Craig Hospital: Chief Nursing Officer & Vice President of Hospital Services

Craig Hospital stands as a global leader in neurorehabilitation, exclusively dedicated to advancing care and research for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and brain injuries (BI). Recognized as a top rehabilitation hospital for the past 35+ years, Craig is one of the most established rehabilitation hospitals in the world. Nestled in Englewood, Colorado, this 350,000-square-foot, 93-bed private, not-for-profit center of excellence delivers a holistic inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation system. With a commitment to innovative care, world-class expertise, and life-changing outcomes, Craig Hospital remains a beacon of hope and healing for patients and families navigating the challenges of SCI and BI.

Craig Hospital redefines excellence in neurorehabilitation with outcomes that consistently outperform national averages. Patients arrive with higher levels of dependency but achieve extraordinary functional gains during their treatment, leading to greater independence and significantly improved quality of life. Graduates of Craig are discharged home at higher rates, return to work or school in larger numbers, require less attendant care, and experience fewer re-hospitalizations. They thrive with higher levels of community reintegration, greater satisfaction with life, and enhanced earning power compared to peers from other rehabilitation programs. Craig’s impact is clear: transforming lives and empowering patients to achieve their fullest potential. BE CRAIG! 

Statistics:

• Each year, we care for 460+ inpatients and 1350+ outpatients
• Patients come from 40+ states with an average age of 38 years old
• Injury Etiology is 42% Vehicular Accidents, 18% Falls, 16% Medical Complications, 13% Sports
• Diagnoses we treat include Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury, and Neuromuscular Disorders

Our outcomes show:

• 92.6% of patients increase mobility from admission to discharge
• 85.4% increase in patient ability to perform self care after discharge
• 84% of patients were discharged to home
• 0.9 hours per day of attendant care for patients with a spinal cord injury on average one year after injury

What Makes Craig Different

Craig Hospital is dedicated to empowering patients to take an active role in their care, recognizing them as the most essential recovery team members. Through close collaboration with patients and their families, Craig’s expert staff delivers tailored rehabilitation programs to maximize recovery and foster independence. The hospital’s holistic approach ensures that each patient’s unique needs and goals are met, while families play a vital role by participating in therapy sessions, conferences, and community outings.

With nearly half of its patients traveling from outside Colorado for an average stay of 70+ days, Craig provides specialized support to make extended stays as comfortable as possible. Families can stay nearby in on-site housing or local apartments within walking distance. Patients and families benefit from hospital-led activities, peer connections, and amenities like kitchens, gyms, recreation spaces, gardens, and local conveniences, creating a welcoming and supportive environment.

Additionally, Craig’s Peer Mentor Program helps patients navigate the transition back into the community by connecting them with individuals who have lived experience with spinal cord or brain injuries. Peer mentors share personal insights, provide guidance, and inspire, fostering confidence and helping participants envision a fulfilling future. Through these meaningful connections, Craig continues to provide life-changing care and support for patients and their families.

Programs Include:

• Acute Inpatient Care
• Outpatient Care
• Combination SCI/BI Care
• State-of-the-Art Facilities
• Interdisciplinary Teams
• SCI Ventilator-Dependent & Weaning Program
• Community Resources
• Support Groups
• Therapeutic Recreation
• Research Opportunities
• Assistive Technology
• Adolescent Programs
• Return to School/Work 
• Increased Independence

Nursing at Craig

At Craig Hospital, nursing excellence is at the heart of its patient and family-centered approach to care. Nurses play a pivotal role in fostering strong interprofessional collaboration ensuring seamless, compassionate, and innovative care. Leadership is highly visible, empowering nurses with a "can-do" attitude and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. With 90% of nurses holding BSN degrees and a well-established shared governance model, Craig’s nursing team is deeply committed to advancing education and professional development. Focused on delivering exceptional outcomes, Craig’s nurses embody a dedication to safety, quality, and the transformative power of care, helping patients and families move from hopelessness to hope after life-altering injuries.

Magnet Designation

In 2020, Craig Hospital earned its fourth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®—a testament to its unwavering commitment to nursing excellence. Craig was honored with nine exemplars, highlighting its exceptional safety and infection prevention measures, responsiveness to nurse calls, courtesy, respect, attentive listening, and dedication to patient-centered care. Magnet designation is widely regarded as the gold standard for nursing quality, serving as a key criterion in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of “America’s Best Hospitals” for inpatient care excellence.

Awards/Recognition

Craig Hospital is both a Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center as designated by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Craig has received the NDNQI® Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality eight times since 2009. Craig has also been granted recognition as a Magnet-designated organization four consecutive times (2005, 2010, 2015, 2020) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Craig has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. Craig Hospital has been voted by employees as a Top Workplace in Colorado by The Denver Post (2012-2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) and a Top Workplace USA by Energage (2021, 2023, 2024). Craig has been ranked among the top rehabilitation hospitals in the nation for 35 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report since the rankings began in 1990.

Research

The Craig Hospital Research Department has a staff of 31 with an annual budget of nearly $5 million in federal, state, foundation, and industry-sponsored grants devoted to conducting various applied spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation research. In addition, funds raised from Craig Foundation signature events and other donors support basic and applied research.

The Research Department was established in 1974 when Craig was first awarded a Spinal Cord Injury Model System grant from the US Department of Education National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Mission – Vision – Core Values 

Mission Statement

Craig advocates for and provides exceptional patient and family-centered care for those affected by spinal cord and brain injury. Together, we bravely strive for optimal health, independence, and quality of life with determination.

Vision

Craig will be recognized internationally as a leader in innovative rehabilitation and health care services through an interdisciplinary team approach focused on delivering exceptional life quality and independence outcomes for people affected by spinal cord and brain injury.

Core Values

• Foster independence through education and experiences
• Encourage peer support
• Develop a family atmosphere where caring for others is shared
• Embrace a culture of safety
• Put fun into the process of rehabilitation
• Advance rehabilitation through research
• Enhance life quality through advocacy and education
• Promote ethics and integrity in all that we do

What Craig is About

Be Craig

Be Compassionate – Work for an organization that embraces a culture of kindness, respect + inclusiveness.

Be Innovative – Be part of a team that uses creative solutions to enhance + optimize the services we provide

Be Generous – Our employees strive to be generous with their time, efforts + compassion within Craig + in the broader community.

Be Authentic – Experience authentic relationships built on collaboration, trust, mutual respect, honest communication + pursuit of alternative views. 

Purpose of the Position

• Participate in the medical center’s long-range strategic planning activities as a senior executive team member. Serve as a key executive team member who will drive the organization’s resources around clinical transformation to improve patient outcomes, efficiency, and overall operations.
• Establish and maintain an environment that supports clinical excellence through the delivery of safe, compassionate, and evidence-based patient care by all staff through planning, implementing, and evaluating programs that support positive outcomes.
• Oversee key departmental areas in addition to Nursing including Pharmacy, Infection Prevention, and Respiratory Therapy.
• Participate in and/or provide leadership to select organization-wide initiatives, including strategy development and implementation.
• In partnership with other clinical leadership, lead quality improvement and transformation programs that enhance clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, safety, and efficient patient flow.
• Systematically evaluate the quality and effectiveness of clinical practices and foster a professional environment.
• Participate in Nursing/Medical/Patient Centered meetings.
• Present to the Board of Directors meetings when needed and provide necessary materials and analyses supporting presentations by the CEO to the Board of Directors.
• Support research and integrate research into practice and administration delivery.
• Lead overall magnet designation process and serve as a key leader, in coordination with other leadership, for regulatory and accreditation bodies.
• Introduce methods that enable evidence-based clinical decision-making, such as the implementation and innovation of technology, which elevate professional clinical practice.
• Work with clinical leadership across all areas to advance the shared leadership model that supports effective clinical decision-making.
• Organize and develop two-way, system-wide communication strategies relating to key financial and operational decisions that may impact patient care.
• In partnership with human resources, develop an aggressive and innovative workforce plan responding to the growing clinical needs of the organization. The plan will guide resource utilization, recruitment, retention, staff complement, competencies, professional practice, clinical education, and the working conditions of clinical staff.
• Leverage and enhance relationships through effective communication to strengthen internal and external constituencies, including staff, local and regional nursing organizations/associations, members of executive leadership, academic communities, and the overall medical campus.
• Coordinate planning and services with all leaders across departmental lines to advance integrated care delivery and foster a patient-centered, team-based care culture.
• Develop/oversee operational budgets strategically aligned with the organization's key priorities and goals. Utilize strategic goals and initiatives to maximize and guide resource allocation decisions. Consistently monitor/compare actual to budgeted financial performance. Designs/oversee the implementation of corrective strategies as indicated—champions financial stewardship in areas of responsibility.
• Acknowledge and assume personal responsibility for improving organizational performance. Design and facilitate actions that create and support a culture of personal accountability. Demonstrate ownership and convey a sense of obligation to answer for actions or results on behalf of the organization and/or department. Enact appropriate performance management techniques to correct deficiencies.
• Guide direct reports in detecting, reporting, and taking corrective action for safety risks. Seek to identify suspected and evolving trends within quality reporting systems. Identify causal factors and take corrective measures to prevent reoccurrence as appropriate.
• Create a continuous learning environment focusing on interprofessional education, evidence-based practice, team-based learning, team member wellbeing, professional growth, and autonomous function.
• Maintain a high physical visibility profile with hospital leadership and medical staff to ensure maximum support and organizational effectiveness.
• Actively participate in professional organizations and networking opportunities. Establish a professional presence outside of Craig Hospital.

• Minimum of seven years of successful healthcare management experience demonstrating progressive experience and effective leadership.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in managing departmental operations and management/supervisory personnel; evaluating, training, and motivating performance is required. Ability to accomplish results through others. Demonstrated ability to delegate effectively and to establish clear guidelines for accountability. Ability to build consensus and provide strong leadership in a team environment with the highest of professional and personal integrity.
• Strong business planning and program development skills; demonstrated analytical problem-solving and creative planning skills; a proven track record in developing quality clinical services.
• Leadership experience in a Magnet® designated facility and/or experience with the Magnet® designation process.
• Demonstrated experience with innovation and performance improvement principles and nursing and patient care delivery processes.
• A proven people leader with a track record for recruiting and developing others to achieve results.
• Experienced in building partnerships and collaborating around generating new knowledge and educating future practitioners.
• Knowledgeable about contemporary issues and trends in clinical practice, education, and research.
• An innovative individual with a “can do” attitude that can inspire an organization to do its best, even in difficult circumstances.
• 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 healthcare coordination, quality, safety, and costs.
• Exhibits strength of character and is viewed as a trusted, ethical, obvious, and effective leader within the organization.
• Proactive innovator and problem-solver regarding the healthcare challenges facing independent, not-for-profit healthcare entities today.
• Highly effective communication skills are necessary to work with Medical Staff, Board of Directors, Administration/Senior Management, hospital personnel, the media, and the community.
• Preferred: a) Leadership experience in the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting or b) Neurorehabilitation experience

• An advanced degree (Master’s) from an accredited college or university in Health Services (Public Health) Administration, Nursing, Business Administration, or a related area of graduate study is required.
• Must be eligible for Registered Nurse licensure nurse in Colorado.

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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis.