Chief Executive Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Chief Executive Officer – Behavioral Health HospitalOverview

A well-established behavioral health hospital in the Midwest market is seeking an accomplished Chief Executive Officer to lead overall facility operations, strategic growth, financial performance, quality outcomes, and regulatory excellence.

This executive will hold day-to-day responsibility for hospital leadership and performance, working closely with the governing body, medical leadership, and executive team to ensure strong operational execution across patient care, compliance, talent, service line development, and community engagement.

This is a high-impact opportunity for a visible, hands-on leader who can strengthen culture, drive accountability, support clinical excellence, and position the hospital for sustainable growth.

Key Areas of Responsibility

The CEO will provide overall leadership for hospital operations, with responsibility for:

• Leading the development and execution of the facility’s strategic and operating plans

• Overseeing daily hospital operations across clinical, financial, and administrative functions

• Driving strong patient care outcomes and continuous performance improvement

• Ensuring ongoing licensure, accreditation, regulatory readiness, and compliance

• Leading budget development, capital planning, and financial stewardship

• Building and coaching an effective executive leadership team

• Strengthening physician and allied health provider recruitment efforts to expand services

• Supporting payer contract strategy, contract performance, and revenue growth initiatives

• Advancing continuum-of-care development, including outpatient and community-based programming

• Maintaining strong governing board communication, reporting, and partnership

• Creating and sustaining productive relationships with referral sources, community stakeholders, government agencies, and local business leaders

• Promoting a culture of accountability, visibility, professionalism, and mission-driven leadership

• Ensuring effective support for QAPI, patient safety, staff development, and survey readiness activities

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned healthcare executive with a successful track record leading behavioral health hospital operations and balancing clinical, regulatory, financial, and growth priorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Marketing, Clinical discipline, or related field

• Advanced degree such as MBA or MHA preferred

• Minimum 3–5 years of senior leadership or CEO-level experience in a behavioral health, acute care, and/or managed care environment, or completion of a formal CEO training program

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a hospital or behavioral health facility setting

• Strong knowledge of hospital administration, clinical operations, and executive leadership

• Strong financial and operational management capability

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced executive environment

Strongly Preferred Experience

• Behavioral health hospital leadership experience

• Joint Commission / regulatory survey leadership experience

• Clinical quality leadership in a behavioral health setting

• Talent recruitment and retention success

• Marketing and community engagement leadership

• Experience overseeing multiple service lines

• Experience in behavioral health hospital startup, expansion, or significant growth initiatives

• Experience in both acute behavioral health and residential treatment environments is strongly preferred

Leadership Traits Sought

This organization is looking for a CEO who brings:

• High emotional intelligence

• A hands-on, visible leadership style

• Demonstrated success building positive culture

• Strong accountability and follow-through

• The ability to lead through complexity and change

• Strong business judgment and strategic thinking

• Excellent relationship-building skills across staff, physicians, board members, and community stakeholders

• A mission-driven approach with integrity, professionalism, and compassion

Success Measures

This leader will be expected to drive results across four major areas:

Financial Performance

• Grow census and overall operating performance

• Manage key business levers effectively

• Identify practical growth and efficiency opportunities

• Support sustainable long-term financial health

Talent

• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing leaders and teams

• Build a strong local culture of accountability and engagement

• Strengthen the organization’s position as an employer of choice

Regulatory & Compliance

• Maintain strong survey readiness at all times

• Ensure sustained compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements

• Promote trust and credibility with regulatory bodies

Quality & Community Impact

• Support strong patient satisfaction and quality outcomes

• Advance best-practice treatment standards and outcome-based care

• Deepen referral relationships and community presence

• Strengthen local market awareness and access to care

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

This is an outstanding role for an executive who wants to make a visible impact in a behavioral health environment while leading both operational excellence and long-term strategic growth. The organization is seeking a leader who can balance culture, quality, compliance, and business performance while helping shape the next chapter of the hospital’s evolution.

Why the Midwest Market

This broader Midwest market offers an appealing balance of affordability, community connection, and quality of life. Leaders who value a more grounded lifestyle often appreciate the area’s lower cost of living, strong family-oriented communities, and access to outdoor recreation, while still having the ability to make a meaningful leadership impact in healthcare.