Deputy Director, Rural Health Transformation Program ( RHTP )

Job description:

Reports To: Secretary of Health, State of West Virginia, with direct accountability to the Office of the Governor

Location: Charleston, West Virginia

Position Overview:

The Deputy Director of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) will assist, within the guidelines of the grants/awards in direct consultation and oversight with the Governor/Governor’s Office and Secretary of Health, in the implementation of West Virginia’s five-year, $500M–$1B health modernization initiative designed to strengthen care access, workforce, innovation, and community health across rural and frontier communities. Under the Director’s guidance, this role will manage day-to-day operations and assist in coordination of the full lifecycle of RHTP, from federal engagement and funding administration to statewide deployment, data reporting, and results measurement, ensuring alignment with the state’s mission to build a healthier, stronger, and more self-reliant West Virginia.

The Deputy Director will serve as the second-in-command and operational lead, facilitating collaboration across agencies, health systems, and community partners; overseeing complex grant and payment reform projects; and ensuring the program delivers measurable improvements in access, outcomes, and sustainability.

Core Responsibilities:

Strategic Execution & Operational Management

• Support the Director in serving as the principal executive for all RHTP operations.
• Translate the RHTP vision and seven transformation domains into operational plans with clear milestones, budgets, and performance metrics, for implementation.
• Coordinate among participating hospitals, health centers, behavioral-health providers, EMS agencies, and local health departments.
• Prepare and compile routine briefings for the Director, Secretary, Governor, and Legislature on program impact, federal negotiations, and key performance indicators.

Program Management & Implementation

• Manage and oversee the operational aspects of RHTP implementation, including project governance, funding disbursement, and accountability structures.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal reporting requirements, including deliverables tied to the CMS Innovation Center and related federal partners.

Operational Oversight of RHTP’s Seven Core Initiatives

• Connected Care Grid: Build the infrastructure to bring virtual and in-person care access to people on-demand.
• Rural Health Link: Transport West Virginians to care when it’s needed.
• Mountain State Care Force: Recruit, train, and retain the healthcare workforce of the future.
• Smart Care Catalyst
• Health to Prosperity Pipeline: Help West Virginians rebuild health, rejoin the workforce, and thrive in their communities.
• Personal Health Accelerator: Empower healthy living through food as medicine, movement, and local partnerships.
• HealthTech Appalachia: Incubate leapfrog technologies that innovate healthcare delivery and unlock economic growth.

Fiscal & Compliance Oversight

• Monitor and manage the program with combined federal and state funding.
• Ensure adherence to federal financial and program integrity requirements.
• Align investments with cost-reduction and outcome-improvement goals tied to quality metrics and value-based purchasing.

Stakeholder Coordination & Communications Support

• Serve as a key liaison to health systems, academic partners, community organizations, and federal agencies, often representing the Director.
• Coordinate interagency workstreams across the Departments of Health, Human Services, Economic Development, and Education.
• Support public communication strategies with the Director, Secretary, and Governor’s Office to highlight program impact and transparency.

Data Integration & Technology Implementation

• Manage the implementation of the WVHIN data infrastructure to unify health, workforce, and economic data for performance analytics.
• Coordinate the use of AI-driven dashboards and predictive analytics to monitor rural outcomes, cost savings, and community impact.
• Facilitate the implementation of technology-enabled care models that extend reach of specialty, home-based, and telehealth services.

Accountability & Results Measurement

• Implement and maintain performance scorecards tied to RHTP’s outcome framework (e.g., reduced avoidable hospitalizations, shorter appointment wait times, higher workforce retention, lower chronic-disease burden).
• Coordinate independent evaluation partnerships with West Virginia University, Marshall University, and others.
• Ensure transparent reporting to the Legislature, public, and federal partners.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s or doctoral degree in public health, health administration, business, medicine, or related field (DrPH, MPH, MBA, MHA, MD, DO, or equivalent).
• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in health system transformation, public health administration, or large-scale program management.
• Demonstrated success in managing health programs, federal grants, or innovation models.
• Strong understanding of rural health delivery, Medicaid and CMS policy, and value-based payment reform.
• Proven record of cross-sector leadership and stakeholder coordination.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with CMS Innovation Center, HRSA, or state-federal demonstration models.
• Prior leadership in rural or multi-system health operations.
• Familiarity with data modernization, telehealth, or health technology infrastructure projects.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including public-facing leadership.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Fiscal Stewardship & Accountability
• Coalition Building & Stakeholder Diplomacy
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Innovation & Change Management
• Results Orientation & Public Transparency
• Commitment to the Governor’s mission of “Stronger Lives, Healthier Choices, and a Better West Virginia.”

Appointment and Compensation:

• This is an exempt (at-will) position under the Department of Health. Compensation will be commensurate with executive-level public service, experience, and qualifications. This position includes full state benefits and travel reimbursement for statewide engagement.
• This position is a full-time, term-limited appointment for a period of up to five (5) years and is contingent upon the award and continued availability of federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Continued employment beyond the project period is not guaranteed.

Employment Type: Full Time
Bonus/Commission: No