Carrington & Carrington Seeks Leader for Provident Hospital of Cook County
June 6, 2022 – Carrington & Carrington Diversity Executive Search has been enlisted to find the next chief hospital executive (CHE) for Provident Hospital of Cook County, a community acute care hospital in Chicago. Provident Hospital is the first African-American owned and operated hospital in America. Search firm co-founder Willie Carrington is leading the assignment.
The chief hospital executive will be expected to provide leadership and direction for hospital operations, with accountability for operational and financial performance and the development and implementation of business plans and organizational initiatives, said Chicago-based Carrington & Carrington. Working closely with Cook County Health (CCH) leadership, the CHE will be responsible for building effective partnerships and promoting collaborative relationships within the hospital, across the CCH, and throughout the community. The leader will also be charged with participating in formulating clinical policies, setting management objectives, budgets, and developing and evaluating programs, systems, and services.
The CHE is responsible for creating an environment and culture that enables the hospital to successfully fulfill the CCH mission: to provide high quality care to the residents of Cook County regardless of their ability to pay. The leader must convey the CCH mission to all staff, while holding staff accountable for their performance, and motivating them to improve.
This leader will also be charged with the measurement, assessment, and continuous improvement of Provident Hospital of Cook County’s overall performance, and meeting goals and objectives and associated targets, said the search firm. Optimal performance is defined as consistently meeting or exceeding patient expectations, efficiently using limited resources, and adhering to all regulatory agency requirements.
Key Qualifications
Among the skills and knowledge required for this role, the next chief hospital executive will manage and promote good public relationships by establishing and furthering relationships with key physicians and medical staff, community organizations, healthcare organizations, and other health related professionals, said Carrington & Carrington.
A master’s degree or higher degree from an accredited college or university is required for the position. Candidates should have five years of experience as a hospital administrator or similar healthcare executive level position. Prior experience leading gross top line revenue and market share for complex clinical operations in hospital and/or post-acute settings is essential. Prospects also require a comprehensive understanding of all elements of healthcare delivery and successful implementation of strategy, business planning, operations, and finance.
Experience engaging diverse clinical constituencies (i.e., physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, etc.) in the development and implementation of new and expanded clinical programs and services is a critical aspect of this role. Candidates should have experience serving as an agent of change in an organization. A history of leading staff in a complex unionized environment is also expected. Also necessary is a background of collaborating and working with a board and committees.
Established in 1891, Provident Hospital is a 79-bed public hospital. It is part of Cook County Health’s hospital system and accredited by the Joint Commission, Provident Hospital provides a wide array of healthcare services to the residents of Cook County, particularly residents in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood and on the South Side of Chicago. From the beginning, the hospital was open to all regardless of race. It was also the first private hospital in Illinois to provide internship opportunities for black physicians.
Diversity-Focused
Carrington & Carrington, with offices in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, was founded in 1979 and specializes in the recruitment and placement of African Americans, Latinos, women, LGBTQ, and other diverse professionals. It places middle management and senior level executives across various industries and functional areas. Co-founded by Willie and Marian Carrington, the firm ranks as one of the most respected African American-owned search firms in the nation.
Mr. Carrington has played and continues to play a significant role in increasing the representation of diverse professionals in major companies including banking, finance, manufacturing, and utilities. Prior to this, he was executive director of Inroads/Chicago and an auditor for the former CPA firm Arthur Andersen & Company.
Ms. Carrington is heavily focused in the firm’s healthcare, academic, and non-profit sectors. She was previously a human resources and operations executive with Allstate Insurance. She focuses in large part on the healthcare, academic, and non-profit sectors.
Earlier this year, Carrington & Carrington partnered with CCH to launch a search to find the next chief operating officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), a nationally accredited, state-certified local health department for 2.5 million residents, 125 municipalities, 30 townships, and more than 700 schools.
The incoming executive will be expected to design, implement, and assess public health service delivery systems to enhance the health communities throughout the Cook County jurisdiction. The individual must collaborate with CCDPH leaders to develop public health programs and policy to meet community public health needs. He or she will be charged with ensuring that recommendations are consistent with the mission of CCDPH and CCH.
Related: Carrington & Carrington Recruits Chief Diversity Officer for McDonald’s
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
