Director of Hospice

Seven (7) years of progressive healthcare leadership experience required, including at least three (3) years in hospice, palliative care, home health, post-acute care, serious illness care, or closely related clinical operations. Experience with interdisciplinary team leadership, regulatory survey readiness, quality improvement, budget oversight, staffing/productivity management, referral development, and hospital or integrated health system operations preferred.

Certification in hospice and palliative care, healthcare administration, healthcare quality, healthcare leadership, or comparable specialty preferred

SUMMARY:

Provides operational leadership for hospice services within a hospital-based health system. Responsible for daily operations of general inpatient hospice (GIP), home hospice, and respite care, ensuring the following are met through all service channels; regulatory compliance, a quality focus with top tier performance, workforce planning, fiscal stewardship, strategic planning and growth, demonstrated ability to build and maintain referral relationships, and ensure an exceptional patient/family experience throughout service delivery. Ensures services align with TMC's mission, applicable federal and state requirements, accreditation standards, and the hospice philosophy of comfort, dignity, and compassionate end-of-life care.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Leads daily hospice operations; including staffing, admissions, clinical service delivery, after-hours coverage, inpatient coordination, contracted services, and resource deployment.

Builds and leads an interdisciplinary hospice team, including nursing, social work, spiritual care, bereavement, hospice aide, volunteer, medical director, pharmacy, therapy, and administrative functions as applicable.

Maintains accountability for budget performance, productivity, staffing models, census trends, revenue integrity, expense control, vendor relationships, and resource allocation.

Ensures compliance with federal, state, local, Medicare, Medicaid, accreditation, privacy, safety, documentation, infection prevention, emergency preparedness, and hospice-specific regulatory requirements.

Partners with hospital leaders, medical staff, case management, palliative care, oncology, emergency services, inpatient units, outpatient clinics, post-acute partners, and community referral sources to support timely access to hospice-appropriate care.

Employs healthcare operational knowledge to support patient flow, transitions of care, discharge planning, inpatient hospice coordination, community-based service delivery, and continuity across care settings.

Promotes a patient- and family-centered hospice culture that emphasizes comfort, dignity, goals-of-care alignment, symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, bereavement resources, and respectful communication.

Directs quality assessment and performance improvement activities, including outcomes review, patient/family feedback, documentation timeliness, safety events, complaint resolution, survey readiness, and corrective action plans.

Develops and implements policies, procedures, workflows, contingency plans, and service standards that support reliable hospice operations, appropriate utilization, regulatory readiness, and timely response to concerns.

Mentors leaders and staff, establishes clear expectations, supports professional development, and fosters accountability, collaboration, service excellence, and continuous improvement.

Maintains knowledge of hospice eligibility, levels of care, plan of care requirements, interdisciplinary group processes, medication and DME coordination, volunteer services, bereavement expectations, and contracted services.

Represents hospice services in internal leadership forums and external community settings; supports education, referral relationships, program growth, and service-line visibility within ethical and regulatory requirements.

Performs related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION: Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Health, Social Work, or related field preferred. Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Health, Social Work, or related field required.

EXPERIENCE: Seven (7) years of progressive healthcare leadership experience required, including at least three (3) years in hospice, palliative care, home health, post-acute care, serious illness care, or closely related clinical operations. Experience with interdisciplinary team leadership, regulatory survey readiness, quality improvement, budget oversight, staffing/productivity management, referral development, and hospital or integrated health system operations preferred.

LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION: Current Arizona RN licensure preferred when the incumbent is a registered nurse. Certification in hospice and palliative care, healthcare administration, healthcare quality, healthcare leadership, or comparable specialty preferred. Must meet applicable federal, state, accreditation, and organizational requirements for hospice leadership.

TYPICAL LEADERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS: Demonstrates strong operational judgment, visible and present people leadership, financial and regulatory accountability, physician and clinical team credibility, data-driven decision-making, and commitment to hospice philosophy, patient dignity, family support, ethical practice, and continuous improvement.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, symptom management, goals-of-care communication, caregiver support, bereavement, and interdisciplinary care planning.
• Knowledge of CMS Hospice Conditions of Participation, Medicare hospice benefit requirements, state regulations, accreditation standards, HIPAA, documentation requirements, and survey readiness practices.
• Knowledge of healthcare operations, patient flow, transitions of care, discharge planning, case management, inpatient hospice coordination, and community-based service delivery.
• Skill in leading interdisciplinary teams, developing leaders, coaching performance, resolving conflict, and creating a culture of accountability, compassion, and service excellence.
• Skill in budget development, productivity management, labor planning, census forecasting, vendor oversight, and data-driven operational decision-making.
• Skill in quality assessment and performance improvement, including use of metrics, audits, patient/family feedback, incident trends, complaint resolution, and corrective action planning.
• Skill in developing policies, workflows, training materials, service standards, emergency preparedness plans, and communication processes across clinical and administrative teams.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, physicians, hospital leaders, referral sources, regulators, community partners, and staff during sensitive and complex situations.
• Ability to analyze operational issues, interpret data, establish facts, and implement solutions that support quality, access, compliance, and financial performance.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining sound judgment, professionalism, confidentiality, and alignment with organizational values.
• Ability to use electronic medical record systems, productivity tools, reporting systems, Microsoft Office applications, e-mail, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of that which an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may potentially be exposed to infectious organisms during routine and emergency situations.