Associate or Professor of Clinical Pediatrics CHLA (Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

The Heart Institute is involved in more than 100 research efforts, publishes 60+ papers annually, and participates in multi-center trials on stem cell therapy, gene therapy, and congenital heart disease innovations.

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic individual to join our team as the CHLA Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Director of the CHLA Heart Institute. As a pivotal enterprise leader, this individual will be responsible for providing oversight for faculty activities and the delivery of medical care in each of the critical environments covered. The position also includes supporting the academic success and professional development of our faculty, fellows and team members.

Candidate Attributes

The ideal candidate will be a board-certified pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon who has a strong orientation toward academic, clinical, research and training excellence as well as financial and operational excellence, with an accomplished clinical research record and prior successes in developing and mentoring faculty members. Further, the ideal candidate will demonstrate an ability to inspire and motivate through vision and purpose, have a demonstrated track record of bringing teams together, have academic credentials of merit, have effectively managed people around short-term and long-term objectives, have a deep understanding of the business of academic medicine, have supported resource stewardship initiatives, and be a clear and professional communicator. The ability to build high-performing teams, engage in strategic thinking and decision-making are all necessary skills.

Responsibilities
The candidate will balance decision-making across the wide variety of care settings and environments available at CHLA and be responsible for providing strategic, administrative, clinical, operational and financial leadership to the division and the Heart Institute. This role ensures the highest standards of patient care in alignment with the hospital's mission, vision, and values. The individual will champion growth within the Division and Institute, engage in program development activities, develop and champion innovative compensation models and provide academic leadership and mentorship. Specific leadership responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Leadership and Administration:

• Mission Alignment:Demonstrate behaviors in alignment with the hospital's mission, vision, values, policies, and procedures.
• Vision for Advancement of the Specialty at CHLA: Demonstrate expertise in local and national forces shaping healthcare in the U.S. and acumen regarding how these forces may influence the future of the discipline.
• Strategic Vision: Collaborate with the Chief of Cardiology and Co-Director of the Heart Institute, administrative director, and nursing director to establish and execute a clear vision for outstanding performance for the Heart Institute.
• Patient Care Expansion: Identify opportunities for new patient care services and external partnerships to expand the Heart Institute's offerings.
• Team Collaboration: Conduct regular meetings with clinical faculty and administrative staff to discuss projects and plans for improving service line performance.
• Department Collaboration: Participate in surgical division leader activities at both USC as well as at CHLA. Address clinical, service, process and behavioral complaints directly with other affected chiefs and their faculty.
• Cross-organizational collaboration: Build a strong partnership and working collaboration with other division and department leaders, both internal and external to the cardiothoracic surgery division and Heart Institute at CHLA.
• Communication: Maintain clear communication with executive leadership regarding strategic goals and progress.
• Representation: Represent the Heart Institute in administrative, operational, and philanthropic efforts. Attend CHLA Department of Surgery meetings, CHLA Hospital Leadership meetings, and USC Chief Meetings as Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery.
• Growth: Identify and champion opportunities for growth of the division's clinical, research, and educational programs.

• Tone-setting: Create and proactively work to maintain a positive work environment. Provide guidance and mentorship for physicians and trainees to support a culture of professionalism and effective communication within the division and across the institution.

Financial Leadership:

• Strategic Goals:Execute strategic and financial goals in collaboration with the cardiology co-director, administrative director, and nursing director in alignment with the division and Institute's financial strategic plan goals and priorities of the division.
• Budget Oversight: Oversee the division's budget in collaboration with academic and administrative hospital and USC Care Medical Group leaders; develop and participate in annual divisional budgeting efforts, monitor financial performance and develop corrective action plans to address fiscal performance challenges, and provide fiscal leadership for the division's management team.
• Cost Management:Continuously improve cost management for inpatient and outpatient services to ensure financial viability.
• Productivity Standards:Evaluate and establish financial productivity standards for clinical faculty and staff.
• Fiscal Advising:Advise on fiscal needs and optimize the use of operational and capital funding.

• Philanthropy: Partner with the leadership of the hospital and the CHLA Foundation on fundraising initiatives to support the fiscal health of the division and the Heart Institute. Participate in divisional and institute fundraising activities and represent the division at philanthropic events.

Clinical Performance:

• Quality & Patient Safety: Lead and participate in quality assurance and performance improvement activities for the division in partnership with our QA/QI teams. Ensure the provision of clinical care that meets the needs of the Divisions with clinical quality and productivity levels that meet or exceed accepted standards. Partner successfully with leadership across the CHLA enterprise to maximize the impact of the hospital's clinical care delivery and operations. Ensure clinical quality performance meets US News & World Report ranking requirements and regulatory standards; support high-reliability organization efforts.

• Service Access:Enhance access and throughput of Heart Institute services.
• Innovation:Encourage innovation and development of best practices and clinical protocols.
• Strategic Goals:Operationalize strategic plan goals and priorities.
• Patient Experience:Implement performance improvement initiatives to maintain and improve patient satisfaction.
• Referral Management:Manage case referrals, distributing them based on time spent at CHLA, case complexity, and practice focus.
• Billing and Documentation: Ensuring divisional faculty compliance with clinical practice billing and documentation rules and regulations.

Academic and Research:

• Faculty Development: Grow the faculty pipeline with a focus on both existing talent and new recruits, approve faculty appointments, reappointments and academic promotions for faculty members practicing at CHLA and assist (as appropriate) with recruitment of key faculty for other divisions, hospital, and medical group staff.
• Performance Guidelines:Create and drive accountability for clinical and academic performance guidelines for faculty members, outlining goals and expectations for research and education. Deliver thoughtful, accurate and timely academic and performance evaluations for division faculty in accordance with required procedures and timelines.
• Research Integration:Develop a research plan to integrate clinical, translational, and health services research.
• Investigator Support:Monitor and encourage the progress of divisional investigators.
• Training Programs:Coordinate educational activities for pediatric cardiothoracic surgery (in collaboration with education/fellowship services of the division) and engaging in regular evaluation and optimization of the resident and fellow training programs and opportunities.

• Professional Development:Maintain competence and professional development, including licenses and certifications.

Requirements:

Board certification

Primary board certification in Congenital Cardiac Surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years as an attending surgeon, preferably at a large complex academic children's hospital or academic medical center, ideally in a diverse, urban and highly regulated market with a high ratio of Medicaid-insured patients.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated faculty or cross-functional leadership experience.
• Successful track record leading strategic initiatives and experience with budget management preferred.
• Must have demonstrated experience leading and mentoring faculty and team members in their professional development.
• Must have clinical operating experience with highly complex cardiac patients with successful outcomes as the primary surgeon.
• Must have a demonstrated track record of research experience and a commitment to advancing the field.
• Academic achievement of an associate professor status or higher preferred.

Licensure
Must be licensed (or be eligible for medical licensure) in the State of California.

COMPENSATION CONSIDERATIONS

CHLA/KSOM values the contribution each Team Member brings to the organization. Final determination of a successful candidate's starting pay will vary based on several factors, including, but not limited to education and experience within the job or the industry. Compensation information listed for this position is generally for candidates that meet the specified qualifications and requirements listed on the specific job description. Additional pay may be determined for those candidates that exceed these specified qualifications and requirements. CHLA/KSOM provides a competitive compensation package that recognizes an individual's unique experience, credentials, and education alongside a robust benefits program.

SALARY RANGE: $1,500,000 - $1,750,000

If interested, please apply using the link above. For further inquiries, please contact:

Deborah Braidic

Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Phone 323-361-1951 | dbraidic@chla.usc.edu

Academic appointment through USC Keck School of Medicine will be commensurate with training and experience. USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. CHLA and USC greatly values diversity and is committed to building a vibrant and culturally diverse community of faculty that best reflects the patients and families that we serve. Individuals from underrepresented groups in medicine are especially encouraged to apply.