• We are proud to be named one of the best children’s hospitals in America by U.S. News and World Report. Nine of our specialties rank among the top 50 programs in the U.S., based on data from nearly 300 pediatric hospitals.
• The American Nurses Credentialing Center awarded us its most prestigious honor, Magnet Designation, for the fifth consecutive time in 2020 - only 8% of all hospitals have received this designation.
• More than 80 percent of our patients give us a 9 or 10 (10 being best) in quality of care.
• We are a “Certified Healthy KC Company,” which recognizes our efforts to create a workplace focused on health and wellness.

There’s an indescribable spirit at Children’s Mercy – one we want to nurture and grow. Our “At Our Best” culture journey is a holistic investment in our people and a commitment to embed our mission, vision, values and guiding behaviors in all we do, empowering each team member to be their best self at work.

But the most important thing to know about us is this: We are built for kids. For more than 127 years, the leaders of Children’s Mercy Kansas City have built upon a legacy of pioneers – two visionary women, both doctors – who were light-years ahead of their time. Emboldened by that same pioneering spirit, our dedicated team is fully committed to changing the future of medicine for kids by integrating the best mix of research and clinical care. From our first-of its-kind pediatric genetic data repository – delivering answers and enabling new treatments – to our surgical advances for organ transplants, Children’s Mercy is built for kids.

CHILDREN’S MERCY – SPRINGFIELD

Children’s Mercy Kansas City and Mercy Hospital Springfield (a 900-bed Level I Trauma Center, and a member of Mercy, an independent $8B health system) share a common vision: To create a pediatric system of care in Southwest Missouri that meets the needs of all children and families in the region. We believe that every child deserves the best possible health and well-being, regardless of their location, background, or ability to pay. 

We believe that every child deserves the best possible health and well-being, regardless of their location, background, or ability to pay. To realize this vision, we have set out to provide a full spectrum of pediatric services, from primary care to specialty care, from urgent care to emergent care, and from outpatient care to inpatient care. Our goal is to build a system that is integrated, coordinated, and accessible, with seamless transitions across different levels of care, locally whenever possible but relying on our quaternary facilities when needed.

At the center of our system, we aspire to eventually build a state-of-the-art freestanding children’s hospital that will serve as the hub of our system, offering the highest quality of care, research, and education. In the near term, we will use existing hospital floors/space within Mercy Hospital Springfield to create a “children’s hospital within a hospital” model with 105 licensed beds, with initial services being fully operational in March 2025. In the interim, for the remainder of 2024 and early 2025, these pediatric services will operate under a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) between Children’s Mercy and Mercy Springfield, which this President will lead and coordinate.

To achieve this vision, we will determine the optimal level and mix of pediatric services, from primary to tertiary care, that are needed and feasible in the region. We will expand existing volume assessments using data from various sources and do further analysis to include specific utilization patterns, acuity levels by specialty, etc., to identify the gaps and opportunities in the current system. We will then develop a service delivery model, based on best practices and evidence-based guidelines, that defines the scope, location, and capacity of each service, as well as the referral pathways and communication channels between them. We will also implement quality improvement initiatives, such as clinical protocols, care coordination teams, and electronic health record, to ensure that our services are consistent, efficient, and effective. We will also coordinate resources to transition those pediatric patients to adult care at the appropriate time. 

The Springfield market has the most significant pediatric population of any of the markets proximate to the Kansas City region. 90% of patients who come to Springfield hospitals for their care come from Springfield (Greene county) and the surrounding counties, a catchment area totaling 260,000 children. Increased volumes are essential to maintain and enhance our ability to deliver the highest quality care for complex patients (such as cardiac and cancer patients) much of which can only be provided at our Adele Hall campus in Kansas City. In addition, increased volumes directly enhance our research enterprise, providing a larger and more diverse base of potential clinical research patients, supporting enrollment in Genomic Answers for Kids, and improving margins that can support our financial investment in research. Even though we do not currently have a physical presence in Springfield, in Fiscal Year 2023, care provided by Children’s Mercy Kansas City (CMKC) for patients from the Springfield area generated a significant contribution margin for CMKC.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The President and Chief Administrative Officer – Children’s Mercy Springfield, an executive position reporting to Children’s Mercy Kansas City’s President and Chief Executive Officer, is responsible for the execution of strategic and operational goals for the Springfield market, established by the President and Chief Executive Officer and the health system’s Board of Directors. This leader oversees all aspects of the market’s operations across the continuum of care.

The President and Chief Administrative Officer - Children’s Mercy Springfield collaborates with the health system’s Corporate Board of Directors (as applicable), enterprise/health system leaders, and key stakeholders including medical staff, patient’s family/caregiver, community leaders, donors, and strategic partners (Mercy and others) to ensure the market is delivering high-quality patient and family/caregiver centered care and operating efficiently.

The President and Chief Administrative Officer – Children’s Mercy Springfield is responsible for working with key regulators, strategic partners, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition from conception to operations and ultimately aligning the regional market’s operational plan with the enterprise health system’s strategic plans, and for developing and executing strategies to grow the business, improve its quality of care and outcomes, and achieve operational efficiencies. In this critical role, the President and Chief Administrative Officer – Children’s Mercy Springfield shapes the regional market’s future and ensures that it is well-positioned to meet the needs of the regional communities. The President and Chief Administrative Officer – Children’s Mercy Springfield will be responsible for coordinating efforts to improve access and quality of care across the continuum of care for the regional market. This role will have several helix reporting structures including local leaders for corporate services.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• A minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare administration, including proven experience managing large teams over multiple functional areas. The successful executive will be both strategic and operational, with the ability to drive positive change. 
• The successful candidate will ideally have proven P&L and cumulative experience within a children’s healthcare system, or an adult healthcare system with significant pediatrics services.
• Understanding of the children’s healthcare industry, including its regulations, challenges, and emerging trends and knowledge of healthcare
• regulations, compliance requirements, and accreditation standards, such as HIPAA. 
• Ability to contribute to the development and execution of the healthcare system’s strategic plans and vision. 
• Expertise in healthcare operations, process optimization, and resource management to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
• Familiarity with quality improvement methodologies and patient safety principles to drive continuous improvement in clinical care. 
• Awareness of strategies to enhance the patient experience, including patient-centered care models. 
• Ability to manage budgets, control costs, and optimize resource allocation while maintaining quality care.
• Skill in leading organizational change, transformation, and innovation.
• Ability to identify challenges, develop solutions, and make decisions in complex and rapidly changing healthcare environments.
• Effective communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills for engaging with team members, physicians, and stakeholders. 
• Ability to identify and manage risks associated with healthcare operations, including legal and financial risks. 
• Ability to build positive, effective relationships, work from a position of influence, and develop effective cross-functional relationships with senior leaders, clinical leaders, and physicians, as well as diverse management teams to set and execute performance goals. 
• Proven ability to increase volumes and grow business lines. 
• Experience working with a governing board and supporting the governance process. 
• Exemplifies organizational Values and Guiding Behaviors in leadership, serving as a role model for others. 
• Cultivates a culture that aligns with organizational values while recognizing and adapting to local market nuances. 
• Advocates for and champions Continuous Improvement of Lean culture and methodologies within the organization.

EDUCATION

Master’s degree in business, healthcare administration, or a related field.

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