Physician Provider Relations and Outreach (PPRO) Growth Strategist

Overview

Ardent Health is a leading provider of healthcare in communities across the country. With a focus on consumer-friendly processes and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. We are driven by our purpose of caring for people: our patients, our communities and one another.

Located in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s strongest and most innovative healthcare systems. Our facilities and clinics are consistently recognized among healthcare’s best employers. We recognize each hospital and clinic is as unique as the community it serves. We strive to maintain strong community ties through advisory boards, contributions, charitable care, education and outreach.

Ardent includes:

30 hospitals

280 sites of care

4,281 beds

24,000+ team members

8,200+ nurses

1,800+ aligned providers

5.8M annual provider encounters

421 medical residents

Ardent makes considerable investments in people, technology, facilities, and communities, producing high quality care and extraordinary results. From newly constructed facilities and expanded services, to lifesaving technology and outstanding opportunities for employees, Ardent is committed to providing its hospitals and clinics the tools needed to succeed.

We believe it is this mix of corporate support and local autonomy that equips our teams for success.

Scope of Role:

Leads physician and provider outreach efforts for the UT Health East Texas market in the areas of Athens and Jacksonville, driving surgical growth across General Surgery, Orthopedics, Gynecology, and Urology while expanding admissions, EMS transfers, and referral volume to strengthen market share and patient retention across both facilities.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Physician Provider Relations and Outreach (PPRO) Growth Strategist is responsible for researching and understanding service line volumes, utilization, market share, competitor data and physician referral patters for assigned lines of business. Must have knowledge of key business drivers, related medical trends, and service line performance metrics. Ability to leverage internal and external data to create strategic business development plans for each service line to support the company strategic vision and goals. Must travel to hospitals facilities relative to assigned service lines on a regular basis to provide education and build and maintain strong relationships with community hospitals, clinics, and referring providers. Ensure providers in primary and secondary services areas are effectively informed of and educated to Ardent hospital and medical group providers and services. Communicate closely with hospital market, facility, and medical group and service line leadership to review market knowledge and implementation of PPRO goals for each assigned service line, geographic territory or facility. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as; outreach activities and hospital financial goals.  This position will work frequently with both internal and external providers, medical group and hospital leadership, and community leaders. The strategic ability to identify growth opportunities and link activity to results while communicating and partnering effectively with market, hospital and service line leadership is essential.  

Responsibilities

• Serve as a market-facing extension of hospital and medical group leadership, focused on driving market share growth, and service line performance.

• Build and advance strategic relationships with physicians, advanced practice providers, practice leaders, and other key referral sources to generate new business and strengthen existing accounts.

• Prospect for new development opportunities, identify competitive opportunities and vulnerabilities, and develop targeted strategies to convert business from competitors.

• Develop and execute data-driven territory, account, and service line growth plans aligned with hospital and medical group strategic priorities.

• Maintain a strong command of the market, including referral patterns, splitter physician alignment, competitor activity, access barriers, service line trends, and emerging growth opportunities.

• Translate market intelligence and field activity into actionable recommendations for hospital executives, medical group leadership, and service line leaders.

• Establish clear account priorities, call strategies, and next steps designed to move opportunities through the business development process.

• Meet defined growth targets for assigned service lines and territories while actively measuring activity, referral trends, account penetration, and business results.

• Use CRM tools to actively manage target accounts, opportunity pipelines, reach and frequency, competitive intelligence, and follow-up activity.

• Deliver compelling, differentiated service line messaging that connects physician and provider needs with Lovelace surgical and procedural specialists, capabilities, access, and services.

• Partner with clinical operations and hospital leadership to identify and quickly resolve operational barriers that impact growth and patient experience.

• Demonstrate strong business acumen, executive presence, persistence, and consultative selling skills when engaging physicians, practice leaders, and healthcare executives.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree
  • Additional years of experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• 5+ years of demonstrated sales experience or relevant work experience.
• 2+ years of previous hospital or healthcare experience.
• Previous hospital and healthcare experience, preferred.
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM software, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to work independently.
• Knowledge of the healthcare industry and current economic trends and challenges for healthcare systems.
• Must demonstrate ability to understand larger strategic picture and how to leverage the role effectively to drive growth.
• Ability to clearly understand hospital goals and ability to leverages understanding to reach goals; clearly aligns results to meet operator’s expectations.
• Translates initiatives into action and implements communication strategies.
• Ability to communicate effectively both written and verbal, and in a compelling way that drives other’s thoughts and actions and ensures understanding.
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills to influence and build effective relationships.
• Must work well in fast paced environment and be nimble to change.
• Must be coachable and be accountable to a professional development plan supported by manager.
• Some after-hours and weekend work may be required.
• Travel with occasional overnight trips may be required.