Position: Vice President, Operations, Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC)

Location: Hackensack, New Jersey

Reporting Relationship: The Vice President, Operations, Hackensack University Medical Center will report to Lisa Tank, MD, the President and Chief Hospital Executive, Hackensack University Medical Center.

Website:

https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/locations/hackensack-university-medical-center

https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/services/childrens-health/rankings

The Company

Hackensack University Medical Center

Located in the heart of Hackensack, NJ, with easy access from I-80, Rt. 4, and the Garden State Parkway, Hackensack University Medical Center is an 803-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital—and Bergen County’s first hospital, founded in 1888. In addition to being the first hospital in New Jersey and the second in the nation to earn Magnet recognition for nursing excellence—now with its seventh consecutive designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center—the medical center is also home to a designated Level I Adult Trauma Center and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, providing specialized, comprehensive care for the most critical injuries in both adults and children.

• The academic flagship of the Hackensack Meridian Health Network
• First hospital in New Jersey to be ranked among the Top 20 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026.
• #1 hospital in the New York–New Jersey metro area by U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026
• NJ’s only nationally ranked hospital by U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 in Pulmonology, Geriatrics, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Cancer, Ear Nose Throat
• Nationally ranked in Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics, Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery, Urology
• Home to the John Theurer Cancer Center, New Jersey’s only nationally ranked cancer center by U.S. News & World Report, ranked among the top 50 cancer centers nationwide.
• Home to facilities such as the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, ranked #1 in the state in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 Best Children’s Hospital Report.

Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. In addition to their 18 hospitals, they are home to more than 36,000 team members, 7,000 physicians and 500+ patient care locations, including ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, urgent care centers, physician practice locations, and a fitness and wellness center.

HMH is comprised of 18 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties.

Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. HMH has more than 36,000 team members, and over 7,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves. The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine opened in 2018, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years where it welcomed its third class of students in 2020 to its campus in Nutley and Clifton.

Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it.

Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

Mission, Vision, and Beliefs

• Mission: Transform health care and be recognized as the leader of positive change.
• Vision: Innovation is in our DNA, compelling us to create a world where: the highest quality care is human-centered, accessible and affordable; we deliver outcomes that matter most; and excellence is the standard. We believe in being creative, courageous, compassionate, collaborative and connected.

Awards and Recognitions

Hackensack Meridian Health is continually recognized locally and nationally for their commitment to delivering efficient, quality care. Year after year, HMH is recognized by many of the top accrediting and ranking organizations in the industry including: 

• U.S. News & World Report has ranked more HMH hospitals in New Jersey to their report than any other system in New Jersey.
• Becker's Hospital Review recently named HMH among 50 of the greenest hospitals in America as well as one of the 150 Top Places to Work in Health Care.
• Healthgrades granted HMH the Healthgrades Specialty Excellence Awards™ in multiple clinical categories along with five-star ratings for multiple conditions and procedures in 2019.
• Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals have been Magnet Nursing-designated for more than two decades. Hackensack University Medical Center has been designated six times and was the first organization to achieve this recognition in the state of New Jersey.
• eHealthcare Leadership granted HMH with the Best Organizational Commitment to eHealthcare award in 2022.

Purpose of the Position

• Pharmacy
• Physical Therapy, Occupational, Speech, Pulmonary
• Neuroscience
• Organ Transplant
• Trauma Operations including Pathology Laboratory
• Children’s Hospital

• Directs and participates in the development and implementation of the Medical Center's strategic plan, performance improvement program, Human Resources program, and annual operating budget, plans, goals and objectives.
• Interprets, communicates and assures the implementation of the organization's mission, vision and values.
• Responsible for planning and directing the organization's programs and facilities in accordance with federal, state and local standards, guidelines and regulations.
• Ensures that Hackensack Meridian Health establishes standards for all areas of outlined responsibilities and as assigned are followed, in compliance and meets the highest standards for safety and high reliability.
• Develops and directs new programs, operations and services for all areas of outlined responsibilities and as assigned. Works closely with all nursing functions of the organization to ensure continuity of programming and services.
• Coordinates and directs the development and implementation of annual operating and capital budgets related to areas of responsibility.
• Recruits, hires and supervises competent division, community and department leadership.
• Disciplines, councils, and settles grievances and both recommend and participate in hire/discharge/transfer of personnel.
• Acts as a role model for all standards and expectations of leaders at Hackensack Meridian Health.
• Strategizes opportunities for business growth and development in all areas of outlined responsibilities and as assigned. Identifies trends in the market for new services. Develops business models, policies, and procedures, along with capital investments to implement business improvements.
• Collaborates with Physicians/Providers, nursing and other members of the healthcare team to ensure excellence in patient care in all areas of outlined responsibilities and as assigned. Develops a rapport and mutual respect with the patient/caregiver and team members to foster an optimum environment.
• Establishes effective working relationships with key constituents, including community, employed and independent physicians, team members, and board members through open collaboration and consistent communication. Creates a greater sense of "systemness" throughout the hospital.
• Works closely with department leadership to ensure appropriate activities of each department assigned are being delivered to patients within the established standards of care. Ensure patient care is provided in a safe and caring environment while also providing an ideal patient experience.
• Exhibits leadership and fosters commitment to continuous quality improvement whereby decision-making is driven by data and patient/guest relationships. Works with hospital and organizational leadership and team members to foster high reliability thinking with sensitivity to operations, a preoccupation with failure, deference to expertise, resilience, and a reluctance to simplify the complexity of the system.
• Develops and fosters effective collaboration between clinical departments, matrixed service lines, network business lines and services, employed and independent physicians, and other affiliated services both within and outside the hospital to ensure a wholly integrated approach to providing services, and fulfilling the hospital's strategic initiatives.
• Monitors relevant key financial indicators and performance metrics, modifying business activities where needed in response to changing financial situations.
• Oversees the effective allocation of capital and human resources, determination and control of appropriate staffing mix and levels, and management of productivity within departments. Seeks out fiscal efficiencies wherever possible.
• Provides direct administrative oversight of the vendor contracts and third party relationships, as assigned (ie, hospitality, laboratory services).
• Mentors leaders in effectively dealing with scheduling problems, assists the management team in developing and applying leadership skills.
• Oversees the effective allocation of expense resources within all areas of outlined responsibilities and as assigned.
• Develops a cohesive leadership team that will successfully build a record of accomplishment, openness, mutual support, and overall operational and financial excellence.
• Promotes teamwork and professional growth in departments, encouraging creativity, accountability, and optimization of all available skills to achieve the highest level of quality, productivity and efficiency.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

• A minimum of (10) years of progressive leadership experience in hospital operations in an integrated delivery system.
• Excellent financial management, delegation and organizational skills.
• Strong strategic planning skills.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in directly leading and leading through influence at a large, complex hospital in a highly matrixed organizational structure.
• Must possess the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues, personnel, residents, family members, visitors, and the general public and possess an understanding of people and a sense of accountability, fairness, and consistency.
• Ability to drive improvement in all key healthcare metrics, such as patient satisfaction, employee satisfaction, physician engagement, quality, and more.
• Strong business planning skills to manage the hospital’s programs and resources effectively.
• Established coaching skills that inspire team members, leaders and physicians to execute and comply with network strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to delegate effectively and establish clear guidelines for accountability.
• Knowledge of the key components of an effective measurement process, including the identification of key metrics and the use of data.
• Effective at anticipating trends and leading organization change to address market dynamics and opportunities.
• Possess an innovative, success-oriented personality to achieve and surpass objectives. Energetic, adaptive, and flexible with challenges and changes.
• Possess the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity necessary to lead initiatives that meet organizational objectives and ensure superior patient outcomes.
• Established analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and to react quickly and calmly in emergency situations.
• Capacity to collaborate with diverse populations of team members and physicians to gain consensus and achieve results.
• Proven writing, public speaking and presentation skills.

• Visionary – demonstrates a clear vision that supports HMH’s vision, mission and shared values; maintains a “big picture” view: foresees challenges and opportunities; generates break through ideas through innovation.
• Results Oriented - creates a culture of true accountability which leads to ownership for driving action and delivering results. Inspires a passion of excellence.
• Talent Development/Building Capability - demonstrates an unwavering commitment to creating the Best Team by seeking high caliber talent. Sets high standards to Identify, recruit, select and retains talent to meet the growing demands of the industry. Provides the leadership support and resources to ensure a talent pipeline for succession planning and ensures professional development opportunities for team members.
• Teamwork - creates a collaborative culture through teamwork that enables HMH to accomplish its mission, vision and strategic priorities.
• Understanding One's Business/Economic Engine - demonstrates a thorough understanding of the complex health care industry and leads the organization to success by knowing how to successfully manage the business leading to growth and profitability. Fosters an entrepreneurial spirit championing new ideas, services and initiatives that increase net operating margins and expand market share.
• Leading Change - the ability to address organizational issues resulting from a variety of organizational changes as evidenced by taking initiative to remove barriers and/or obstacles, setting stretch goals that will result in continuous improvement, managing complexity and paradigm shifts caused by external healthcare industry changes and demonstrating compassion for others experiencing difficulty dealing effectively with change.
• Strategic Orientation - demonstrates the ability to determine where a function or organization is going long-term and how it is going to get there as evidenced by: sorting through data and information and discerning pertinent facts, looking outside one's function, organization, and industry for ideas and strategies that will move our business forward and planning projects with complex details, setting realistic milestones, and incorporating upfront measures for success.