate sense of urgency to react to situations quickly and decisively.

Compensation

The compensation plan is based on a competitive base salary commensurate with the experience and the demonstrated accomplishments of the successful candidate.  It will reflect the opportunity at the hospital. The hospital has an excellent employee benefits package consisting of medical coverage, a dental plan and life insurance.  This position is eligible for the Executive Benefit Plan. 

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has entered into an agreement with the Holden Williams Team of Keller Williams Coastal Properties, along with its world-class partners Citibank, Citigroup, Lawyers Title, Allstate Funding and United Van Lines, to provide a comprehensive program to address housing needs, as well as address real estate and lending concerns for employees of the hospital.

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